[JenMusic]

I'm tired. And I'm having trouble figuring out why, or what to do about it.

I've been low energy for the past few weeks. I've been wanting to go to bed earlier, a little more draggy after lunch, and working out with less enthusiasm. I've passed on plans to hang out with friends a couple of times, because they live across town and I didn't want to deal with it. I'm not really depressed or even blue, just . . . blah.

I also lowered my calorie intake slightly around the first of the year - from 1325-1375 to around 1250-1300. These are good calories primarily from whole food, with veggies, fruit, and lots of lean protein. I'm not hungry. Exercise has stayed the same. I'm not a hardcore exerciser, but I workout 4-6 times a week, using DVDs that mix cardio and handweights. Those are the physical factors.

Mentally, I'm wondering if it's just the stress of starting a new year, new school term (I'm a teacher), doing the same workut DVDs I've done for a while, and the weather.

I'm trying to decide if I should wait it out at the current calorie/workout level, or go ahead and say that 1250 is too low for me to have the energy I want. I know it's not terribly low for someone of my height and weight, but I would rather be more energetic than thinner at this point. The weight was coming off at the higher calorie level, just more slowly, so I lowered cals in an effort to speed that back up.

I'm guessing a lot of you have experience eating calories on the lower end of the spectrum. Did you have tiredness issues because of it? Did it settle down? Or did you just deal with it?

[Michou]

January is a gloomy month, lack of sun, cold, bills, etc. I feel like you this week, for me I know it is boredom that makes me feel that way, happens every year and I try to stay motivated but it is harder.

Why dont you go back to your old calorie numbers for 2 or 3 weeks just to see how you feel, I would be surprised if you gained weight and beside you lost
70 pounds already means you were doing it right. I think also that when we get close to goal weight things start slowing down and things dont change as much with our body so it is normal to loose a little motivation.

Dreaming of spring here and good luck for the rest of your journey.

[kat999]

If you have a little bit of the winter blues, you may be vitamin D deficient. For me, seasonal affective problems are alleviated greatly by increasing my cardio workouts, taking a chromium supplement, and drinking two cups of St. Johns Wort tea every day. It doesn't totally wipe out all my symptoms all the time, but it helps a LOT. I'm also a teacher, and I think part of the problem in the winter term for me is that many students are feeling post-holiday, weather-blah blues, too, and so seeing a bunch of grumpy, draggy kids every day doesn't help me not feel that way as well!

[nina125]

I used to feel tired and sluggish too till my endocrinologist found out that I was deficient in Vit D and B12. He gave me a B12 shot and I could feel the difference within 5 hours.

[JenMusic]

Originally Posted by kat999

I'm also a teacher, and I think part of the problem in the winter term for me is that many students are feeling post-holiday, weather-blah blues, too, and so seeing a bunch of grumpy, draggy kids every day doesn't help me not feel that way as well!

No kidding! Sometimes I feel like I'm doing a song and dance routine to a completely sleeping audience! Then I come home and am totally zonked.

I have no way of knowing if I'm deficient in Vitamin D or B12. I take a daily multi, but who knows if that does anything. It wouldn't surprise me, I suppose.

I decided to have a pretty high calorie (~1800) day today, for a couple of reasons. One, I've been craving a Five Guys burger and fries for almost a month, and it was time to meet that craving - I haven't had anything like that in forever. Also, I haven't had a high calorie day since I started eating so low, so maybe this will boost my energy.

As always, an experiment of one!

Thanks for your ideas and thoughts!

[Wildflower]

Originally Posted by JenMusic

One, I've been craving a Five Guys burger and fries for almost a month, and it was time to meet that craving - I haven't had anything like that in forever.

Love that I am not the only one who gets cravings for litterly months at a time!!! Yesterday I was reading a diet article that claimed cravings only last for 10 minutes!!! What the heck!!! It basically said to "ride out a craving" because after 10 minutes it will be gone. Yeah right!

I do get sort of over all tired when I eat low calories or I don't get a ton of complex carbs. I don't purposefully eat low carb, but sometimes it's so easy to cut calories by cutting out bread / rice / pasta so I do that. I don't miss the carbs, but I mentioned to a family member I was low energy and they suggested I up my carbs for energy. It really worked for me. I just added some whole wheat bread into my diet more often.