How do you handle days when you have little to no energy?

Carb up and go.

I work out anyway. I have myself convinced ('cause it's true!) that working out will give me energy. I always feel great afterwards, so it's worth it.

I have to just get dressed and go. Once the first few minutesof your workout have passed, you'll be energized and glad you did it!

Like everyone else said, I usually work out anyway...it gives me more energy and makes me feel better afterward. Most of the time I wake up early anyway and once I'm up...I'm up, so its not like I'm going to get more restful sleep.

If you don't have your best workout that day, just remember, you're still lapping all the people on the couch!

Funny this should come up today... This is where I am at today. Im tired as hell cuz I sleep for $%^&! But I have some melatonin at home which I will use tonight. I have a goal in my mind, skipping a workout reguardless of how tired I am, is not an option. As with the other poster. I have some carbs before I workout. But also take a pre workout supplement , which helps me push past the tiredness.

You can sleep when you get home, dont skip it, cuz then you will have an excuse the next time this happens.

Take a walk. Once you start walking it may give you added energy to do more, but even if not, at least you got the walk in.

I eat.....maybe your cutting yourself short of calories and its causing you to have no energy. But as far as motivation: I just do it....then i feel glad I did something. I know its hard to push yourself but you can do it and trust me it does get easier once it becomes a routine.

Good Luck!

Just do it! I have had days where all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep, but getting up and getting moving actually gives you more energy. I have trouble sleeping too, but when I get a good workout in I sleep much better. It also makes me feel good the next day that I didn't go ahead and skip my workout.

I have a chronic health problem that includes fatigue. I do what I can. I walk the dog every day. I do light swim. Then I lay down and rest or sleep. Exercise does not make me feel better, but I do it anyway. Have you been checked for sleep apnea? That could be part of your problem or there could be another medical problem that has not been diagnosed. I suggest you get a complete medical check up. Keep doing...not trying...do as much as you can every day, even if it is to only walk one block at first (that was me for 1 year). Good luck

Do you still force yourself to workout? If sooo, how do you find the energy inside to do so?

See, I have problems sleeping. I don't sleep well at all so I'm tired more often than not. Days when I'm not tired, I'm starting to enjoy working out. Of course, when I'm tired no matter how much I would LIKE to work out, it's sooo hard to force myself to. If I could just simply take a nap or get some extra sleep so I can, it'd be great! BUT it doesn't always work like that with me.

So how do you handle working out when you're exhausted?

I have the same problem. I have a really low metabolism and have trouble sleeping at night. There is an audio CD that helps me both sleep and get motivated to work out. I find that I am more creative, energetic, and less stressed during the times that I use the CD. I try to listen to it every other day because it helps. It's the Glenn Harrold Hypnosis Lose Weight Now CD.

I have a heart rate monitor and noticed that on my "off" days when I force myself to workout I don't burn nearly as many cal's as the days when I am ready to exercise and have the energy. I track my workout routines and did one upper body that burned 500+ cal's on my energy filled day. I did it again a few weeks later, same weight/reps overall time and only burned just over 250 cal's

Don't you think its still better to burn 250 calories than ZERO calories though?

I'm not judging you personally, but for me its a slippery slope...if I allow myself to start skipping the gym just because I feel tired, then it gets easier to skip the next time and then the old vicious circle of being "too tired to workout, and tired because I'm not getting enough exercise" returns.....

let me start with i am EXACTLY THE SAME WAY! i dont sleep very much at all. my job requires me to be up some nights and not others, so im not able to develope a pattern. i will tell u this , naps can be part of the problem. i understand u want and maybe even need one, but u have to resist the daytime sleepmonster if u want to come close to a developing a healthy schedule. second, diet is a huge factor in your energy. Cutting too many calories = crash. not getting the CORRECT carbs=crash. pay close tattention to your nutrition and eventualy u will learn what food is good fuel and what kind is not. one of my number one suppliments is COFFEE. as far as energy to work out, theres no magic pill or secret for that. its completely up to you to self motivate. remember your reasons you began the healthy lifestyle journey to begin with. my motivation comes from my kids. Men in my family dont have a very long lifespan for one reason or another, and quite frankly, im not ready to die yet lol. but my number one method for motivation, is a quote: " if you want something bad enough, youll make it happen, if you dont youll make excusses". Hope this helps and NEVER QUIT.

Carb up and go.

i honestly think this is the best answer ive seen on MFP!!!

when im tired... i suck it up.. tired is just state of mind... i eat my blueberry muffin(yes a blueberry muffin when bulking, good amount of carbs to get me through my workout) n once i start lifting i have about 50x more energy!!!

Depending on the day and what I have going on, sometimes it easier to convince myself to work out more than once but for shorter times. I'll split my hour work out into 2 half hour sessions. That way I can say, well I only have to work out for 30 minutes and I'll feel like I'm done sooner. Then later on I can say I only have 30 minutes left. Maybe somewhere between the two workouts I find some energy too.