Energy level down after increasing protein

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blackwoodla
blackwoodla Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, I have been monitoring my nutrients for about three weeks now. Bottom line is I was not getting nearly enough protein and fiber. So I have sought out foods higher in protein and fiber. I am not on a big weight loss plan, just want to maintain weight, build a little more muscle and lose a little fat.

I'm doing circuit class twice a week and yoga once a week and at least two to three walks of about 2-3 miles each - this is not new. I get about 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night (yay summer break!). And now I have zero energy. What's up with that?????? The only thing new is eating more protein and fiber. Thanks for any thoughts.

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Is it because you're eating heavier foods, like meat? The more meat I eat, the more sluggish I feel. But soybeans and tuna don't seem to bug me.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Did you go down in fat since adding protein? I eat super high protein and have trouble hitting my fat macro because of it...and it makes me feel kind of tired and sluggish.
  • adwilliams03
    adwilliams03 Posts: 147 Member
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    Hmm. Might be worth a blood work up if that's feasible. Maybe anemia?
  • SunnyPacheco
    SunnyPacheco Posts: 142 Member
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    Did you decrease carbs to up your protein? You need carbs for energy especially on your circuit class days.
  • daniebanks
    daniebanks Posts: 179 Member
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    I found that too when I had lots more protein in my diet, i've since added more carbs/less protein and find my energy levels alot better
  • blackwoodla
    blackwoodla Posts: 4 Member
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    Not eating more meats than usual, but adding more beans & other things w protein. I haven't decreased carbs much but will try readjusting carbs & protein a little to see if that helps. Thanks for the replies!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    No numbers, closed diary, who knows.....

    Rabbit starvation (excessive protein) is a thing.
  • GWehsling
    GWehsling Posts: 120 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    No numbers, closed diary, who knows.....

    Rabbit starvation (excessive protein) is a thing.

    This.

    It's hard to help or suggest something if your diary is closed. You can open it for a week and close it again if you feeling shy but still want some advice, or we're all just going to guess.
  • Spyer116
    Spyer116 Posts: 168 Member
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    Less carbs can make you a little more tired. At least until your body adjusts to it (it will easily start using fat and protein for energy when out of carbs, that's no problem, you'll just feel more tired until your body gets used to it).

    Less carbs can also mean less sugars too if you lowered sweet foods that you were eating. Less sugar in your diet, means your body isn't getting the sugar rush as much as it did before, hence making you feel like you're a little more tired.

    Out of the macronutrients, protein is the most 'difficult' or effort consuming for your body to process and digest. No idea if its possible or not, but if increasing your protein intake by a large amount (like doubling it or something, from 60 to 120g / day if not even higher), just the extra effort your body is regularly putting up to digest your food might make you feel a little tired, till it gets used to the changes.
    Of course on that point, I could be talking out of my *kitten*, and massive sudden increases in daily protein mightn't even be possible to make anyone feel tired in that regards. But it seems like something possible to me, especially if what you were eating before more protein, was something like simple carbs.

    you're doing strength training twice a week. yoga once a week. And purpose walking (as opposed to any walking you do in daily life like around the house, or at work) up to nearly 10 miles a week. On top of I would guess a 8-10 hour job, and then general house and garden work possibly.
    Are your calories set right to maintain weight (ie. very slowly lose a little fat while building a little muscle, but the scale remaining mostly the same), as if they're calculated too low due to the amount of activity you're doing, and you're actually losing weight because of that. Just the small deficit, combined with doing all that activity, might just be burning you out a bit, so you'd need to rest for a few days / a week, or change up some of what you do.

    Also keep in mind, that a proper strength training workout, could just leave your body fatigued for over a day or so, while recovering, even if your diet and sleep and other activities are all good. So that a more sluggish body might just make you think you're tired overall.

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