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No energy... help

I'm a week into my weight loss and have been doing great! I'm down 10 pounds, which I realize isn't typical. I put on a lot of quick weight last month in traveling and I'm sure this initial weight loss is just that.

Typically, I've been eating cereal for breakfast; fruits, veggies, beans for lunch; and chicken, turkey, veggies for dinner. I make sure to get a few snacks in througout the day - usually fruit or low-fat carbs, but I'm having a tough time keeping my energy level up. It may just be the stress of my life right now (work, school, and family) but I'm wondering if anyone has advice for a high-energy snack I can fit in?

I am consuming between 900 and 1100 calories/day... including my nightly glass of wine that I refuse to give up. :)

H: 5'7"

SW: 190

CW: 179

GW: 170 (short term)

GW: 155 (long term)

You're not eating nearly enough, no wonder you're exhausted all the time; and if wine can be up to 150 calories, thats like 750 calories from food a day?!

You need more carbohydrates, some wholemeal pittas for lunch, a jacket potatoe etc.

Have you used the tools on this site to help you plot a reasonable daily calorie amount or are you making it up as you go?

You need more food; 900 cals is absurd.

I was going to suggest same...you need a protein/carb combo in every meal!  Eating fruit/veggies or cereal only will just turn to sugar unless you add protein.

yes - I am using the tools. The tools mapped out 1250, but I'm trying to do the first 15 pounds on a quick timeframe and then level back out. I know my calorie intake is low, but I've done this before quite successfully.

Is almond butter or peanut butter a good option for energy? How about soy nuts? I guess I'm just not familiar with what types of food produce energy besides caffeine. :)

Hey, jw, I'm 5'2, 128 definitely eating my cals (1200-1400, usually more cause i'm bad, but not by much) and exercising every other day (20 minutes walk, 20 minute walk/jog alternating, then 24 minutes strength training). The oast couple of days I have been absolutely useless I can't make myself do anything and I am tired all the time. I was especially bad this weekend,(1700 cals one day!). I wasn't able to exercise last night I was sooo tired but I was within my cal range and figured I could reward myself for self-control. I'm planning on working out tonight and tomorrow night, but I've no energy. I napped last night, then got a full night's sleep and I still can't keep my eyes open. Even my trusty sugar free rock star can't wake me up.

I don't know what to do.

You've no energy because you're putting no petrol in the tank... Wine isn't food...  Calories = energy.  You're also at real risk of malnutrition because your body can't extract enough vitamins and minerals from what you're eating.  Lack of iron, for example, will lead to fatigue.

You may have done this before and got away with it but you're struggling now and I think you need to listen to people who tell you to eat more. You won't lose weight any quicker by starving yourself.

I have the same problem and actually have a thread asking if my metabolism could be damaged...still getting answers on that. So I'll be keeping an eye on what folk say on yours. Yesterday was just terrible I felt like I was carrying a brick around with me all day. I'm eating 1500-2000+ 5'8 150lbs. I eat peanut butter every day and I can say it has made no difference to me. It's just awful being so lethargic all the time.

Ann

You have no energy because you are not eating enough.

Since you are a fairly new CCer (welcome by the way!) I have to remind you that Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.

A safe rate of weight loss is generally considered to be roughly 1% of your body weight per week.  For most people ~1-2 lbs per week is about right, assuming that you are not underweight to begin with. 

Under a doctor's supervision many people do lose at a faster rate, particularly when they have a lot of weight to lose and the health risks of losing at a very fast rate are evaluated by the doctor against the risks of being overweight.

You can look like you've lost weight when you actually haven't by working on developing muscle and eating healthier.  Muscle takes up less volume for the same weight and most people think it looks sexier.  Eating healthier tends to give your skin a nice glow which makes people think that you've changed something in a positive direction.

From Mary Hartley, Calorie Count's Director of Nutrition:

"By eating only 800 calories, you will not get enough energy, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other components of food. In time, you could become malnourished, which can cause severe health risks such as respiratory infections, kidney failure, blindness, heart attack and even death."

Here is a brief reason why never less than 1200 from the Advice section of Calorie Count Plus, under the Q&A tab:

Why must I eat at least 1,200 calories a day when I want to eat less?

In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day. With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling, which will take you further from your weight loss goal. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight

Your body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive.

Here is a very rough scientific break down provided by a dietician for a 5' 2", 19 year old female weighing approximately 100 pounds, sitting around all day and doing nothing:

-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

Original Post by srshultz:

yes - I am using the tools. The tools mapped out 1250, but I'm trying to do the first 15 pounds on a quick timeframe and then level back out. I know my calorie intake is low, but I've done this before quite successfully.

 

 Huh when I plug in your stats (we have similar makeups) I get a higher # than 1250 closer to 1550...but I did not know your age and I left the goal date empty as that calculates a healthy time line for losing rather than some unrealistic ideal prone to failure.

Edit to add...900 cals still absurd and ill advised.

Thanks for the advice and I get the point that I am not eating enough calories. I will continue to look for ways to improve my energy level through this process.

Thanks again.

Have you tried green tea? I just had a cup of Green Chai with a teaspoon of honey. It's not too bad, and it’s supposed to help speed up your metabolism and give you some energy (among other benefits). It also has some caffeine in it. It's definitely better for you than coffee or soda.

Original Post by srshultz:

yes - I am using the tools. The tools mapped out 1250, but I'm trying to do the first 15 pounds on a quick timeframe and then level back out. I know my calorie intake is low, but I've done this before quite successfully.

Is almond butter or peanut butter a good option for energy? How about soy nuts? I guess I'm just not familiar with what types of food produce energy besides caffeine. :)

 you said youve done this before quite successfully? it must not have been that successful if you gained weight back..

Remeber that fast weight loss is not healthy. However when looking for snacks that will boost energy try and apply with peanut butter.  Anything that has a good combo of protien and fiber will really stick with you.  Medically speaking I always tell diabetic patients that they should eat a snack with a good complex carb (ie apple) and a good protien (ie peanut butter) this way your blood sugar maintains throughout the day between meals. You may find this more useful than denying yourself the extra calories you need.  I have lost 20 lbs in the last 3 months and I think that doing that in a smaller time frame is crazy, I want to keep it off. Good Luck.

This thread is being locked as it is against posting guidelines. Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management. Eating under 1200 cals a day and rapid weightloss (greater than 1% of your body weight per week) is not healthy unless you are under the supervision of a physician. Please abide by posting guidelines for your future threads and please check out the links I posted above in post #8 to see why you should eat more to maintain healthfulness.

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