Tired all the time, no energy

PrettyBoy

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is the best place to post it but I'm wondering what people eat/drink in the morning and during the day to give them energy? I know coffee is the obvious answer but I'm not a fan of it and will only drink it when I really have to.

I generally sleep well. I have a berocca in the morning as well as 2 bananas during the day (morning and afternoon) and I drink plenty of water but I feel tired and sluggish most of the time. By the time I finish in work I feel completely drained and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym.

Can anyone here offer any advice or suggestions?

Stench Blossoms

What do you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

john_cappa

Post up full daily honest diet!

RidleyRider

If you're not eating well, you're bound to be tired.

Like the lads/lass said, post up a days diet and you'll get a better answer.

meijin

PrettyBoy wrote: »

I have a berocca in the morning as well as 2 bananas during the day (morning and afternoon) and I drink plenty of water

Is that all you eat whole day? :rolleyes:

jackboy

Berocca is just a waste of money. Porridge in the morning is good. Plenty protein for lunch and dinner. Some exercise, even walking will help.

PrettyBoy

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Banana
• Berroca

Lunch

• Sandwich
• Chocolate bar
• Banana

Dinner

• Chicken/Pasta most days

Night

• Toast

Plus a couple of snacks between meals, typically a bar or a pack of sweets and drink roughly 2 litres of water a day.

RebelButtMunch

Are you stressed? Also give up the bars. Try nuts or raisins.

thegreatiam

It's all sugar. Sort you diet out.

Meat and lots and lots of vèg

seamus

What kind of cereal? Most "healthy" cereals are pretty high in sugar and you'll crash about 2-3 hours after breakfast, which is probably where your bar or bag of sweets comes in.

Chocolate bar at lunch; insulin spike. Again, you'll see a crash about 90 minutes later around maybe 3 o'clock, and you'll need a snack to pick you up.

Sound familiar? By the time you finish work, you've spiked again from your 3 o'clock snack and you feel like crap.

Try swapping your cereal for porridge. You can mix the banana in, or what can help is to have the banana about an hour after breakfast. You'll see no insulin spike and feel no need for a pick-me-up around 11am.

Obviously, drop the chocolate bar at lunchtime. Try the same trick - hold onto your banana until 3 o'clock to keep yourself topped up.

Lunch is a strange one. Most people eat a relatively small meal for lunch at around 1 o'clock and then won't sit down again to eat until 6 or 7 o'clock. That's a big gap between meals, during a time of day when you're busy. Then we sit down and eat our largest meal of the day, 3 hours before going to bed, and during our least active phase of the day.

If your routine can allow, try to swap the two. Eat a larger meal at lunchtime, and a smaller one for dinner. Soup is great for lunch; it's been proven that if you eat a normal meal and drink water and the next day eat the same meal, but instead blend it all into a soup (including the same amount of water), you will feel fuller, for longer.

Alf Veedersane

Most of what's been posted is correct. There could also be an iron deficiency. Eat more veg and try get some steak into you.

doctorwhogirl

There are no vegetables at all in the above.

Get more veg, some red meat, couple of servings of oily fish too. The sugary cereal and bars is spiking your energy and then you're crashing too.

I tend to have NO energy at 3/4 because that's when I finish work so my body tends to go into shut down. I make sure I have a small meal there/good snack.

You may need to eat more often as opposed to just "snacks".

*I see Alf above has said a lot of what I said

fitness factor

How about your sleeping pattern? Anything special there? Are you snoring? Some people have shallow sleep, not giving enough rest.

Is your respiratory system all ok? Do you smoke? Oxygen low levels will mean low energy as well.

SPS1

A blood test from your local GP can really sort this out, it costs about 30 euro & will provide information on your nutritional intake & specific hormones.

Tbh though it sounds like an iron deficiency if anything, iron deficiency is common even in the first world. None of the foods you listed are in anyway high in iron. Iron comes in two forms 2+ & 3+. 2+ is the most absorbable & is found in red meats.

3+ is used in iron supplements, lentils, beans, eggs. When coupled with beer, vitamin C, vinegar (ie weak acids). It can change to 2+ by a process called reduction in chemistry. Apparently the majority of iron intake in humans comes from plant sources.

wuffly

I has a similar problem, changed diet, started exercising and began mediation. Still felt exhausted in the mornings, turns out after a lot of antibiotics for uti's last year i was over producing yeast... might be worth looking into. I took a tablet everyday for a month for a reboot, now i just make sure i have a probiotic yogurt a few times a week. Changing your diet and exercise should help anyway. Good luck

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/yeast-hidden-cause-your-exhaustion

runawaybishop

How much are you sleeping at night? Your diet will only do so much.

