Tired (could sleep at night) but hitting cal goal. Normal?

DeterminedJenK
DeterminedJenK Posts: 24 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
When you first started, did eating less calories make you soooo tired? I’m hitting my calorie goal via my fitness pal but when I go to bed, I feel like I could sleep forever! I don’t nap ever. Is my body just adjusting to lower calories?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Have you cut out caffiene?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    And how much of a deficit are you aiming for?
  • shaf238
    shaf238 Posts: 4,022 Member
    Are you getting enough iron?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2018
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Have you cut out caffeine?

    My first thought, too.
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    I started walking for exercise when I began calorie deficit. I think the combination made me tired.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Did you start exercising at the same time?
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    How big is your deficit? Are you eating back exercise calories? Are you consuming less carbs/sugar/caffeine? Hor are your iron and vitamin D levels?

    And how many hours are you sleeping? Do you feel refreshed in the morning?

    Some things to think about, but if you're getting adequate sleep, then you might be okay.
  • cesse47
    cesse47 Posts: 947 Member
    Are you drinking all of your water every day? Are you tracking it to be sure? If you are exercising, are you drinking additional water? Lack of sufficient water can cause fatigue among other issues.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited August 2018
    I'm tired at night, too. That's sort of a good thing! :wink: But if you're feeling fatigued during the day, it's worth sussing out any other issues - too few calories, iron or vitamin deficiencies, thyroid, etc.
  • MarvinsFitLife
    MarvinsFitLife Posts: 874 Member
    @jenniferkhook maybe you’ve been doing a lot of high intensity workouts and not getting enough macros
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    I think if more people were active... we would have less of an Ambien problem... lol
  • DeterminedJenK
    DeterminedJenK Posts: 24 Member
    My Fitbit goal is 1200 to lose two pounds/week. I pretty much eat that. I have two little kids that I run around doing errands or activities with. Outside that, I try to go for a short walk at night (20 mins). I have a Fitbit but I don’t eat back the calories because I find I don’t lose if I do. I’m 5”6 and 187. I had some health problems that surgery successfully handled (I gained a bunch during that time, was on hormone meds too).

    I drink one coffee in the morning. I drink only water outside that. I take vit d drops as that’s been low in the past. Iron is usually a bit low too but doc says that’s normal for females. I will try drinking more water. I just wondered if the body takes a hit for awhile until it gets used to eating less calories.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Try eating back some of your burned exercise calories and change your goal from 2 pounds a week to only one. Food gives you energy. With all that you do, no wonder you are tired.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    You probably need to eat more. That's a lot to do on 1200 calories.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    jenniferkhook wrote: »
    My Fitbit goal is 1200 to lose two pounds/week. I pretty much eat that. I have two little kids that I run around doing errands or activities with. Outside that, I try to go for a short walk at night (20 mins). I have a Fitbit but I don’t eat back the calories because I find I don’t lose if I do. I’m 5”6 and 187. I had some health problems that surgery successfully handled (I gained a bunch during that time, was on hormone meds too).

    I drink one coffee in the morning. I drink only water outside that. I take vit d drops as that’s been low in the past. Iron is usually a bit low too but doc says that’s normal for females. I will try drinking more water. I just wondered if the body takes a hit for awhile until it gets used to eating less calories.

    Im a half inch taller than you and a little less than you weight wise and 1200 for me would make me less energetic,I would be so tired and hangry. I can eat about 1400-1500 and lose depending on activity(sometimes I can eat more) and I have health issues too.right now Im maintaining on 2000-2200. because I upped my activity(IM fine with maintaining).

    if you eat back calories and dont lose then maybe altogether you are eating more than you think? how do you gauges your calories? do you use a food scale and weigh everything? if not that could be it. or maybe you are overstimating exercise calories and eating too many of those?. too little calories for being active and chasing kids is too little calories,
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,097 Member
    I started at about the same weight you are (5'5", 183lbs), and 1200 was too low for me - I lost too fast, got weak/fatigued, and it took several weeks to recover. Dropping your goal to slower weight loss is probably good advice, especially since it sounds like you're fairly active.

    "Low iron is normal" doesn't sound right to me, either. Common, sure. Normal . . . doesn't sound right.
  • thisPGHlife
    thisPGHlife Posts: 440 Member
    As other people have said, you may want to give yourself an extra 200-300 calories for 4-6 Wells and see how you do. If you have more energy and are still losing, that's a win, and if not, you've only lost a month. Also, my first thought was iron. Low iron for women is normal, which is why you need more iron.. I was having a similar issue where I was tired all the time but eating around 1500 calories. I still easy the same number of calories but made some chicken liver pate for into my food choices and, within a few days, my energy levels are getting back too normal. My energy could be higher but I know that it's because I still need a little more iron. And to consistently get enough sleep which doesn't always happen. 😁
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