Lack of energy - need advice

N

newmommy

Cathlete
I need some advice. I have been working out and trying to lose weight/get fit for the past two and half months. So far I have lost 10 pounds and 5% body fat. Lately however I have noticed a decrease in my energy level. I am 5' 2" and weigh 126. I work out 6 days a week, between and hour to an hour and a half, and I have been trying to eat around 1400-1600 calories a day. I eat around 6 small meals a day. However, for the past two weeks or so after I eat one of my meals about 30 minutes later I am starving and I have noticed, especially in the afternoon, that my energy level is so low that it almost seems like getting up to walk accross the room is a chore. My husband thinks that since I am gaining muscle mass and burning more calories that I am not eating enough calories in one day, but I am hesitant to increase my calorie intake because I don't want to start gaining weight. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to get my energy level back to normal? When I first started working out it used to energize me, now I feel like it drains me.

Thanks,

Katie
 
I think your husband is right. If you are working out that much and not eating enough then eventually it will take it toll on your body. Try adding on more protein and good carbs for energy and see where that gets you. Plus if you are a mom like your pinname suggests just the mere fact of having a family can also wear on your body. Try a protein shake after your workouts too, that might reenergize you.

Hope I helped some!:7
 
If you are starving hungry: EAT!!!!
Sounds like your husband is right: you need more calories to fuel your workouts, beyond what your body needs for basal metabolic needs. If you have lost weight and added muscle, you have lit the fires under your metabolism, which means that you now burn more calories than before and need to take more in. Failure to do so means your body will burn muscle for fuel, or you could get sick.

Don't be afraid to eat.

Clare
 
Thanks for your responses. Yes, I am a new Mom (well she's 10 months) and she takes up a lot of my energy. Maybe I'm just being silly, but it just seems like if I eat enough that it makes me full I feel like I've had too much. Last night though I was so hungry before I went to bed I ate a bunch of Ritz Crackers (I know, not the healthiest option), but I had so much more energy with my workout this morning. I don't really watch anything except my calorie intake and try to make healthy choices (wheat instead of white, spinach instead of iceburg, sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes), so how do I know how many calories I need? Should I bump it up by maybe 200 hundred calories or is that too much/too little. I'm sorry to be a pest, but I feel like there is such a fine line when it comes to eating. You're not supposed to eat too much, but you're not supposed to eat too little.

Katie
 
Katie, it's a very fine balance, I agree! I struggle with it myself, even 2 years after losing a lot of weight (yes, it was post baby!). What you describe sounds very much like you are not getting enough calories. Try adding small amounts of healthy food to your day, and see what happens. Have an extra apple with your lunch, or a post-workout smoothie, that sort of thing. Give your body the nourishment it needs to recover from your workouts, and store energy for the next time. Remember that you may not see any weight loss for the first week that you increase your food intake because the extra food in your system (and the nutrients stored in your muscles and organs) will actually weigh something. But rest assured that it is not going to be fat gain, if indeed to you are eating moderate amounts of good, nutrient-dense food.

It's important that you do not feeling hungry all the time. It is not healthy, it can actually slow down your weight loss efforts if your metabolism goes into starvation mode, and it will effect your mood by making you impatient, unhappy, depressed, and resentful. Your child would probably rather have a happy, patient, curvaceous mother, than a thin, sad, impatient one.

Excellent work on your weight loss, and good luck on finding your balance!
Sandra
 
It does seem like you aren't getting enough calories. And remember, if you are nursing, that alone is supposed to burn an extra 500 calories a day.
 
I'd also like to suggest that you are quite possibly overtraining in addition to underconsuming. 1 to 1-1/2 hours of exercise six days a week is a lot of exercise, and it's possible your body is simply not getting enough rest. The hormones stimulated by exercise can have an effect not only on the musculoskeletal system but also on your sleep quality, which is already altered because of the new munchkin.

I'd suggest posting your current workout schedule here and solicit advice as to how you can restructure your schedule so that you can factor in another rest day. It may be time for you to reduce the number of sessions while upping the intensity of your workouts.

