HELP!!! Little to no energy.

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KingBarri
KingBarri Posts: 17
in Food and Nutrition
Hey MFP folks!!!

I am a 225 lbs, 6 foot 2 male that has recently become active again after a shoulder injury. During recovery I recklessly put on about 30 lbs of weight while recovering and am now looking to lose it. When I was 195 I was about 16% body fat but now I am about 27% (FML!!!). I wanted to ask you guys a question about my lack of energy as of late in my weight loss adventure.

Having been an athlete and a gym regular I already know the importance of taking it slow when starting back up an exercise routine and working my way up. I currently workout with weights 3x a week, cardio calisthenics 2x a week, and active rest day and a full rest day. I never focused on weight loss before so I chose to use MFP as a tool. The site recommended to me 2100g in calories, 105g in protein, 70g in fat, and 263g in carbs. I have followed this for the past month and I must say I am more tired and fatigued than I have ever been in my life, Even when I first started working out I was never this tired. Soreness isnt even much of an issue, I am tired at work, after work and just throughout the day. I am eating mainly Fish, Greens, Sweet Potatoes and using different fat sources to try and achieve a balanced diet.

So before I pay for a lot for nutritionist and/or trainer to possibly give me a quick & obvious solution, I wanted to ask yall if maybe there is something obvious that I am missing? Maybe I should eat more, eat less, maybe its my age (about to hit the dirty 30 & f**k whoever said 30 is the new 20, its not), maybe I need more rest days, maybe im just bigger than I am used to being and need to toughen up instead of being a little b***h, etc. I am open to all suggestions, comments and insults. Thank you and thanks for reading.
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Replies

  • nikibunny1
    nikibunny1 Posts: 5
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    What about a true whole food diet? Protein from fish chicken or turkey, veggies low carb veggies and limit high starch veggies .. And good fats.. No sugar nothing out of boxes . No processed foods? No gluten no grains?
  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I had an issue with little energy and mine turned out to be an iron deficiency. Of course mine was diagnosed by a blood test but you could easily try to eat more iron rich foods. If you don't already take a multivitamin you could try to add that to your diet as well.

    It could also be the weather not sure where you live but where I am its cold and cloudy almost everyday and that plays a role with my energy. Days like that just make me want to crawl into bed and sleep.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Your calories sound low to me. That level of calories is ok if you aren't exercising. Are you eating back your exercise calories? I used a calculator here http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and it says your bmr is 2200 which means you are eating 100 calories less than your body needs to function.

    MFP doesn't take exercise calories into consideration. If you selected the lose 2lbs a week option it also cuts your short on calories sometimes.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    are you getting plenty of sleep? maybe you arent getting the nutrients you need. anything can cause you to have little to no energy. do you eat any fruits? if this is something new to you then maybe you need to see your dr and get bloodwork done to make sure its not a health issue.
  • beckyml1980
    beckyml1980 Posts: 126 Member
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    I would say that a man of your age, height and weight, you are eating too little. Are you taking a multi vitamin? Plenty of sleep and water??? I would say though, you need to up your calories, just like enterdanger said.
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
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    nikibunny1 wrote: »
    What about a true whole food diet? Protein from fish chicken or turkey, veggies low carb veggies and limit high starch veggies .. And good fats.. No sugar nothing out of boxes . No processed foods? No gluten no grains?

    This is currently how my diet is structured. Nearly Paleo like with the exception of the wheat wraps I occasionally have for my sandwiches, the seasoning I use for meats and the sriracha I devour.
  • JZ_Evolution_Mark2
    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 Posts: 63 Member
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    Your protein levels are very low for a man your size and with your goals...
    Perhaps taking some BCAA's, L-Carnatine and VItamin B Complex... along with a good multivitamin will help you....
  • hoosierplew
    hoosierplew Posts: 19 Member
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    I feel your pain. I circuit train 2x/week, play full court basketball on one of those days, and am training up for a marathon by running 4x a week. I've found three things that help me more than anything: sleep, electrolytes, and water. For me, if I have less than 7 hours of sleep I stay fatigued throughout the day. If I don't drink an electrolyte supplement in the morning, I wind up losing gas during a long run. If I'm not staying fully hydrated I have all kinds of problems. Remember: drink 25oz of water per pound of weight lost during a workout on top of the regular amount you should be drinking (around 100 oz for me).

    I second getting your bloodwork done - it will uncover things like iron deficiencies and give you a much better idea of exactly what's happening.
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    blink1021 wrote: »
    I had an issue with little energy and mine turned out to be an iron deficiency. Of course mine was diagnosed by a blood test but you could easily try to eat more iron rich foods. If you don't already take a multivitamin you could try to add that to your diet as well.

    It could also be the weather not sure where you live but where I am its cold and cloudy almost everyday and that plays a role with my energy. Days like that just make me want to crawl into bed and sleep.

    From previous medical exams, my doctors have found I have high levels of Iron. I do take a multivitamin in the AM. The weather in the DC area just got warmer this week, perhaps the change in temperature could be something though I dont think so. Thanks for the input
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    enterdanger wrote: »
    Your calories sound low to me. That level of calories is ok if you aren't exercising. Are you eating back your exercise calories? I used a calculator here http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and it says your bmr is 2200 which means you are eating 100 calories less than your body needs to function.

