Lack of Energy

I am seriously lacking in energy these days.  I don't have the energy to do anything!  I work at a desk all day.  So needless to say I don't have a very physical job.  In the evenings I go home, cook, maybe walk a little, watch some tv or clean up a little and then I am ready to go to bed at 9pm.  I literally fall over into bed and crash every night.  Then, it is a battle to get up at 6am.  I get my 8hrs a night.  I usually feel completely drained if I don't get my 10-12hrs of sleep on the weekends.  What is the deal?  Does anyone have any suggestions on getting more energy?  I am tired of being tired!

I work at a desk too. When I first started I was tired all the time, but now that I've got settled into it I actually have loads of energy. Here's what helps me:

• I have a hour's break for lunch and I always make sure to get out walking for at least half of that.
• I drink loads of water (at least three litres) throughout the afternoon
• I eat a decent sized healthy breakfast (around 250-300cals) which wakes me up and gets my energy going for the day. I make sure to eat healthily at lunchtime too, always including protein and wholewheat carbohydrates. Junk food just makes me feel sluggish and bloated.
• If I feel a mid-afternoon slump coming on, I eat a banana. They are so so good for you, full of energy and delicious!

Hope that helped!

I know about fatigue. Some days it's a effort to breath!

Have you checked with your doctor about this? There are all kinds of physical things which can make you tired... lack of iron, lack of various vitamins, etc. You can get blood tests for deficiencies. When I saw my doctor about fatigue (among other things) we found out I had a Vitamin D deficiency. Lot's of people don't get enough Vitamin D nowadays with all the sun avoidance we do as recommended by doctors (ironic huh?). I've found B vitamins (additional to my multi) and CoQ10 to be very helpful too.

It also could be depression.

Joss:  I have had a desk job for the past 5yrs and I currently do all that.  With the exception of always having a really healthy lunch.  I slip up and eat poorly periodically.  I am a huge breakfast fan and even drink coffee.  But I am still always tired.  Oh and thank god for the 1hr lunch break.  If it weren't for that I would have lost my sanity a long time ago. 

Jenny:  I hate docs, so i avoid them at all costs.  I usually save up all my ailments and make 1 trip to the doc.  I thought about maybe an iron deficiency.  But I doubt it would be a Vitamin D deficiency.  I sit in front of huge windows all day, plus I spend my weekends outside.  I love the sun, regardless of what doctors say.  I have heard great things about the vitamin B complexes.  I might try that.  What is CoQ10? 

i agree w/ what joss and jenny said, eating a good breakfast and drinking lots of water help me. Also having some fruit and a protein for a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

vitamin or mineral deficiencies or even low-blood sugar could all be the culprit too, and a simple blood test could tell you.

I also find that exercising in the am before work gives me a huge energy boost for the day. It can be a hard routine to get in to, hard to get up early enough. But it really does make a big difference and once you get into the routine you don't think twice about getting up a little earlier. I usually get up, have a banana, the go for a bike ride or do some pilates if it is raining.

Natlyann: Co-Q10 stands for coenzyme Q10 which is an enzyme which works at the cellular level in the mitochondria (nicknamed cellular power plants.) There's at least one mitochondrian in each of most of your cells. It's one of the the places where the cell converts food into energy. We have it naturally in the mitochondria but as we age we produce less (aging stinks!) It's widely available as a supplement-our grocery store has it. It's been around for a long time so if there were problems I think it would have been in the news by now. It's also an antioxidant.

Don't I sound smart? A friend told me about it (not my doctor) and I think it works.

Here's a wikipedia article about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme_Q10

I love Wikipedia!

Exercise will help a lot.  I also have a desk job and had no energy.  Then I joined a Woman's Boot Camp where I exercise HARD, and walk or ride for at least 40 minutes 3 times a week.  I have a lot more energy now.  Lack of exercise can really run you down after a while.

Also, make sure that you are eating enough.  Not just that you are full, but log a few days and make sure you are eating your BMR.  If you are dieting, you can eat less, but make sure you are over 1200 calories and eat at least your BMR-1000.  Undereating is probably the most common reason for energy problems on this site.

You might be sleeping enough hours, but not getting a good deep sleep.  I have a sleep disorder (apnea) and until I got that under treatment I had no energy and it was getting worse all the time.  Seemed like 10 hours was barely enough sometimes.  I had no idea that i was constantly partially waking all through the night until I was in the hospital for surgery and one of the night nurses mentioned that I stopped breathing from time to time.