A-Jock
 
Well, my rotation for the past 3 weeks has been:

M - Cardio & Weights
T - PLB and 30 minutes of cardio from CTX series (cardio only section from either 10*10*10, Step & Intervals, Kickbox or All Step)
W - IMAX 2
TH - PUB and 30 minutes of cardio from CTX series
F - Boot Camp
S - Off
S - ME and 30 minutes cardio (I either do IMAX 2 again or the Cardio & Weights cardio only premix)

Then some evening I will do additional ab work. I have seen really great results as far as toning my body and building muscle, which is why it's so frustrating for me now to have this energy loss.

I appreciate so much everyone's help here!

Katie
 
What an excellent rotation, Katie! I may have to give it a go myself some time.

Question: did your energy loss coincide with the start of this rotation, 3 weeks ago? This is an intense rotation; was your previous workout schedule less intense?

Cheers,
Sandra
 
My rotation prior to this was a CTX rotation. I would do one CTX workout a day and on the days that did the extra 30 minutes of cardio I would do 30 minutes on our elliptical machine, so it was much lower impact. I would have to say that yes the lack of energy began with this new rotation.
 
Ahhh, this is useful information! The Intensity Series is a fun, fun, fun set of workouts, but it really lives up to its name. I really like your rotation, but perhaps you should not do the entire thing, each and every week? I particularly would not (personally) do ME on Sunday, then C&W on Monday - I would like to give the upper body a bit more rest. Secondly, if you were doing one body part per week with the CTX series, then suddenly increased to all of the weight work in the IS, that is a very large jump.

I think it's great that you are progressing so well in your fitness level that you can take on the Intensity Series. I'm sure A-Jock or another of the educated crowd will have some great advice on how you can perhaps build in more active rest.

Take care,
Sandra
 
Hi Katie:

Gosh, I am sorry to hear about your low energy level..it gets kind of depressing after awhile, doesn't it? I struggle with that afternoon time myself. Any chance of squeezing in a nap while your little one sleeps?

I looked over your rotation and you might want to try spacing out your weight work out a bit more. It looks like you might not be giving your muscles enough recovery time. This might be a case of "doing TOO much of a good thing."

I am not sure what workouts you have of Cathe's but based on what you posted is as your current rotation you could try something like this:
week 1-3
M. Cardio and Weights
T. Cardio 45-60 minutes(no step workouts since you just did it the day before..but do kickboxing, elliptical, walk, moderate run)
W. ME (cardio optional..if you do it make it moderate no longer than 30 min)
Th. Imax 2
F. BootCamp
S. Rest
Sun. Hard Cardio.. something along the lines of IMAX, etc

Then in weeks 4-6 : concentrate more on strength as opposed to the endurance training..you could do:
M. PUB + optional 30 minutes easy cardio
T. IMAX 2
W. PLB (skip cardio that day and work your abs really hard)
Th. Cardio 45-60 minutes.. longer time but moderate..since you have worked your legs hard between Tues' Imax and Wed PLB
F. PUB + optional 30 minutes easy cardio
S. rest
Sun. PLB. do only half of the workout +30 minutes cardio your choice

Both of the above rotations do contain alot of cardio time. If you still feel like your energy is lagging, skip some of the cardio time or cut it way down..esp in the weeks 4-6. If you are giving it your all during the strength training, moderate cardio should do the trick.
Also, on those long workout days, if there is any way you can do a split.. ie cardio in the morning, and weights at night that is ideal. However, the reality of life gets in the way for this to work for most of us!! :}

Good luck and let us know how you fare.

Take care, Lynn M.
 
Katie:

either eliminate the Cardio & Weights or the Bootcamp. You have enough cardio and enough strength training in the mix already and your body is telling you it needs more rest.

Alternatively, keep both those two workouts and eliminate instead 2 of the CTX cardios that you tack on after PUB and PLB. PUB and PLB are quite enough on their own!!!!

You don't have to do it all, and you don't have to kill yourself trying.

Clare
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top