PrettyBoy

I'm sleeping 7-8 hours a night during the week but on weekends when I'm not working I'd easily sleep for 10+ hours.

Thanks for all the tips and advice so far, I'm taking it all on board and will change up my routine/diet accordingly.

PrettyBoy

fitness factor wrote: »

How about your sleeping pattern? Anything special there? Are you snoring? Some people have shallow sleep, not giving enough rest.

Is your respiratory system all ok? Do you smoke? Oxygen low levels will mean low energy as well.

Sleeping pattern is ok (not great, but not bad either). I don't snore at all and wouldn't consider myself a light sleeper.

Don't smoke, never had any respiratory problems.

Stench Blossoms

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Sleeping pattern is ok (not great, but not bad either). I don't snore at all and wouldn't consider myself a light sleeper.

Don't smoke, never had any respiratory problems.

Your issues are your diet.

conzy

You seem to be only eating ~1800 cals a day

And 85%+ of it is from carbs.

Eat more protein and fat and probably more calories

saucers82

I am dead serious here - do you need reddit's nofap ( I won't go into the reasons you would)

But I had similar problem - now i don't ....at all!

if not.....sorry for interrupting

but i do eat a ton of fruit and veg too and not much processed food

thegreatiam

I think he just called you a wanker

PrettyBoy

Had to Google Nofap, not sure what it has to do with my particular issue but the rest of the advice has been great, thanks everyone

saucers82

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Had to Google Nofap, not sure what it has to do with my particular issue but the rest of the advice has been great, thanks everyone

just thought i'd mention it - worked wonders for me

alot of guys on bodybuilding.com forums chat about it too and how it has helped them

there can be a multitude of reasons for tiredness obviously

stress being a leading contender also

Transform

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Banana
• Berroca

Lunch

• Sandwich
• Chocolate bar
• Banana

Dinner

• Chicken/Pasta most days

Night

• Toast

Plus a couple of snacks between meals, typically a bar or a pack of sweets and drink roughly 2 litres of water a day.

are you guys insane!!
His nutrition is a car crash of nutrient empty foods

Iron levels, sleep, yeast infection are all deck chairs on the sinking titanic until he/she sorts their diet out

Cut out all the junk you dont need us to tell you to cut out (i.e. the obvious stuff) and then cut out the wheat = instant bump in nutrient density.

Sort the basics out first and earn the right to move on to the complex

RebelButtMunch

Transform wrote: »

are you guys insane!!
His nutrition is a car crash of nutrient empty foods

Iron levels, sleep, yeast infection are all deck chairs on the sinking titanic until he/she sorts their diet out

Cut out all the junk you dont need us to tell you to cut out (i.e. the obvious stuff) and then cut out the wheat = instant bump in nutrient density.

Sort the basics out first and earn the right to move on to the complex

Try reading the whole thread, there are at least 5 other posts making diet recommendations

SPS1

Transform wrote: »

Cut out all the junk you dont need us to tell you to cut out (i.e. the obvious stuff) and then cut out the wheat = instant bump in nutrient density.

Sort the basics out first and earn the right to move on to the complex

Yes lets just ignore the nutritional content of wheat due to the popular fad in bashing gluten. Unless there is diagnosis of celiac disease (which is far overblown nowdays), there is no reason to cut out a cheap healthy & variety source of nutrition such as wheat.

Stench Blossoms

SPS1 wrote: »

Yes lets just ignore the nutritional content of wheat due to the popular fad in bashing gluten. Unless there is diagnosis of celiac disease (which is far overblown nowdays), there is no reason to cut out a cheap healthy & variety source of nutrition such as wheat.

What benefits does eating wheat give someone over just say; leafy green veg?

runawaybishop

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

What benefits does eating wheat give someone over just say; leafy green veg?

Why can't people have both? This militant anti wheat thingy is pretty ZZZzzzz tbh.

Stench Blossoms

runawaybishop wrote: »

Why can't people have both? This militant anti wheat thingy is pretty ZZZzzzz tbh.

If you can tolerate it then well done but having a portion of wheat for every meal and then complaining that you tired?

Skatedude

One thing most people dont know is that clinical depression can also cause tiredness and lack of energy, even if you dont feel any way depressed and have a healthy diet etc.

i was very surprised when my doctor told me

short_of_cash

Do u exercise much...I found I was sluggish all the time...went on low carb routine with lots of walking...feel 40 again.

