i feel like i have no energy

Have you cut your carbs out, or reduced them significantly? If so, add magnesium and salt. If you've cut your calories too low, your body won't have the energy it needs for vital organ function and exercise.

If you're new to working out, it's normal to be sore at first, in the sense of hard-worked muscles kind of sore. That major soreness should decline within a couple of weeks, though there may be continued mild soreness if you continue pushing yourself as your capabilities improve.

At first, you may want to have a light or rest day every other day at least, then gradually increase workouts as your fitness improves. For the muscle soreness, it is important to keep up regular workouts (going a little lighter if necessary). If you work really hard, get super sore muscles, then take a week or two off because of soreness, then work out again, you're more likely to repeat the beginner muscle soreness rather than getting past it in a couple weeks.

If you're sore, it will help to move a little on rest days, like a little stretching or an easy walk, just to get the kinks out. Don't be afraid to go a little easier on the workouts at first, then ramp up, as needed.

However, if you have a localized, sharp pain somewhere, not just overall muscle soreness, consider the possibility that you have an injury and follow up if needed.

As far as tiredness: At first, you should set up MFP to lose no more than 1% of your body weight per week (i.e., don't go for 2 pounds a week unless you weigh at least 200).

Also, you should log your exercise and eat back a good portion or all of those calories, too. Tiredness can be a symptom of undereating. If, after a few weeks, you're losing slower than that sensible goal, you can decrease your calories a bit. But undereating is risky - you don't want to do that. It's better to lose a little slower and be healthy, rather than too fast and have health problems.

Good luck - you can do this!

DebLaBounty wrote: »

Maybe eat a protein bar 20 minutes before your workout? And keep hydrated.

Eating protein before a workout is not the best way to increase energy levels - although the body can break down protein to make glucose in the absence of carbs, it doesn't do it quickly. What you want before a workout is carbs, which will give you enough glucose to power through. It's glucose which fuels muscles.

On the other hand, there's some evidence eating enough protein while working out (recent studies suggest there is not a short time window for this as was once believed, so you don't have to eat protein right then, just eating enough over a day is fine) can help protect lean muscle from being broken down by the body for energy.

Most likely you have cut your calories too low.