Ok, so I added more protein...

MrsCon40 · May 2011

Let me preface this with I am a vegan - I have been for years and I have no intention of changing that. If you are hostile to my love of plant based foods, please don't comment.

I saw a nutritionist as part of body composition and metabolic testing. She was super impressed at my diet but suggested that due to the amount of weight training I was doing and my suddent increase in activity level (I have never been an exerciser my whole life, up til now) that I should add some more protein to my diet.

Previously I was getting about 30g a day and now I am often near 100g a day. I consistently hit 100% of my iron and calcium solely through whole foods. I also average about 50g of fiber a day. I am supplementing with B12 and my protein shake has supplemented amino acids.

Since adding all this extra protein, I have never felt more tired in the afternoons in my life! Should I stick it out for a while since I have also started running at 5:30a... maybe that's the cause?

Anyone else experience this, feeling more weighed down after upping their protein? Maybe I just need to allow myself more time to adjust? I've been doing this for about 3 weeks now - both the protein and the early runs.

Thanks!

ShrinkingNinja · May 2011

I wouldn't think that it is the protein that it making your tired. I would think it has more to do with the early runs. Having said that, protein does make your body work harder to digest it.... So give yourself some time to adjust to the new running time AND the protein..... if you are still feeling sluggish in a week or two.... then maybe cut back a smidge (technical term

)

fteale · May 2011

I think 100g of protein is too much unless you are doing heavy weight training.

MrsCon40 · May 2011

I think 100g of protein is too much unless you are doing heavy weight training.

I know! Nutritionist said to shoot for it, but it was ok if I fell short. As a vegan that seems like an obscene amount of protein...

I think it may be the runs more than anything so I think I'll stick it out and see what happens.

Maybe I need to go back to caffeine

stanvoodoo · May 2011

I too would doubt it is the protein. My nutritionist and doctor also recommended between 80 - 100 grams of protein per day. Protein is key ti dieting.

I would go back to your nutritionist with a printout (from reports) and have her review it.

Usually carbs and/or sugars cause you to become tired, so maybe they can guide you better.

Don't give up!

stormieweather · May 2011

100g is close to my goal, as well. I feel a thousand times better when I meet it than when I don't.

One thing you may want to check into is the length of time you've been "dieting" or eating at a deficit. When I have been eating low calories for too long, I start to get tired and I move around less. A solution to this is to eat at maintenance for 1 week, every 3 months. I ate at maintenance April 1-7 and will again on July 1-7. It helps keep your leptin levels high and your metabolism functioning.

heathersmilez · May 2011

. If you are hostile to my love of plant based foods, please don't comment.

Dam you evil plant eater!!!!!!!!! Ha ha ha, just kidding. Just thought that was a funny warning since I've never hear anyone make fun of vegans (at least not their choice of food, its other socio-economic/physical stereotypes that often go along with the vegan lifestyle that get made fun of) and it's more so us meat-eaters that get berated if we end up in a conversation with a vegan.

Anyhoo... sorry I don't have an answer for ya! I get about 90-100g of protein myself and it doesn't make me sleepy. Only 6 hours of sleep contributes to that, thank goodness for my new commute via the train.

Sorry for ranting all over your thread, LOL! :happy:

darkhorse43 · May 2011

. If you are hostile to my love of plant based foods, please don't comment.

Dam you evil plant eater!!!!!!!!! Ha ha ha, just kidding. Just thought that was a funny warning since I've never hear anyone make fun of vegans (at least not their choice of food, its other socio-economic/physical stereotypes that often go along with the vegan lifestyle that get made fun of) and it's more so us meat-eaters that get berated if we end up in a conversation with a vegan.

Anyhoo... sorry I don't have an answer for ya! I get about 90-100g of protein myself and it doesn't make me sleepy. Only 6 hours of sleep contributes to that, thank goodness for my new commute via the train.

Sorry for ranting all over your thread, LOL! :happy:

Wow where do you live? I am a happy little keep it to myself vegan and have been taking crap from meat eaters for the last 15 years. There are of course hostile vegans but in my experience there are a lot more hostile meat eaters. Not everyone of course, but a lot.

MrsCon40 · May 2011

. If you are hostile to my love of plant based foods, please don't comment.

