Exhausted.

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missxeve
missxeve Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Here's my deal: I only eat around 200 calories for breakfast (cereal, bananas, granola bar, whatever won't make me gag, etc) because I find it almost impossible to stomach anything after I wake up. I usually wait about an hour or two and then force myself to eat. After that, I hop on my elliptical and burn around 300 - 400 calories (usually takes 30 minutes) and then I have a 200 - 300 calorie lunch. My problem is, I'm completely exhausted afterwards and I stay tired for the rest of the day. Around 6pm I cook dinner and it's always packed full of protein and veggies... BUT I'M STILL TIRED. What's going on here?

PS - I sleep around 8 - 10 hours a night if you're wondering.
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Replies

  • 1aprilaries
    1aprilaries Posts: 92 Member
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    I'm guessing you're not eating enough.
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    I'm guessing you're not eating enough.

    I'm not hungry, though! I'm not starving myself nor do I deny myself food when I'm hungry. I guess I'll just try to eat more for breakfast and lunch.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    Maybe you're pregnant.:blushing:
  • crikee15
    crikee15 Posts: 155 Member
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    I think eating more is a step in the right direction, but have you also talked to your doctor about this? If it's been only about a week that it's been occurring, then try eating more, but if it's been longer, also check with your physician, because it could be something more serious.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Doesnt matter if you are not hungry, you still arent eating enough! Food is fuel. Food is energy. Gotta eat :]

    Try to get in some high calorie foods in. Like muching on almonds or full fat cheese sticks. Will help you get your cals :]
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'm guessing you're not eating enough.

    I'm not hungry, though! I'm not starving myself nor do I deny myself food when I'm hungry. I guess I'll just try to eat more for breakfast and lunch.

    Hunger is not the best indicator of nutrition requirements. If you are getting plenty of sleep and are still tires it is very likely you are not eating enough.

    How many cals do you eat/day? And do you eat back the cals you burn from exercise?
    The min suggested is 1200 Net (1200 plus eating back what you burn)
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    Maybe you're pregnant.:blushing:

    Don't scare me like that! Hahaha.
  • craizydaizy
    craizydaizy Posts: 27 Member
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    vitamin deficiency maybe?
  • drog2323
    drog2323 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    maybe try more protein? or what's the quality of the food you are eating? if one eats under their cals, but always eat junkfood. one will lose weight, but won't be healthy.

    how about vitamins? you take a good multi? I know vitamin B and D are also good..I take those daily as well.
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    I think eating more is a step in the right direction, but have you also talked to your doctor about this? If it's been only about a week that it's been occurring, then try eating more, but if it's been longer, also check with your physician, because it could be something more serious.

    I've been on this site for two weeks and that's when it started. I was thinking maybe my body isn't used to the exercise yet? I workout 6 times a week for 30 minutes. I'm definitely going to try eating more and hope it makes a difference. Thank you!
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
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    How are your net calories? I find I need to be ~1200 or I get exhausted. Not everyone is the same, but that has been my experience.

    I'm not able to stomach much before exercising in the morning, either, so I eat a small snack (~1 cup of cereal, for example) and then take an energy gel like PowerBar Gel, Gu gel or Gatorade Prime Active for extra calories. That combination works very well for keeping my stomach settled but fueling my workout. I have a small snack immediately after my workout, too, to help with recovery. All this with plenty of water as well. (I usually have 4-6 cups between pre-workout hydration and hydration during the workout, depending on how long it is.)

    I still get pretty wiped after tough workouts, but this is what has helped me. Not sure if there's anything useful in here for you, but I hope there is. Good luck!


    EDIT: read the other responses...yeah, doctor is definitely a good idea if this continues after you've been in the same routine for say 6 weeks or so..takes some time for the body to adapt. Vitamin deficiencies and things like thyroid problems can cause fatigue, so it's always good to get checked out! Which reminds me, I need to get my thyroid blood tests tomorrow... :smile:
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    I'm guessing you're not eating enough.

    I'm not hungry, though! I'm not starving myself nor do I deny myself food when I'm hungry. I guess I'll just try to eat more for breakfast and lunch.

    Hunger is not the best indicator of nutrition requirements. If you are getting plenty of sleep and are still tires it is very likely you are not eating enough.

    How many cals do you eat/day? And do you eat back the cals you burn from exercise?
    The min suggested is 1200 Net (1200 plus eating back what you burn)


    The first week I had some trouble hitting my 1,200 mark... I was around 500 below. This past week I've tried very hard to eat all of my calories but I'm usually around 200 under. I didn't think it was that much of a big deal but maybe it is?
  • davidebarton
    davidebarton Posts: 3 Member
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    im no nutrionist but could be a lack of iron. i would try making sure that i up iron rich foods such as brocolli, liver etc.
    but your Doctor could advise and possibly prescribe supplements.
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    maybe try more protein? or what's the quality of the food you are eating? if one eats under their cals, but always eat junkfood. one will lose weight, but won't be healthy.

    how about vitamins? you take a good multi? I know vitamin B and D are also good..I take those daily as well.

