A messy metabolism

At the end of the day, my metabolism slows down to the extend that I can't even walk. I had all my snacks and meals. I had 7 hours of sleep last night. I don't suffer any flu or cold.  I don't understand this. where is the problem? is that because I have an office job? maybe ....

Do you use caffeine?  Do you regulate sugar ( ie. combine high GI foods with protein)? Do you eat enough?  Do you get enough water?  The list of questions goes on and on.

Yes, I drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day. I also have espresso from time to time.

I drink 3 liters of water a day

I eat 1200-1300 if I don't work out, I eat more if I burn calories in the gym.

Today, I had oatmeal, an apple, almonds for breakfat. some Blueberries, 1 cup cottage cheese and 1l4 cup quinoa for lunch. Snacks: 3 apples and lot of coffee.

What is wrong? I appreciate any inputs.

I'm not an expert but I would guess the coffee and apples are to blame for the late afternoon low.

You ate 4 apples today?  Is this a normal day for you?  I agree, you're probably having a major blood sugar crash.  You should probably mix up your snacks, you have too many simple carbs and no veggies.  I know you'll probably eat veggies at dinner, but 4 apples may be too much of a good thing.  Everything in moderation.  And protein later in the day will help stabalize your blood sugar to keep you from crashing. 

Weren't you going to up your calories?

Shandykat: yes I ate 3 apples yesterday and then after work and because I was so tired , I had a banana. so it is 4 fruits yesterday.

today morning : an apple and a pear so far. it is 9 am here.

I drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day.

trhawley: thanks. Can I ask you why do you think it is because of the apples and the coffee? what should I have instead as a healthy snack?

Carrots, maybe? I like celery for its crunchiness, but it's so low-calorie it's practically useless for a snack unless you add in some low-fat cottage cheese or nut butter of your choice. Makes for a lower-GI snack than fruit, thus giving you a much less spiky insulin profile during the day. Keeping your blood sugar on an even keel helps avoid those crash episodes of low energy.

  I don't think the coffee makes much of a difference in the energy crash unless you drink yours loaded with cream and sugar, but people do respond differently to caffeine so altering your coffee intake might be worth a try if changing your snack option doesn't help.

I think you're just not eating enough.

Why only 1200? 

Melkor: thanks for the suggestions. I eat cottage cheese for lunch and I choose the non fat one. Yesterday, my lunch was a cup of cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of quinoa and some blueberries.

I hear that we should avoid carrots. it is high GI food...

I have those crash episodes of low energy. is that because of blood sugar problems???  is it high blood sugar?

David: I am in a problem. during the past few months, I have been working out very hard, eating very little, I lost muscles and fat. now, I realize that I need to increase my calories. I tried to up them to 1700-1800 and I had a couple of binges. I gained belly fat right away... it is like my body is hungry to store any fat and I am aware of that and so scared to increase my calories again. I can imagine that if I eat one muffin, it  will be converted to fat in my midsection.

There's no way you gained belly fat right away. More than likely it was water retention.

I develop a gut over the course of the day every single day, and by the time I wake up in the morning it's gone. 

If you're bingeing, it's probably because you're not eating enough. 

with a 3900 calorie binge last weekend, mostly from muffins and cakes, I am sure I gained fat..

I just felt I missed the taste of cakes after 8 months of dieting but I went too far:(

Original Post by safina1:

with a 3900 calorie binge last weekend, mostly from muffins and cakes, I am sure I gained fat..

I just felt I missed the taste of cakes after 8 months of dieting but I went too far:(

 At most you gained a half pound of fat, but even that seems unlikely. More than likely it was just water weight.

And one 3900 calorie binge isn't going to ruin everything. It's also not an excuse to chronically undereat from that point forward.

How many g of protein are you getting each day? 

Hello Joan:

Each day is different really. For instance, I wanted to follow the TNT diet so I increased my protein intake last Monday to 122g. then I decided to stop it. here is my regular protein intake as of 3pm today:


Fat - 14.5% (16 grams)
Protein - 23.0% (57 grams)
Carbohydrates - 62.5% (155 grams)
Alcohol - 0.0%
Other - 0.0%

Daily Sodium Intake - 834 mg
Daily Cholesterol Intake - 10 mg
Daily Fiber Intake - 32 grams

total 1000

For dinner, I will eat broccoli, maybe brussles sprouts and some vegetables.

You know that's not enough food. If you really can't bring yourself to eat more, then you should consider seeing a nutritionist or going for counseling.

 

I agree with David.

David and trhawley: I am really surprised. I thought that is enough. No, I don't need counseling. dinner ususally is 300-400 cals. that is total of 1400 a day. do you think that is not enough for a female who is 143 pounds and 5'3'' . I am not active these days, I don't go to the gym.

how much food do you want me to eat then?

Based on the current situation with you metabolism and a quick search of the tools here I would say 1700 cals.  And make sure you are getting enough fat and complete protein.  Once you've been eating at this level for a while then start adding exercise into the mix but don't cut back on the eating.  That is my opinion and I'm not an expert. 

David's suggestion of meeting with a nutritionist is probably the best course of action for you.

Original Post by safina1:

David and trhawley: I am really surprised. I thought that is enough. No, I don't need counseling. dinner ususally is 300-400 cals. that is total of 1400 a day. do you think that is not enough for a female who is 143 pounds and 5'3'' . I am not active these days, I don't go to the gym.

how much food do you want me to eat then?

Well when you post that you've eaten 1,000 calories today and plan to eat broccoli and maybe some vegetables for dinner, that sends off the signal that you're afraid to eat enough. Especially when by your own admission you're afraid to eat 1700 a day because you feel it leads to bingeing. 

1,700 is probably what you should be eating. By your own admission 1,200 doesn't work for you because you feel weak.

Safina< from your post the other day you said you were going back to the gym....  You were asking what your re-start workout should be....Has that not happened?

I'm 5'2 and 113 pounds. 1400 is good enough for me... to lose weight! Not maintain! And that's without exercise!

I agree with the others that you may have to eat more. 1700 does sound more appropriate.

To answer your earlier question, apples have more sugar than many fruits. That's how you can get a major sugar high and then drop.