Dam you evil plant eater!!!!!!!!! Ha ha ha, just kidding. Just thought that was a funny warning since I've never hear anyone make fun of vegans (at least not their choice of food, its other socio-economic/physical stereotypes that often go along with the vegan lifestyle that get made fun of) and it's more so us meat-eaters that get berated if we end up in a conversation with a vegan.

Anyhoo... sorry I don't have an answer for ya! I get about 90-100g of protein myself and it doesn't make me sleepy. Only 6 hours of sleep contributes to that, thank goodness for my new commute via the train.

Sorry for ranting all over your thread, LOL! :happy:

Wow where do you live? I am a happy little keep it to myself vegan and have been taking crap from meat eaters for the last 15 years. There are of course hostile vegans but in my experience there are a lot more hostile meat eaters. Not everyone of course, but a lot.

Exactly! And I've heard "just eat a steak" or "you can never get proper nutrition without meat" HERE on this site more than a few times. (Boo)

Sj20fame · May 2011

Oh my gosh I thought it was just me, I just started drinking protein over the weekend, and I have felt heavy(bloated) and tired, and so I stopped yesterday but I'm wondering if this is just something that happens when started??

-Jessica

fteale · May 2011

I have tried upping my protein but if I go over 60g a day I get the runs. You don't need anything like 100g. To get by you need a matchbox sized amount a day, unless you are doing weight training and trying to build muscle. Any more then that will get broken down and laid as fat, it's just extra calories.

javamonster · May 2011

100 g sounds crazy to me too. I can't call myself vegetarian because I have fish on the odd rare occasion, and I'm usually getting around 50-60g a day (mostly from soy products and yogurt). What is the protein source in the supplement you're taking? That could be part of it, but I think I'd vote for the early morning run too. Back when I worked with racehorses and was up at 3:30am and working by 5am, I was completely zonked by noon! I find working out mid-day or early evening keeps me alert all day - but my schedule allows for that, which I know isn't always the case with others!

MrsCon40 · May 2011

My only other option is to work out at 5:15p which means I have no time to ride after work, cooking dinner gets pushed way back AND it keeps me up for hours... so it's not much of an option :yawn:

The protein powder I used is made from pea and potato flour and is 21g of protein and only 2g of carbs...

aippolito1 · May 2011

Protein should not be making you tired. It's something else. More B12 for energy, possibly. I can't believe you were only eating 30g!!! I eat close to 100g per day and I'm working out at least an hour a day. My percentages are set to 45% carbs, 30% protein, 25% fat. You should get 25-30% protein, you can play with your percentages to see what works best for you. 45-30-25 works best for me because I need carbs to help fuel my long work outs and I need the protein because I'm doing heavy lifting.

Teemo · May 2011

If you workout at night, I would try to eat most of that protein after your workout and/or closer to your bedtime. Then you can just go to sleep afterward and being tired is okay.

MrsCon40 · May 2011

being tired is okay.

that's probably what i needed to hear :glasses:

Teemo · May 2011

being tired is okay.

that's probably what i needed to hear :glasses:

lol, but that's not what I said! :laugh:

If your tiredness is negatively impacting your daily routine it's something that should be looked at. But eating more of anything tends to make you sleepy... I'm sure most of us are familiar with that post-buffet nap?

That's why I do most of my eating for the day after my workout at night. So I can relax and go to sleep afterward.

MrsCon40 · May 2011

OHHH. yeah, that doesn't work for me. i have no problem going to sleep, but if i work out later in the day i wake up 2 hours later and am up and down the rest of the night. working out in the morning is the ONLY thing that has ever worked to get me to sleep through the night.

Ironic being that I am more tired than ever.

fteale · May 2011

You are supposed to eat protein earlier in the day and carbs in the evening.

mom2dms · May 2011

Protein heals your muscles and provides you with energy to burn calories throughout the day. I had WLS in January and am working to up my protein. 80-100 g of protein is often the suggested amount for WLS patiences. I would say that your lack of energy is likely from the early morning run and the fact that your body is not used to working out as much as you are. GIve your self time to adjust before cutting back the protein.
Check that what you are eating at lunch isn't high in sugar too...you could be experiencing a low blood sugar crash in the afternoon if you have lots of carbs or something high in sugar.

Good luck....hope it helps!

Ok, so I added more protein...

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