    MFP doesn't take exercise calories into consideration. If you selected the lose 2lbs a week option it also cuts your short on calories sometimes.

    I feel as if maybe I am not eating enough at times. I picked that I have a Sedentary lifestyle because I have a desk job that I sit at most hours of the day and selected 1lb per week. I will check out Scoobys calendar and look into how much more I should eat due to my workout. MFP doesn't really add nutrient amounts in for strength training on the daily journal, only cardio. Thank you for the input
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
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    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    are you getting plenty of sleep? maybe you arent getting the nutrients you need. anything can cause you to have little to no energy. do you eat any fruits? if this is something new to you then maybe you need to see your dr and get bloodwork done to make sure its not a health issue.

    Fruits I have 2x a day, sleep I get about 6-7 hours a night. I went to see my doctor before starting, all my blood work & physical said I was healthy for exercise. I think I may need to do more research on the nutrients I need based on the kind of workout I am doing. Thanks for the input
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
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    beckyml1980 wrote: »
    I would say that a man of your age, height and weight, you are eating too little. Are you taking a multi vitamin? Plenty of sleep and water??? I would say though, you need to up your calories, just like enterdanger said.

    Eating too little is what I thought too. Thanks for the input
  • jigglyjessica
    jigglyjessica Posts: 58 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Do you have high iron levels without the multivitamin? If you do, because of the vitamin you could have even higher levels which could make you tired. Look into that and if it's the case look for a vitamin without iron. Try switching your settings to 1 pound a week weight loss to increase your calorie limit.
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    JZ_Evolution_Mark2 wrote: »
    Your protein levels are very low for a man your size and with your goals...
    Perhaps taking some BCAA's, L-Carnatine and VItamin B Complex... along with a good multivitamin will help you....

    So I do take a BCAA powder that I throw into my water jug and sip throughout the day. No L-Carnatine (ill try some) and I get Vitamin B through my multivitamin. I thought the protein was low myself but unfortunately since I have never been concerned about weight loss, I dont know enough to customize my routine and trusted the site's analysis. I think I will do more research. Thanks for the input
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    hoosierplew wrote: »
    I feel your pain. I circuit train 2x/week, play full court basketball on one of those days, and am training up for a marathon by running 4x a week. I've found three things that help me more than anything: sleep, electrolytes, and water. For me, if I have less than 7 hours of sleep I stay fatigued throughout the day. If I don't drink an electrolyte supplement in the morning, I wind up losing gas during a long run. If I'm not staying fully hydrated I have all kinds of problems. Remember: drink 25oz of water per pound of weight lost during a workout on top of the regular amount you should be drinking (around 100 oz for me).

    I second getting your bloodwork done - it will uncover things like iron deficiencies and give you a much better idea of exactly what's happening.

    Thanks for the info. The electrolytes and water after a workout are two things I haven't paid much attention to so far.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    If you are worried about your intake try increasing it and see if it helps. I don't really know what good numbers are for men since I am not one :)

    Also, make sure you are drinking enough, recently had the realization that some of the fatigue I was experiencing was dehydration. Drink a few glasses and recheck on yourself in an hour, if you are feeling better thats the problem.
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    jigglyjessica wrote: »
    Do you have high iron levels without the multivitamin? If you do, because of the vitamin you could have even higher levels which could make you tired. Look into that and if it's the case look for a vitamin without iron. Try switching your settings to 1 pound a week weight loss to increase your calorie limit.

    I have good iron levels and get vitamin B through my multivitamin. Currently my settings are at 1 lbs per week
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I make sure i am fueled up with carbs and well hydrated. Banana is my go to as well as a decent brekast. Ive just powered through a 4h session feeling quite alert.
    Vitamin B is useful for energy, you might want to check for iron deficiency and you might be anaemic. Also a bit of caffeine doesnt go amiss, as are adequate rest days.

    If my body is genuinely tired then I check im taking adequate rest. I recognise that point where you go for it and the energy isnt there. I just know when I cna push through or whether to call it a day. Pace yourself.

    I forggot to add hydration which is just as importnat but you seem to have that covered.
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    If you are worried about your intake try increasing it and see if it helps. I don't really know what good numbers are for men since I am not one :)

    Also, make sure you are drinking enough, recently had the realization that some of the fatigue I was experiencing was dehydration. Drink a few glasses and recheck on yourself in an hour, if you are feeling better thats the problem.

    Currently I get about 80oz of just water. Then I tend to have various things like tea, coffee and added water to my protein shakes. So maybe I will try uping the water intake too. I hope thats it, easy enough to fix. Thanks for the input
  • KingBarri
    KingBarri Posts: 17
    Options
    999tigger wrote: »
    I make sure i am fueled up with carbs and well hydrated. Banana is my go to as well as a decent brekast. Ive just powered through a 4h session feeling quite alert.
    Vitamin B is useful for energy, you might want to check for iron deficiency and you might be anaemic. Also a bit of caffeine doesnt go amiss, as are adequate rest days.

    If my body is genuinely tired then I check im taking adequate rest. I recognise that point where you go for it and the energy isnt there. I just know when I cna push through or whether to call it a day. Pace yourself.

    Before now I thought I knew that point too. I'll make sure to pace myself. Thanks for the input

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