4 am work out, 1200 calorie diet, & no energy!!!!

mpt1110
mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'3", 185 lbs & trying to achieve the second time around with living the healthy lifestyle but want to make sure I'm doing it right. I totally understand that it might be too early to ask for advice since this is only my 2nd day doing this, but at the same time...I didn't feel this sluggish, fatigue, and tired when I did this about a year ago. I just want to make sure that it will get better or do I need to tweak something.

When I tried dieting & exercising about a year ago, it was 5 am work out (1 hr), 6-9 hrs of sleep, followed 1200 calorie diet, sufficient energy....was losing 2-3 lbs a week, worked wonders!!!! This time around, am getting up @ 3:30 to do 4 am work out (1 hr), getting 6 hrs of sleep, trying my hardest to follow 1200 calorie diet, & am not getting sufficient energy at all. I'm finding myself eating just to gain some energy, not eating junk but healthy snacking about every hour! Because I'm doing this, I'm seeing that I'm unable to meet the 1200 calorie diet.....I'm at 1200 before dinner time hits! I'm also seeing myself logging a lot of drinks in since I'm thriving to gain energy, protein/coffee drinks! The water intake is pretty good...I do meet my 8 ounces a day!

I understand that it's sometimes easier to live that healthy lifestyle when you have a work out buddy to do it with, hence the reason I have to get up @ 3:30 & do a 4 am work out time. After workout, get ready for work, out the door by 7:30 am, in work by 9 am to be out at 5 pm, & in bed by 9-9:30 pm to get at least 6 hours. Is this too much for my body or everything is actually sufficient for my body & it's a matter of getting use to it. I don't want to deprive my body of anything that it needs.
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Replies

  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    I'm on about the same schedule as you, but with higher calories, and energy hasn't been an issue. I think you need to up your calories a bit.
    Also, it may just take you awhile to adjust. Or if you REALLY need the extra sleep, you should ditch your workout buddy ;)
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Not sure if 1200 is a good amount with exercise I would up it and add more snacks like almonds. Me, I get up at 4:30 AM and run six miles. I follow that with real oatmeal with almond milk, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, Chia seeds and walnuts. Last time I logged it was over 1000 calories and at ten I am eating a 250 calorie bag of almonds. When I went way below my projected deficit once I felt so sick and weak I had to quit exercise for two days. Slight deficit including exercise calories works best for me.
  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
    Remember that MFP calories goals do not include exercise, so you should be eating at least part of your exercise calories back. That being said, it really sounds like you need to slow your rate of loss and increase your calories. What is your goal weight? I suspect at 185 you don't need to be pushing for 2 lbs a week.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    I wouldn't jump straight into all of that; it seems like a recipe for burnout. I'd highly recommend starting off a little more slowly. If you tell MFP you want to lose 0.5 pounds per week, how many calories does it give you? Try that target plus your exercise for 4-8 weeks, and then you can drop it to losing 1 pound per week if you want. I get that starting off slowly can be frustrating, but in the long run it's not about how quickly you can lose a small amount of weight, it's about how long you can maintain your deficit. Burning out after a month or two isn't going to get you the long-term results you want, but putting together a plan that is slow, steady and sustainable will.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    I can get up at 5 to work out but cannot adjust to 4am. At all, full stop. If I don't have enough time between 5am and people-needing-me-time, then I have to work out in the afternoon or evening. Circadian Rhythms or something. Once adjusted and with 7.5 hours sleep I can bounce out at 5am alright. Right now, like you I have to be out the door at 7:30 to do kid dropoff before work, and can't leave till 5 or later, but can work out and be ready by 7:30 if I get up at 5:30, kids are more self sufficient in the mornings now.

    I think you need more sleep. You can't lose weight effectively without getting adequate sleep, and will be more prone to injury too. Either adjust your bedtime, or get up later.
  • AgentFlex
    AgentFlex Posts: 211 Member
    Honestly, it is rather apparent to me it is the 2-3 hours less of sleep you are getting now. I live on 6ish hours of sleep myself and work out at 5 am. But it takes some adapting. I agree with everyone who has said 1200 is probably not enough calories. A loss of 1 pound per week is quite sufficient. I am only an inch shorter than you but originally started here at the same weight as you, it took a year to lose 50 pounds. I have since done a couple of bulk and cut cycles which currently has my weight up about 18 pounds from my lowest weight, but those 18 pounds are significantly more muscle than fat as I still fit in most of the same clothes. Throughout my loss I ate around 1400 calories per day and had plenty of energy!
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    Okay, so I'm gathering the right way to go about doing this....is set my MFP to losing .5 pd a week & going to bed @ 8:30 pm to get 7 hrs of sleep instead of 6 hrs. I'm going to try this & see how my body reacts.