    For dinner I usually have boneless skinless chicken and lots of veggies. I also eat a lot of fish (I blame that on being from Iceland, I LOVE fish!) I like to keep my plate colorful. I don't eat junkfood but I do snack on those 90 calorie weight watcher and fiber one bars. My diet is pretty good, I think.. ha
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    Thank you for all your replies! I've decided that I will definitely eat more during the day and I'm going to see if I can find a multi-vitamin that suits my needs. I've taken vitamins before but most of them gave me some crappy side-effects so I tend to stay away from them.... Once again, thanks everyone!
  • Liss416
    Liss416 Posts: 209 Member
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    I think they're right - that you're not eating enough. You should be feeling tired from exercise but exhilarated too... How many calories are you eating? Are you eating your exercise calories? Not only is food fuel, like the others are saying, but the better your metabolism, the more weight you'll lose...Try adding healthy snacks... Definitely see a doctor though, you could be anemic...
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    I think they're right - that you're not eating enough. You should be feeling tired from exercise but exhilarated too... How many calories are you eating? Are you eating your exercise calories? Not only is food fuel, like the others are saying, but the better your metabolism, the more weight you'll lose...Try adding healthy snacks... Definitely see a doctor though, you could be anemic...

    I'm going to eat more and check out some vitamins and if I'm still tired, I'll see a doctor. Seeing a doctor is kind of a last resort for me though, as I'm terrified of them.
  • chuluotababe
    chuluotababe Posts: 82
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    Same here. I can barely stomach food in the morning unless I've been up for several hours. Instead of a breakfast, I drink a protein smoothie. I mix together one scoop of the BioChem all natural lactose free whey protein isolate (vanilla) with 4-5 oz of Odwalla Superfood. This is about 150 calories. You get about 15-20 grams of protein and some fruit, wheat carbs so it's pretty balanced. About two hours later I'll eat another snack of about 200 calories. The next meal is lunch, which is a little larger (I only get 1200 calories/day).

    If I try to work out in the morning... same thing. I'm exhausted after 3-4 hours. I need toothpicks to prop my eyelids up by lunchtime and it just gets worse throughout the day. Instead of working out in the morning I am going to try to work out about 3 hours before I go to bed (this is going to take a lot of discipline). I also get about 8 hours of sleep every night.

    I just started on MFP 4 days ago but I actually started this diet (I guess I should say lifestyle change) on June 17. Based on MFP nutritional info, I'm getting plenty of protein and calories... I'm a little low on the carbs and fat.

    If it helps, I'm B12 deficient. I used to get monthly shots but haven't for a while (mostly a function of time). I'm taking a daily supplement but so far I haven't noticed any results.
  • missxeve
    missxeve Posts: 40
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    Same here. I can barely stomach food in the morning unless I've been up for several hours. Instead of a breakfast, I drink a protein smoothie. I mix together one scoop of the BioChem all natural lactose free whey protein isolate (vanilla) with 4-5 oz of Odwalla Superfood. This is about 150 calories. You get about 15-20 grams of protein and some fruit, wheat carbs so it's pretty balanced. About two hours later I'll eat another snack of about 200 calories. The next meal is lunch, which is a little larger (I only get 1200 calories/day).

    If I try to work out in the morning... same thing. I'm exhausted after 3-4 hours. I need toothpicks to prop my eyelids up by lunchtime and it just gets worse throughout the day. Instead of working out in the morning I am going to try to work out about 3 hours before I go to bed (this is going to take a lot of discipline). I also get about 8 hours of sleep every night.

    I just started on MFP 4 days ago but I actually started this diet (I guess I should say lifestyle change) on June 17. Based on MFP nutritional info, I'm getting plenty of protein and calories... I'm a little low on the carbs and fat.

    If it helps, I'm B12 deficient. I used to get monthly shots but haven't for a while (mostly a function of time). I'm taking a daily supplement but so far I haven't noticed any results.

    I worked out about an hour ago I'm on the verge of taking a nap. I'm THAT exhausted. Yesterday was the first day in two weeks that I didn't work out and my energy level was fine. I think my problem has a lot to do with the exercise itself. On another note, I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and get an appointment for a diabetes test. I looked it up and I've got too many symptoms. It also runs in the family and since I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, my chances of developing diabetes are increased by 50%. I really hope it's not diabetes but I want to be safe! I've also been tested before, a couple years ago, but everything turned out normal. Time to see the doctor!
  • food4thought7
    food4thought7 Posts: 27
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    It's because you're not eating enough. You say it's because you're not hungry but you're only not hungry because your stomach has come acustomed to eating a small amount. However, in reality you're starving your body. You're using energy and fuel when you exercise but you're not giving your body enough fuel to live on through out the day and therefore your body wants a rest. After saying all this, it comes down to the same thing others are saying...eat more!

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