Energy?
 

I've noticed a lot lately that by 4 pm i have NO energy. Im getting enough sleep. Can too much salt make you tired? cause i dont eat much carbs. Hmmm.... I dont drink soda, coffee, or energy drinks. Suggestions? Comments?

What does your food schedule look like? Have you played around with the times and still find this to be the case? What about the foods that you are eating? Have you experimented with changing them to see if there is a difference? How much activity do you get during the day?

I eat usually the same things. Breakfast-
Eggs turkey bacon whole wheat toast.
Lunch-healthy choice.
snack.
Dinner-meat and veggie
I dont get any exercise during the day. Im a project manager(desk job). i work out for an hr-2 hrs a night 3-4x a week

I would like to hear anyone's suggestions for this problem as I have recently been battling with it too :-(

What does your snack consist of? What time are you eating lunch? Snack? Have you played around with it, seeing if that helps? Is this a new problem or fairly recent?

It could also be your inactivity level. If you're stuck behind a desk, it makes it kind of hard to change. But I find if I sit around - I get tired. But when I move and I'm on the go - I can just keep on moving and keep on going.

When was the last time you had a medical check up? How are your sugar levels? Anemia? Etc...

I just replied to your other cal counting post...your probably arent eating enough to stay awake girl! :)

B vitamin supplements your body keep an even level of blood sugar, and hence energey - might want to try that too.

I was struggling/sometimes still struggle too. Here are some personal conclusions I've made:

Around 1pm - 6pm, I can really only eat a few pieces of fruit.... everything else makes me feel dead tired. I also have a job that requires me to sit at a desk, if I just lay my head down on the desk for twenty minutes, I usually fall asleep almost immediately for about 15 minutes... wake up and feel much better. It makes me more productive later.

I think there are a multitude of factors and it cannot simply be fixed with what you eat. As rockinrobin said, sitting down, not moving will inevitably make you tired. Then, perhaps you are not really interested in your task at the moment - either it is too hard or quite boring - this will also make you sleepy. You said you had no energy - not that you were hungry.... so i'd be hesitant before I started eating more for energy.

Basically, many other cultures build in a time for a break (siesta, for example), because it is known that the body naturally wants to lie down for a little while.

I have been SUPER strict with my calorie counting this past week. I have been hungry all week. I have been sticking to 1200 - 1550 calories a day (where I usually like to do 1600 - 1800). While the scale is looking awesome, I just feel DRAINED. So... I guess my point is, I feel your pain.

But about a million things could be affecting you: what you eat, what you do, are you getting enough sleep, it is getting darker out sooner - is that affecting you, changes at work, changes at home, TOM, phases of the moon (j/k! maybe?). Do you eat healthy choices for lunch every day? sometimes perservatives can drag you down. (not knocking them - I am a big fan of the Cafe Steamers) Also, like rockinrobin was talking about when in the day you are eating.

Being drained wouldn't work for me. I was actually feeling incredibly energized when I changed my eating. I was drained PRIOR to changing my diet.

You said you've been super strict with your calories.

But what have those calories consisted of? Were they high quality calories? Like all of them.

When you're staying within a calorie budget, its REAL important to make each and every calorie count - nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. There really isn't any room for 100 calorie packs and the like. I'm not saying you're eating that, because I haven't a clue as to what your menu looks like, but I'm wondering if there is any room for improvement.

No 100 calorie packs here! They are OK if I am DYING for a little something crunchy, but mostly I find them worthless, b/c they aren't filling and are not nutritious.

I am actually meeting my trainer at the gym today to go over my nutrition to see where I can improve. I am hoping she has some good tips!

This is what I had yesterday:

Breakfast: 1 egg, 2 whites, 1 slice American cheese in a carb balance wrap. Coffee w/ 1/4 C Light Chocolate Silk: Total: 385.5 calories

Lunch: Barley Stuffed Peppers (contained barley, spices, italian cheeses, pork, tofu, tomatoes, squash) and a seltzer with a splash of juice: 345.75 calories

Snacks: 1/2 C LF Cottage cheese, 1/2 an apple, and 20 cocoa almonds (spread out throughout the afternoon): 248 Calories

Dinner: Tofu Scramble (2 serv. tofu, 2 C spinach, peppers, onions, 1 oz. FF Feta Cheese) and another seltzer with a splash of juice: 320 Calories

Totals for the day: 1300 calories, 43.6 g fat, 130 g carbs, 104.25 g protein, and 46.75 g of Fiber (30% Fat, 40% carbs and 30% protein)

I welcome any opinions/suggestions!