    Thanks so much everyone :) I love that I have the option of openly asking & get decent/good advice out of it.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    This^^^

    And are you talking 1200 net, or gross?
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
    Your water intake is totally insufficient at 8 OUNCES(?) a day. "Recommended" is 8 eight ounces glasses per day, or about a half-gallon. And I would quit the "coffee/protein drinks"...that's just me.
    I also agree with most of the advice above. Good luck!
  • AgentFlex
    AgentFlex Posts: 211 Member
    mpt1110 wrote: »
    Okay, so I'm gathering the right way to go about doing this....is set my MFP to losing .5 pd a week & going to bed @ 8:30 pm to get 7 hrs of sleep instead of 6 hrs. I'm going to try this & see how my body reacts.

    Thanks so much everyone :) I love that I have the option of openly asking & get decent/good advice out of it.

    Sounds like you are headed in the right direction! Good luck!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1200 calories is for a sedentary person...if you're working out, you're not sedentary and need to eat more.
  • alone_aqua
    alone_aqua Posts: 28 Member
    edited May 2016
    I can tell you one thing I learned right off the bat...... the same thing you did before may NOT work for you again. I had the same frustration on my round 2 - your body adjusts to exercise and diet even if you digress from them to gain weight. Whatever you did before it will take MORE. That does not necessarily mean eating less. I DO think you should increase the intensity of your workouts and eat more calories per day. I can't emphasize enough though WHICH calories DOES matter. 1600 cals of crap doesn't produce the same results as 1600 cals of meats, veggies and fruit for me. There's no work around to that.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    The workout is unnecessary if it does more harm than good.
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    RGv2 wrote: »
    This^^^

    And are you talking 1200 net, or gross?

    Absolutely disguise math so I'm going to say that I was set at 1200 to eat daily, if I burned 400 calories...it would add 400 to 1200 - does that give you the answer?! lol
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    vikinglander wrote: »
    Your water intake is totally insufficient at 8 OUNCES(?) a day. "Recommended" is 8 eight ounces glasses per day, or about a half-gallon. And I would quit the "coffee/protein drinks"...that's just me.
    I also agree with most of the advice above. Good luck!

    8 cups, sorry!!!!! lol I don't know what I was talkin' about there! lol Yes, your right....agree wit' cutting the coffee/protein drinks, had to get the energy somewhere - definitely can't ask my boss to go take a nap during work, lol
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    ridge4mfp wrote: »
    Remember that MFP calories goals do not include exercise, so you should be eating at least part of your exercise calories back. That being said, it really sounds like you need to slow your rate of loss and increase your calories. What is your goal weight? I suspect at 185 you don't need to be pushing for 2 lbs a week.

    My goal weight is 130, need to lose 55 lbs! Your right, I am eating my exercise calories back! But I'm still at a loss wit' energy! :(
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    jennifer_417 wrote: »
    6 hrs of sleep + only eating 1200 calories is a great recipe for burnout. You're simply not giving your body what it needs to function.

    ^^THIS

    1200 calories and 6 hours of sleep would make me want to throat punch someone.
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    rsclause wrote: »
    Not sure if 1200 is a good amount with exercise I would up it and add more snacks like almonds. Me, I get up at 4:30 AM and run six miles. I follow that with real oatmeal with almond milk, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, Chia seeds and walnuts. Last time I logged it was over 1000 calories and at ten I am eating a 250 calorie bag of almonds. When I went way below my projected deficit once I felt so sick and weak I had to quit exercise for two days. Slight deficit including exercise calories works best for me.