RebelButtMunch

short_of_cash wrote: »

Do u exercise much...I found I was sluggish all the time...went on low carb routine with lots of walking...feel 40 again.

But your 25! :-)

Marty McFly

On wheat I'd say it is best to get people initially to cut it out so they get used to not having it as a staple of there diet and thinking it need to be in almost every meal. Then if you must slowly reintroduce it by having the odd wrap etc.

SPS1

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

What benefits does eating wheat give someone over just say; leafy green veg?

Superfoods don't exist, if you are to argue why eat X when you can have Y. The argument will become reductionistic to the point of naming a small number of so called "superfoods".

There is no reason to cut out wheat in the OPs case. He or she simply needs to lessen it & increase variety of other food groups, as the main issue in diet is not enough variety to cover macro & micro nutrient needs.

Liger vs Tigon

SPS1 wrote: »

Superfoods don't exist, if you are to argue why eat X when you can have Y. The argument will become reductionistic to the point of naming a small number of so called "superfoods".

There is no reason to cut out wheat in the OPs case. He or she simply needs to lessen it & increase variety of other food groups, as the main issue in diet is not enough variety to cover macro & micro nutrient needs.

Wheat is one of the worst foods to eat, it contains anti nutrients and lectins which damage the body.

Stench Blossoms

So 4 portions of wheat a day is not excessive no?

SPS1

Liger vs Tigon wrote: »

Wheat is one of the worst foods to eat, it contains anti nutrients and lectins which damage the body.

Antinutrients =/= not nutritional

Antinutrients tend to be a bunch of molecules who chelate metals that are important in the human diet. They do however have nutritional status in themselves.

eg
*calcium is an antinutrient of zinc & iron in its oxidised 3+ form. Despite being a required mineral
*Tannins & other polyphenols act as antinutrients on metals too, yet are beneficial to its host (eg green tea & wine are high in polyphenols > tannins)
*Phytates can help in keeping gut bacteria strong by upregulating the production of phytase enzymes. Thus tackling phytates obtained from plants other than wheat.
*Oxalates can block high calcium intake & favor other metal absorption.

So on so forth. Claiming any antinutrient is inherently unhealthy to its host, simply because it blocks the absorption of specific nutrients, is too simple a view.

Transform

SPS1 wrote: »

Antinutrients =/= not nutritional

Antinutrients tend to be a bunch of molecules who chelate metals that are important in the human diet. They do however have nutritional status in themselves.

eg
*calcium is an antinutrient of zinc & iron in its oxidised 3+ form. Despite being a required mineral
*Tannins & other polyphenols act as antinutrients on metals too, yet are beneficial to its host (eg green tea & wine are high in polyphenols > tannins)
*Phytates can help in keeping gut bacteria strong by upregulating the production of phytase enzymes. Thus tackling phytates obtained from plants other than wheat.
*Oxalates can block high calcium intake & favor other metal absorption.

So on so forth. Claiming any antinutrient is inherently unhealthy to its host, simply because it blocks the absorption of specific nutrients, is too simple a view.

let the dude do it for a week - i guarantee he will instantly feel better even if it just forced his hand to improve his food quality.

Will cutting out the wheat be the difference? Heck I have no idea but i have seen it make such a massive difference in clients that were already in quite good shape and completely out of shape over and over again.

Suck it and see rather than believe its wheat bashing - BTW its not a recent trend because tainers like myself have suggested this for well over 10 years now it just takes the media that length of time to catch up

nataspy

He'll feel just a good having one portion of wheat per day.

I don't think anyone suggested having wheat 4 or 5 times a day. That was just thrown in by the anti wheat brigade for some strange reason.

If I ate 4 or 5 steaks a day I don't think I'd be too healthy either.

SPS1

Transform wrote: »

let the dude do it for a week - i guarantee he will instantly feel better even if it just forced his hand to improve his food quality.

Will cutting out the wheat be the difference? Heck I have no idea but i have seen it make such a massive difference in clients that were already in quite good shape and completely out of shape over and over again.

Suck it and see rather than believe its wheat bashing - BTW its not a recent trend because tainers like myself have suggested this for well over 10 years now it just takes the media that length of time to catch up

Thankfully the rigours of the scientific method to account for placebos in control groups are present. Else a lot of fad diets of the past would be still claiming the same as the current anti-wheat brigade which I can bet will go the same way in 5 years.

The same idea of removing a food group to increase energy has been around for decades. It's pretty much an accepted rule of thumb, that any person marketing "one" thing to be removed/added to your diet to cure your common ailments, is snake oil.