Does being fat make you tired?

I am technically obese. Overweight by about 60 pounds.

The majority of my days I feel slow and tired. If I have a day off work I can sleep in until 12, wake up for 2-3 hours then have an hour or so nap, and be in bed by11 or 12 that night.

Caffeine doesnt seem to have any effect on me. I drank three cups of coffee and went to bed afterwards, once. Needless to say, energy drinks with caffeine as the main component do not boost my energy.

Theres a product called zip fizz that contains over 40 000% of your daily B12 intake in one serving, and caffeine, which is supposed to boost energy without the 'crash.' I had three of those in one day once and felt no difference.

I took B50 (Or possible B100) pills, and noticed no energy increase and this is something that people seem to swear by.

I've had my blood checked. I'm not deficient in any vitamins.

I dont know what else could be making me able to sleep like a cat. The last thing I can think of is my being overweight. But I dont know the 'scientific' reasons behind why fat might make you tired...

So my question is does being fat make you tired?

You seem unusually tired.  Have you considered looking into your thyroid levels?  Hypothyroidism can lead to sluggishness, tiredness, confusion, weightgain and I am sure I have missed some symptoms.

I just looked up the symptoms of hypothydroidism...It doesnt seem I have it, besides the tired and weak symptoms...

Being out of shape makes me feel tired.

No, actually being chubby left me with more energy usually. Since I lost some of my weight, I am always tired.

It sucks, I'll wake up at 1 in the afternoon, do a few minimal things (like check email or go to the store or go to class) and I'm already exhausted. I practically fall asleep in class or while I'm driving. I get home and either nap, or go into a coma in front of the tv for a couple of hours. Then I get hungry and have an energy boost (just enough energy to go make an easy dinner), but the minute I'm done eating, I have to go to sleep.

I sleep about 16-20 hours a day on average.  :(

I am almost positive it's due to my depression, so could that be your problem? You feel less motivated, more tired, even physically weak. Like your body just doesn't care? It's worth looking into if you can't find other causes...

Sometimes obesity is associated with sleep apnea.  Have you considered doing a sleep study?  My husband has sleep apnea, and it disrupts his sleep, and he often falls asleep sitting in a chair, even after having seemingly enough sleep the night before.  Something to consider....

Fatigue can be brought on by a lot of different things. Lack of good quality sleep being the most obvious and I would agree that sleep apnoea is worth exploring. A poor diet can also have an effect as can being inactive. Even if your test results were OK, since vitamin stores have to be topped up daily, they might not be telling the full picture. And then there are medical issues such as thyroid, diabetes and so forth. You don't have to be 100% Type II diabetic to experience problems. Imbalances in blood-sugars due to a diet too high in sugar and starch can also have an effect on energy.

I'd suggest you keep going with the weight-loss but at the same time make sure that your food choices are as nutritious as possible. Eat like a Type II Diabetic so that your blood-sugars and insulin levels are as stable as possible. This site will give you some pointers... http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/ And take a daily multivitamin with iron as a safety-net.

Obviously, if your symptoms don't improve and if you're concerned then talk to your GP and ask their advice.

Good luck

Have you tried exercise? It always worked for me.

Original Post by petoueo:

I am technically obese. Overweight by about 60 pounds.

 

The majority of my days I feel slow and tired. If I have a day off work I can sleep in until 12, wake up for 2-3 hours then have an hour or so nap, and be in bed by11 or 12 that night.

 

Caffeine doesnt seem to have any effect on me. I drank three cups of coffee and went to bed afterwards, once. Needless to say, energy drinks with caffeine as the main component do not boost my energy.

Theres a product called zip fizz that contains over 40 000% of your daily B12 intake in one serving, and caffeine, which is supposed to boost energy without the 'crash.' I had three of those in one day once and felt no difference.

I took B50 (Or possible B100) pills, and noticed no energy increase and this is something that people seem to swear by.

 

I've had my blood checked. I'm not deficient in any vitamins.

 

I dont know what else could be making me able to sleep like a cat. The last thing I can think of is my being overweight. But I dont know the 'scientific' reasons behind why fat might make you tired...

 

So my question is does being fat make you tired?

Of course it makes you tired.  You are expending more energy carrying around all the fat.  Plus it does not sound like you are doing any exercise...that will certainly boost your energy level.   Start doing something every day - even if it's just an hour walk.