Sooo Tired and Don't know why

I have been soo tired lately and not sure why.  I wonder if it is because of my lessening of my exercise program, not eating right foods, or because I took up smoking again (quitting day is tomorrow).  I have also been getting up alot earlier than normal.  Any ideas on why I am tired and how can I boost my energy levels in a healthy way.  Also, how many hours of sleep should I be getting each night?

Thanks

I personally need about 9 hours of sleep each night to be well rested, but usually I do 8 on weekdays and 9 in weekends.
You should probably try different sleeping hours and see if that makes a difference first. If you've been getting up earlier than normal lately, you might not have been going to bed a lot earlier, hence sleeping shortage.. Also your body might have to get used to getting up early.

And ofcourse smoking and not eating well and less exercising make it harder for your body to cope with stress or small infections, which might make you more tired?

Good luck!
Lila.

I have definately been going to bed earlier.  I just need energy it is so frustrating.  I hope the quitting smoking helps.

There are lots of causes of fatigue.   Smoking reduces the oxygen supply in the blood.... that could be one.  A pretty common reason for fatigue in young women is low iron stores.  If you don't already, you could try taking a multivitamin with iron and also increasing your intake of iron-rich foods e.g. red meat, beans, whole eggs, dark green vegetables etc.

If the fatigue continues then you should see your doctor and ask their advice.

Good advice from GI Jane.

Make sure you're eating enough protein and getting all your calories in.  The same thing happened to me, I was so exhausted I went home after work and had to lay down, then I found I was not eating enough of the right kinds of foods and only eating about 1200 calories a day. Good luck with stopping smoking!

It seems that every calorie calculator I use tells me to eat 1200.  I am looking to loose about 50 more lbs, but I wonder if this really is enough

If you're relatively young, reasonably active and you're 50lbs overweight 1200 will be far too few calories.   Conversely, if the recommendation to reach your target weight is 1200 calories then it's possible that your target weight is too low...

Original Post by gi-jane:

If you're relatively young, reasonably active and you're 50lbs overweight 1200 will be far too few calories.   Conversely, if the recommendation to reach your target weight is 1200 calories then it's possible that your target weight is too low...

 I am 199, 5'4", 32 yo.  I have lost 53lbs so far.  I work at a desk but work out pretty regulary, normally, but not been on the wagon with that too much lately.  My target weight is 150.  My BMR is about 1650.

I ran your stats on the CC burn meter tool, and when set at a sedentary level, it calculates that you currently burn 2000 calories a day.  1500 would probably be a good place to start - would give you a 500 calorie deficit.  Then you might try manually adding in the exercise stats in the activity log, and eat the calories burned to stay between a 500-800 calorie deficit.  I know a lot of people say that you can have up to a 1000 calorie deficit, but speaking personally, my body rebels whenever I do that big of a deficit, and I'm exhausted!  If that doesn't help, or if you feel worse at any time, definitely go to a doctor.

Congrats on losing 53 pounds so far!

~Katy

Quitting day is always tomorrow. Make it today instead. :)

Original Post by ily51:

Quitting day is always tomorrow. Make it today instead. :)

Thanks!  You are right. I did the Wii fit this morning and plan to do some free weights tonite.  I am going to walk during lunch tomorrow (I have lunch meeting today)

Keeping my fingers crossed for you! You`ll see that once the nicotine is out of your system, you`re going to enjoy sports way more and have a greater endurance. Not to mention that all food is going to taste and smell better. YUM. ^^

How much protein are you getting a day?  Due to a medical condition, I am often very tired but if I get 80+ grams of protein/day, I am in GREAT shape.  This is fairly easy to do if you're eating the right foods (fish, lean chicken, cottage cheese, and cereals/granola that are high in protein as well as fiber).  Try getting 40 g of protein in between breakfast and lunch and I think you'll notice a world of difference.

Thanks for the responses everyone.  I am actually feeling much better and I am making sure I am getting enough sleep and protien.