Help! I have NO energy!

[judymama]

I an on day 16 (finished induction!) and i have NO energy. Where is it? What are some good supplements? I take a mult-vitamin and extra calcium. Also, I am bruising easily. What is this a lack of? Thanks for any help!

And what's the code for start weight, current and goal? This has all changed since I last tried a lifestyle change!

174/166/140 day 16.

Judy

[FightingTheFight]

Describe No energy, What are you eating, lets see a menu. Are you taking in medications? That multivitamin doesn't have Iron in it does it?

Bruising sometimes is caused by the vessels basically becoming alive again. Usally happens when people start exercising...but also the lack of vitamin C usally is the cause.

[judymama]

No energy

By no energy I mean dead tired. I'm okay in the morning, but by early afternoon I'm extremely tired. I get about 6 to 7 hours of sleep, so maybe I need to get a little more? I haven't exercised yet. Well, one day, but need to add it to my daily routine.

As far as my multi-vitamin, it is Centrum. Small bottle doesn't show RDAs but I'm pretty sure it has iron. Why do you ask? I have always had low iron, so I need it. Think I should take extra C for the bruises? I don't take any other medications.

Here's a typical menu. Breakfast: Bacon and eggs. Lunch: Tuna fish with mayo, or turkey and swiss rolled up with mayo. Dinner: Steak, brocolli, salad with 0 carb dressing. Snack on cheese, deviled eggs, very few peanuts or macadamia nuts. Sometimes I'll substitute an Atkins shake for a meal or have one before a meal so I'm full. I drink about 2 - 3 diet sodas a day and about two bottles of water a day. I know I must increase my water intake. I don't go into elaborate meals. Once in a while I'll make something like cheeseburger quiche (very low carb).

Thanks for your help! :joy

[Effie]

Re: No energy

Sometimes I'll substitute an Atkins shake for a meal or have one before a meal so I'm full. I drink about 2 - 3 diet sodas a day and about two bottles of water a day. I know I must increase my water intake.

Definitely up the water, and ditch the diet soda completely. I'd also get rid of the Atkins shakes. These should be used ONLY in emergencies, and IMO, only when you get closer to goal.

Did you get a chance to read Johnny's thread on water? In it, he cites, "Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue." Here's the whole thread: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ic.php?t=74339

[borntolose]

Eat an egg they are very good energy pellets.
BJ

[judymama]

Re: No energy

Definitely up the water, and ditch the diet soda completely. I'd also get rid of the Atkins shakes. These should be used ONLY in emergencies, and IMO, only when you get closer to goal.

Thanks Effie! Why ditch the diet soda? That's my only "sweetness" for the day really. Usually diet rootbeer which is caffiene free. And why get rid of the Atkins shakes? They indicate they are fine in all phases of Atkins. I'll defintely increase my water. Maybe I'll look like the chick in Johnny's thread. HA!!!

[Desertthorn]

Hi, try vitamin B Stress or 100, that should help with both the energy level and the bruising.
Also Vit C is great for bruising as it helps toughen those tiny veins.
I would also ditch the soda. Shakes are notorious for stalling your weight loss. If you put Shakes into the search box you will find 100s of folks who found if they stopped drinking them, they started to lose weight.
Don't believe everything that you read on the Atkins site, remember they are there to sell their products and make money. We go by the DANDR book to the letter and find that we do much betther than eating junk foods
Welcome aboard.

[Effie]

I'll stealing a quote that Moochiecat used in one of her responses regarding the shakes:

The patients who stayed, however, were extremely loyal to both atkins and his low-carb diet. But they had one major complaint: In a fast-paced world where everything was low in fat or high in carbohydrates or both, it was difficult to find something that they could eat on the run while still remaining on the low-carb program. They had no time to prepare their own snacks. Perhaps something like the low-fat energy bars sold in convenience stores would be great, only low-carb instead.

Atkins hesistated, and for a good reason. One of the things he constantly stressed with his patients was that they should eat foods that were as close to their natural state as possible, and for him, any kind of energy bar was as good as poison since it was clearly a processed food...

But his patients continued to beg him for something---"you sell the vitamins and other supplements, why not energy bars?" they reasoned--and so, with great reluctance, he gave in and developed not only an energy bar but also a low-carb shake that would make it easier for patients to keep to their Atkins programs.

"As long as you only use it for emergencies," he reminded them.

****

The energy bars and shakes were a necessary evil, there only because he thought his patients were too lazy to prepare the real kind of unprocessed foods that were the mainstay of his diet.


---Excerpted from:
Dr. Robert Atkins: The True Story of The Man Behind the War on Carbohydrates Lisa Rogak. Chamberlian Bros. 2005. Ch. 6

This doesn't directly explain why you're feeling fatigued, but I would guess that the more processed foods you're eating, the worse you'll feel. At any rate, I'd be interested to see how you feel once you increase your water. That is probably the big thing, but it never hurts to cut out all the culprits. You might be able to slowly add these back in and see if they make a difference (which is sort of the whole point of induction).

[judymama]

Thanks!

Thanks Effie (and others) for your feedback. I'll definitely keep those shakes and bars for emergencies only. (I just bought a bunch at Safeway this week cuz they were on sale!) I plan to increase my water tremendously and lower the diet soda intake to just one a day (it's my "reward?"). Now to hit that treadmill.....
:bang -Judy

[G-Mom]

Hi Judy, I don't see many veggies in your menu. I also see that the veggies you do eat are in one meal. Try to spread your veggies out throughout the day and make sure you are eating all the required veggies for Induction. You are either on extended Induction or moving up the OWL ladder. Your veggie intake doesn't show any increase in veggies, though, so I assume you are still in E. I.

You might be losing a lot of fluids, and with it lots of electrolytes. Once you up your veggies, I am betting you will feel better. Up that water too!

You also may want to know that getting enough sleep aids weight loss.

[spirittalker]

I think you have gotten a lot of good advise. Is TOM near? TOM always makes me exhausted.

[judymama]

You're right, G-Mom. I don't eat enough veggies. I'm going to add a salad at lunch. I am on day 17 now, so I'm past induction but haven't actually added anything yet. Strawberries are on the list. Mmmm....it's picking season here! I have already had two bottles of water this morning and feeling GOOD! :joy I REALLY need a lifestyle change! I am a night owl and don't get very good sleep. My goal is to be in bed by 12 every night, but it's usually 1 or 2 a.m. :yikes I'm sure changing this bad habit will help me in many ways -- weight loss, energy, etc. Thanks!! (Go Cornhuskers!)

And I AM getting lots of good advice, Spirittalker! Love this bulletin board!

By the way, I just tried the pork rind "french toast" that I found in the recipe section. It was really good. Just like having the bread I miss! Sounds gross, but it's crushed pork rinds, two eggs, cinnamon, Splenda, Tbs. whipping cream, vanilla. I fried them up and slathered on the butter. Don't have syrup but didn't mind it without! Give it a try. (Was in the induction recipe section, but what I wrote is pretty much it!) BTW, are there carbs in cinnamon? And what about lemons?

Tootles!

[LindaJay]

Were you tired before you started Atkins? I was always tired, and of course, it was because I was overweight -- well, after 60 pounds, and I was exhausted all the time, I asked the doc what was up? He said, "Well, the last time you were in, your iron was a little low. Let's retest you." Well, duh -- anemia was the problem! Tired, easy brusing, etc. I take Niferex 150 -- a little steep, but I am prone to nausea, and this doesn't make me sick. I can tell a big difference if I miss a couple of days. So, a little trip to the doc and some blood work might be in order!