Tired all the time: am I not eating enough?

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Joyounette
Joyounette Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello !

I've been feeling really exhausted lately. It's like after 6 PM I can barely get off the couch to do the dishes or clean my apartment. I'm lazier than I've ever been and I feel that I really physically can't do the stuff that I need to do. But it's not just physical though, I even feel like I can't focus on anything for more than 30 minutes, or read a book. I usually have a very low blood pressure, but it's getting even worse now, and when I get up quickly I feel really dizzy and like I'm going to fall down. I feel dehydrated most of the time and drink A LOT of water. I've lost a lot of weight quickly ( 7 lbs in 20 days, but I think I was retaining a lot of water when I started this thing so it's mostly water weight)
I've been through some really stressful events lately and I think I am not getting enough sleep. But I wanted to know if it's just the sleep thing or if it's related to my diet. I've been eating 1 400 cals a day for something like two weeks and I'm trying to raise my cals to 1500. I don't feel hungry at all, and I let myself have a little snack every few hours. I try to exercise for one hour 5 times a week and usually eat back half of my exercise calories. I'm 5'8 and 138 lbs. My GW is 132.
Should I eat more? See a doctor? Not change anything and try to sleep more?
I've made my food diary public for anyone willing to help me.
Thank you.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    dehydration is not about drinking a lot, it's about having the right balance of fluid and electrolytes. Oral rehydration salts are used to treat dehydration, if you drink a lot of water without a corresponding salt intake you will get the sort of problems you are experiencing - faint when standing up or moving, low BP, dizziness etc.

    This is because you've lost water from your blood in order to maintain the sodium concentration, so the volume drops and with it the pressure. Take in more sodium and you'll have more blood volume.
  • Joanne_8595
    Joanne_8595 Posts: 64 Member
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    From a medical standpoint you should get a checkup with your doctor, these are all symptoms of low blood pressure and if this is happening every day you really need to be checking your blood pressure several times a day to make sure it doesn't get dangerously low. If your diet is stressing your heart it is not a good thing, and you need a medical professional to help you figure out what is causing the stress.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Maybe you should see a doctor and get your thyroid tested. I'm tired 24/7. When I wake up, I'm exhausted. 2:00pm hits and I'm even more exhausted. 9:30pm I'm ready for bed and I'm out like a light. Then again, all day I'm ready for bed.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I have chronic hypotension (low blood pressure), and what you describe is exactly how I feel when my BP is too low. I'd suggest upping your sodium intake and drinking more water to help bring your BP back up. You should also see a doctor if you continue to have problems though, as hypotension can be a serious problem and can be a symptom of other cardiac issues.
  • Joyounette
    Joyounette Posts: 13 Member
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    Okay thanks for your answers. Yeah it must be my BP, last time I got it measured during a crisis it was something like 10/05. What I don't understand is that I already drink a lot of water and add a lot of salt to almost everything I eat ( I love salty food). The only thing that seems to "boost" my energy is diet sodas and coffee. Specially diet coke, I know it's not very good but it gets me back on my feet. Anyway, I will take an appointment with a doctor. I already talked about it to my doctor though, some 2 or 3 years ago (I've had this problem on and off for a long time, specially when I lose weight) and he diagnosed me with hypotension and said I should get up slowly. But the problem is not the risk of falling down when I get up quickly, I really want to have the energy to do the things I need to do but even getting up is a tremendous effort.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Also make sure you're getting enough iron. If youre not you can feel really tired and run down. Take supplements alongside vit C, or eat more iron rich foods :)
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
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    Do you drink enough water? I have felt the same way, but now I drink anywhere from 8 to 12 glasses of water a day, and I feel so much better!
  • hazelovesfood
    hazelovesfood Posts: 454 Member
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    I often feel tired, mostly always feel shattered when i get up in the morning and often when it gets to mid aftrenoon really feel like i couls sleep/
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
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    That was me until I up'd my iron. I am anemic to begin with, but when I started watching my calories and exercising my iron went really low and I was very sluggish/tired/unfocused. I'm not a big [red] meat eater, so I had to find other ways to get my iron!

    My suggestion would be that you get a multi-vitamin with Iron (as well as many B vitamins that help with energy) and eating more fiber rich foods. i don't think your calories are too low at all - I think its more *what* you eat vs *how much* you eat!
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    Be sure though, not to take a multivit with things like magnesium, etc in, as apparently it prevents absorption of iron. Vitamin C is ideal as it aids absorption :)

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