I'm crashing

Stay at home dad! That's awesome! Really a lot of respect for working so hard.
Honestly I think it's as simple as getting a little extra sleep... which isn't so possible.
I don't know much about diet and such but.. being a stay at home parent is draining, insanely so.. and working ontop of that?
No idea how people manage this!

I've cut sugar out of my diet in terms of juice/ fruit and in my coffee.

OK I can understanding lowering your sugar intake as far as juice and additional sugar in your coffee as it can be quite high in calories (sugar is not the devil) but fruit? Balanced diet without fruit?

You may be crashing because you have an unbalanced diet, lack of fruit isn't the best for you and wouldn't be what I would consider a "balanced diet" most people crash when dieting from having a too high calorie deficit, I don't know as your diary is closed.

You mentioned greens and potatoes but maybe you are overly restricting your carb intake.

I think the biggest suspect though is sleep deprivation 3-4 hrs is not really adequate for recovery from exercise, throw in a calorie deficit on top and you have the perfect recipe for "crashing"

This link has a wealth of useful information including macro distribution and calorie allotments...

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1

Sounds like you need more sleep, regularly.

rowantb wrote: »

Sorry i thought it was! Should be now i think?

I'm 5,11" roughly 14 stone 11 (207 pounds)

Target weight is roughly 12 stone 6 (174 pounds)

My activity level is sedentary due to the fact i rarely get a chance to do a decent workout. I have a Misfit Shine to accurately track my steps everyday and average between 3-6000 a day.

My workload should decrease soon so i'll have more time to get back into a decent exercise regime.

Kirsten: Thank you, means a lot My problem is my mind doesn't turn off. My son goes to sleep around 6/7 and then i work until late so when i get into bed my work is still running through my mind! Keep thinking i'll get so exhausted that i'll finally be able to sleep well but that never seems to happen lol

Thanks for the quick responses!

I think you totally need to relax.
I don't even want to know how scary it is, single stay at home parent, I wouldn't have coped!
What I sense is you're super stressed out and everything but you is being put first.
Yes our kids come first and taking care of them does too.. but if we don't come first sometimes we'll crash as you are now!
Does he have grandparents he can spend time with for a day?
If he does you should definitely take a day off to take a breath.
You deserve it. And need it

I suffer sleep issue like you - the mind just won't shut down. Some things I have learned:
1. Studies suggest that late night screens may cause insomnia. I don't know that it is fully accepted, but in the last couple of years, I have seen ths mentioned several times. The light of hte screen tricks the body into thinking it is day so you struggle to get to sleep. So, try getting the screen turned off earlier if you can.
2. Watch caffeine intake. I used to drink coffee and tea all day. Now I stop at 10 or 11am. I made a mistake of drinking a cup of tea at 8 the other night and I was wired till 2am. Remember that caffeine can sneak into places you don't expect like chocolate.
3. Try the same routine each night for that last hour - say warm shower and a good paperback book (see point 1 above if you like ebooks like I do). My doc suggested this to help train my mind to start shutting down early.
4. Don't exercise too late in the evening. For some (I am one of them) it geeks you up for hours after.
5. Alcohol screws up sleep. If you drink, you may want to try abstaining for a while to see if that helps.

Give these things a few weeks to work. It can take weeks for the body to adapt to sleep changes.

I too have a desk job. One thing I do is get up and pace when I am on the phone. If it is going to be a good long call, I go outside and walk the yard and driveway while I talk (if I can be away from my screen of course). Every 45 minutes, do a seventh inning stretch and throw in a few sets of squats and push ups or wall push ups or mountain climbers or whatever. Just take 5 minutes to get the blood flowing. I want to move my treadmill or stationary bike to the office so I can walk/ride at lunch. Unfortunately the wife likes to use the bike in front of the telly so that didn't happen. The treadmill still might, but for now it is in the garage. Still, it isn't like it is that far away. I did my treadmill and weights at lunch yesterday. I know it is harder with a toddler. My son was terrible at naps. Depending on age, you can always put him in the play pen for a bit while you treadmill/stationary bike or if he is older, just put on a show to watch while you get your stuff in. It is hard, but it can be done. Good Luck.