    Here I thought I was the only one that I worked out @ 4 am. It seems as though 5 am is the earliest popular time! I'm also glad I'm not the only one that went through this, lol I do eat healthy snacks but like you & I have said....I'm eating all my calories by dinner time & still no energy! A change is definitely needed....glad I didn't keep doing this & burn out.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    mpt1110 wrote: »
    rsclause wrote: »
    Not sure if 1200 is a good amount with exercise I would up it and add more snacks like almonds. Me, I get up at 4:30 AM and run six miles. I follow that with real oatmeal with almond milk, fresh strawberries, blueberries, banana, Chia seeds and walnuts. Last time I logged it was over 1000 calories and at ten I am eating a 250 calorie bag of almonds. When I went way below my projected deficit once I felt so sick and weak I had to quit exercise for two days. Slight deficit including exercise calories works best for me.

    Here I thought I was the only one that I worked out @ 4 am. It seems as though 5 am is the earliest popular time! I'm also glad I'm not the only one that went through this, lol I do eat healthy snacks but like you & I have said....I'm eating all my calories by dinner time & still no energy! A change is definitely needed....glad I didn't keep doing this & burn out.

    I feel like it's always easier to start slowly and add more later than it is to over-do it and then pull back. Chances are, if you over-do it at first, you'll end up quitting instead of just down-shifting.
  • mpt1110
    mpt1110 Posts: 8 Member
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    I'm on about the same schedule as you, but with higher calories, and energy hasn't been an issue. I think you need to up your calories a bit.
    Also, it may just take you awhile to adjust. Or if you REALLY need the extra sleep, you should ditch your workout buddy ;)

    Do you mind me asking how many calories your on?
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,162 Member
    I can't imagine getting up at 3:30 in the morning for any reason. As far as I am concerned that is the middle of the night. I guess if you went to bed at 8:30 that will help, but since I usually go to bed around 11 and get up at 7 that seems as hard for me as getting up in the middle of the night. I do think that getting that little sleep and that little calories is not going to work well for you in the long run. Do you have a job? Sedentary is really for people who don't move much during the day like at a desk job. If you are more active during the day you need more than 1200 calories. And if you are working out also you should eat back at least half of the exercise calories. Plus you don't have to make all these changes at once. Start with the diet and then you can add the exercise. Your diet will help you lose weight, your exercise will help you be fit.
  • FitFLNana
    FitFLNana Posts: 11 Member
    Two days you've been at this and you're exhausted, really?????
  • jpdbigbend
    jpdbigbend Posts: 3 Member
    I agree that you need more sleep. Plus, figure out your actual calorie burn from workout and ADD it to the 1200 calorie goal. Also, give it longer, my current program took several days before I saw more than an ounce difference, but then I lost almost 2 lbs! I also found eating high fiber foods helped me not be as hungry. Favorite is fresh broccoli and cauliflower with dill dip made from fat free sour cream, dried dill, garlic salt, and a little lime juice. Good luck!!!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I would say the sleep for sure.

    I don't function well on 6 hours either...I go to bed usually shortly after 9:30...up at 6...so about 8 hours of sleep.
    FitFLNana wrote: »
    Two days you've been at this and you're exhausted, really?????

    some people don't do well on little sleep...not a big deal.
  • jpdbigbend
    jpdbigbend Posts: 3 Member
    FitFLNana wrote: »
    Two days you've been at this and you're exhausted, really?????

    Whether you intended or not, your comment was not nice or helpful.
  • walking2running
    walking2running Posts: 140 Member
    I've followed a similar plan since December and I'm doing ok. If anything, I have more energy now. I go to bed at 8:30 pm and I get up at 4:30 am. I eat on average about 1400 calories.

    If you're at 1200 calories before dinner, you can have a smaller dinner (400 calories) and NET 1200 calories (if that's your goal). I go to bed early so I have less opportunity to snack at night. Usually, I'll have a small dinner (but big on volume) which consists of a BIG chopped salad, steamed vegetables, and a protein.

    Or, you can try to curb your snacking. If you create a habit of snacking every hour, you may not be actually hungry, but just following a habit. Have a cup of tea instead, or some coffee.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    mpt1110 wrote: »
    RGv2 wrote: »
    This^^^

    And are you talking 1200 net, or gross?

    Absolutely disguise math so I'm going to say that I was set at 1200 to eat daily, if I burned 400 calories...it would add 400 to 1200 - does that give you the answer?! lol

    So you're actually aiming for 1600 calories total?

    I agree with everyone else that you're probably having a tough time with only 6 hours sleep. That's about what I get in per night if I go to the gym the next day, but almost always find a day in the middle where I can sleep in an extra 45 min's or so.

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