Lacking energy for exercise

I have inadvertently been under my calorie target for the last week and I now feel as though my muscles lack the strength for exercise.
How can I best get back to having the energy to exercise.

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Eat.

    'Meet' your calorie goals every day. MFP expects you to reach your calorie goal it gave you lose weight plus some of your exercise calorie burns. Do this everyday and you will the have energy to exercise and even lose weight. :smile:
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited February 2018
    Eat enough to fuel your workouts. If you don't put enough fuel in a car for a journey it won't make it, your body is the same.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2018
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    Just eat some more and start to gradually add it back in over a few days.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.

    Thanks, and yes when I said binge that was the sort of amount I was looking at. I struggled to force myself to eat more than 100 calories more than target but will try to up the amount again today.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited February 2018
    ap1972 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.

    Thanks, and yes when I said binge that was the sort of amount I was looking at. I struggled to force myself to eat more than 100 calories more than target but will try to up the amount again today.

    Best make sure your target is reasonable in the first place. If it's 1200 and you aren't very short, sedentary, or older, it's probably too low.

    Why is it a struggle to reach your target?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Eat more to fuel those workouts.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    try2again wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.

    Thanks, and yes when I said binge that was the sort of amount I was looking at. I struggled to force myself to eat more than 100 calories more than target but will try to up the amount again today.

    Best make sure your target is reasonable in the first place. If it's 1200 and you aren't very short, sedentary, or older, it's probably too low.

    Why is it a struggle to reach your target?

    My target is 1800 which I would normally be a challenge to stay under without exercise. The reason why I was under the last week is I am suffering with IBS type symptoms due to side effects of tablets I'm taking meaning I feel bloated and nauseaus.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.

    Thanks, and yes when I said binge that was the sort of amount I was looking at. I struggled to force myself to eat more than 100 calories more than target but will try to up the amount again today.

    at some point you will be in maintenance and need to eat that much every day. why is it a struggle?
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    (a) What is your calorie target?
    (b) How long have you been under it?
    (c) By how much have you been under?


    Assuming you had decent energy before this stretch of time where you're under your target, then just eating back up to your target for a few days should be enough. Make sure you're macros and micros are reasonable... also make sure you're getting enough sleep.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    (a) What is your calorie target?
    (b) How long have you been under it?
    (c) By how much have you been under?


    Assuming you had decent energy before this stretch of time where you're under your target, then just eating back up to your target for a few days should be enough. Make sure you're macros and micros are reasonable... also make sure you're getting enough sleep.

    1800
    About a week prior to yesterday
    Average of about 400 although Sunday and Monday were over 500 and a couple of the first days I did some exercise as well.

    Loss of sleep is another of the side affects unfortunately
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    (a) What is your calorie target?
    (b) How long have you been under it?
    (c) By how much have you been under?


    Assuming you had decent energy before this stretch of time where you're under your target, then just eating back up to your target for a few days should be enough. Make sure you're macros and micros are reasonable... also make sure you're getting enough sleep.

    1800
    About a week prior to yesterday
    Average of about 400 although Sunday and Monday were over 500 and a couple of the first days I did some exercise as well.

    Loss of sleep is another of the side affects unfortunately

    Sounds like you're well under... not surprised you're feeling lethargic.

    Get back to your target for a few days and you should start to feel better.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    wrote:

    Sounds like you're well under... not surprised you're feeling lethargic.

    Get back to your target for a few days and you should start to feel better.

    Yeah it wasn't intentional and only realised how bad it had been a couple of days ago
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Yeah I get that I need to fuel workouts, it's about how to get back to a point I feel I can exercise again rather than fueling workouts as I was still felt able to exercise until yesterday. I went over my target yesterday but still feel the same today, should I just binge until I feel recovered?

    Its going to take a few days to get back to feeling normal. Don't binge to try and feel normal again, you can eat maintenance for 2-3 days. Give your body time to recover and stabilize.

    Thanks, and yes when I said binge that was the sort of amount I was looking at. I struggled to force myself to eat more than 100 calories more than target but will try to up the amount again today.

    Best make sure your target is reasonable in the first place. If it's 1200 and you aren't very short, sedentary, or older, it's probably too low.

    Why is it a struggle to reach your target?

    My target is 1800 which I would normally be a challenge to stay under without exercise. The reason why I was under the last week is I am suffering with IBS type symptoms due to side effects of tablets I'm taking meaning I feel bloated and nauseaus.

    Sorry to hear that... I would think that in itself could be affecting your energy levels. I would just take it easy until you are back up to speed :)
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Between undereating and IBS like symptoms, yeah you're going to have a tough time finding the energy to workout. Get back to your target levels and lighten up your workouts until the IBS stuff clears up and you feel better.

    It's just life.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    Between undereating and IBS like symptoms, yeah you're going to have a tough time finding the energy to workout. Get back to your target levels and lighten up your workouts until the IBS stuff clears up and you feel better.

    It's just life.

    Yeah and it's not so much about getting back to exercise just having that energy back.
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    Thanks for everyone's comments, starting to feel better after a couple of days over target but not quite maintenance level. Added some higher calorie snacks to help get numbers up.
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
    Along with getting the calories up, make sure you are getting in enough water
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    Thanks for everyone's comments, starting to feel better after a couple of days over target but not quite maintenance level. Added some higher calorie snacks to help get numbers up.

    Peanut butter