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| I'm tired a lot - what can I do? (Read 836 times) |
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posted: 3/17/2008 at 11:24 PM
modified: 3/18/2008 at 12:09 AM |
| I'm a 36 year old female with 4 kids (15, 13 & 2 year old twins). I eat pretty well most of the time but feel tired a lot. I might have a week of feeling great (last week I ran 66kms in total) but then this week I feel so tired. I eat a bowl of porridge (made with half a cup of oats) with honey, prunes and peaches every morning, with dried fruit & nuts as a snack mid morning and usually a ham and salad sandwich for lunch. Dinner is usually fish or chicken with salad & maybe a baked potato. I'll eat a banana everyday and sometimes grapes too. I avoid too much gluten, wheat & dairy in my diet altho I'll eat soy yoghurt. I have to admit I eat chocolate everyday and have 2 cups of coffee. I'm not overweight & have no major health problems but I get so darn tired. I've started running longer distances in the last 3 weeks (training for half marathon) but have suffer bouts of tiredness regularly. Any suggestions? And yes, I drink LOTS of water and am not diabetic (altho I do have a fast metabolism) |
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posted: 3/17/2008 at 11:28 PM |
Try eating a little something like a banana after your runs. I was getting tired a lot last year, someone suggested this and it seemed to work.
But I hesitate because I thought tired was the regular state of parents? Maybe you're just fine! |
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| view log SuperMegaHeart'er |
posted: 3/17/2008 at 11:31 PM |
Just an observation, but you seem to eat ALOT of fruit, both dried and fresh which (even though not refined) is loaded with Sugar which will make your energy level plummet when you finish the sugar rush. I would say to increase your lean protein intake and drink plenty of water.
Trent is a Doc, hopefully he will chime in with his always great advice!
Best,
Cheffy
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" Consistency is the difference between a True Champion and an Occasional Winner"...
My 2008 Mantra - "Never give up what you want MOST for what you want NOW…" |
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posted: 3/17/2008 at 11:40 PM |
Just an observation, but you seem to eat ALOT of fruit, both dried and fresh which (even though not refined) is loaded with Sugar which will make your energy level plummet when you finish the sugar rush. I would say to increase your lean protein intake and drink plenty of water.
Good point on the dried fruit...it seems easier because I HAVE to eat every couple of hours or else I sometimes get the shakes.
Lots of people suggest protein and I do have a protein bar every 2-3 days, but apart from red meat (which I don't eat a lot of), what else has a lot of protein. |
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posted: 3/17/2008 at 11:41 PM |
Your first sentence pretty much explained it for me!  Seriously, though, have you had your iron checked? Thyroid checked? Both of these things can make you tired if they're not at the right levels. |
| Nothing rhymes with Winkle |
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| view log Cheeseburger in Paradise |
posted: 3/18/2008 at 12:13 AM |
| If you fix some of your eating and dont see a change, you might want to consider some routine bloodwork. just to be sure ya know. talk to the doc if things dont improve |
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| view log Negative Creep |
posted: 3/18/2008 at 2:02 PM |
| No red meat? Could be anemia. You're in the age group where it typically hits. |
| The Gaijin Samurai. a.k.a The attorney dissin' attorney.
Read and Listen
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posted: 3/18/2008 at 4:40 PM |
| I'm no expert, but twin 2-year olds would knock me out. I have one 5-year old and I'm always tired too. Do you get enough sleep? I mean, regular sleep -- not 4 hours one night, 8 hours the next, sort of sleep that is common when you have young children. I found I was always tired until I got decent sleep, every night. I'm one of those who really needs it, apparently! Other than that, who knows. Getting your blood checked is a good idea. I'm slightly anemic too, so I have to make sure I eat enough red meat. |
| Michelle |
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posted: 3/18/2008 at 5:19 PM
modified: 3/18/2008 at 5:22 PM |
| Quote from Cairen on 3/17/2008 at 11:40 PM:
Good point on the dried fruit...it seems easier because I HAVE to eat every couple of hours or else I sometimes get the shakes.
Lots of people suggest protein and I do have a protein bar every 2-3 days, but apart from red meat (which I don't eat a lot of), what else has a lot of protein.
Eggs, nuts, cheese, yogurt....they contain lots of protein....
do you snore? checked into sleep issues??
Vitamin B-12 can sometimes help out too... |
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finney Resident pinniped |
posted: 3/18/2008 at 9:43 PM |
I think the other suggestions are good ones. It seems a really common thing that people think they're eating "healthy" when they cut out almost all protein.  This has NEVER mdse sense to me. Protein is necessary for your body to function properly and just like any other nutrient there are good and bad sources of it. Making healthy choices that include meat and dairy is NOT the enemy. People put gas in their cars because they won't run without it, but they deprive their bodies of proper fuel and expect them to function. Makes no sense.
Also one thing that came to my mind is overtraining, especially coupled with your next-to-nothing intake of protein.
How much were you running before and how drastically did you increase your milage? Did the fatigue get worse after the increase? If so you may just be overdoing it. I know when I work out I feel more energized, but if I work out too much, I have no energy to do anything. My mood goes to hell, I sleep all the time, and all I want to do is eat junk.
Try cutting back just a bit on your running WHILE eating more lean proteins and see if you don't feel better. |
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| view log Negative Creep |
posted: 3/18/2008 at 9:46 PM |
| Quote from finney on 3/18/2008 at 9:43 PM:
Try cutting back just a bit on your running WHILE eating more lean proteins and see if you don't feel better.
It's nice to see another fan of protein around here.  In my mind, it's been so overlooked in endurance sports for years.
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| The Gaijin Samurai. a.k.a The attorney dissin' attorney.
Read and Listen
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posted: 3/18/2008 at 10:23 PM |
Protein = meat, nuts, dairy, beans
I second the checking for anemia.
If you happen to be eating stuff with iron in the morning drink some OJ with it. Helps with the absorption of one of the types of iron.
I was where you are in the winter (minus the kids) and my DH told me to up my protein and I listened and I felt better!
oh and shakes are from low blood sugar... so that should be telling you that you are eating WAY to much sugar and not enough other stuff.
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Training is futile... i've seen the error in my ways...
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posted: 3/19/2008 at 11:46 AM |
| Quote from ShanHas on 3/18/2008 at 10:23 PM:
oh and shakes are from low blood sugar... so that should be telling you that you are eating WAY to much sugar and not enough other stuff.
be careful on this one....this isn't always the case. There is a medical condition where if you don't eat regularily your blood sugar drops too low and you get the shakes. I am not sure if it is hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic. |
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finney Resident pinniped |
posted: 3/19/2008 at 4:38 PM |
| That's what she said. If you eat a lot of sugar, you go through a cycle of very high spikes in blood sugar followed by very low crashes. The resulting shakes are indeed hypOglycemia and can be one indicator that yes, you are indeed not eating enough, or eating too much sugar/not enough protein. |
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posted: 3/19/2008 at 4:44 PM |
I believe it is more complicated than just eating too much sugar and not enough protein.
If it isn't diabetic related, then:
Hypoglycemia may also result from:
Medicines, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), quinine sulfate, and salicylates (including aspirin).
Drinking too much alcohol.
Diseases that affect the pancreas, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, or other organs.
Inherited problems with metabolism.
Rapid stomach emptying after a meal. This may happen after stomach surgery.
It can be a dangerous thing and should be evaluated by your Primary Care physician. |
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