Getting very tired page

[fatfran]

I went primal around April 15th, I just jumped in & have had no problems at all. I've only had a couple of temptations with chips & cereal but didn't give in. Now I've noticed how tired I am after work some days that I can hardly stand myself & I feel miserable like I haven't slept for days. I get at least 5-7 hours of sleep & eat eggs, bacon, stir fry veggies in CO, (actually, I use CO on nearly everything) T-bone, sirloin, pork chops, sausage, blueberries, very little cheese, boiled eggs again as snacks throughout the day, & almonds here & there. I wait tables so I get lots of walking in & then do a few toning exercises such as squats etc. if I have the energy. I'm dedicated to this lifestyle & actually disgusted & saddened by what I see every day in the food business. People are so unaware. I've been asked how I've lost weight & when I tell them they seem interested in trying but then the next day I see them with a donut. They respond by saying "Well, I ate good earlier." They just don't get it. Anyway, my cry for help is I need energy! I'm suspecting my carbs are too low. Tell me your favorite carb sources please.

[Darz]

If you are healthy and active eat good carbs - they are not bad, people come here and end up thinking they are the black plague and shun them immediately... anyway, my carb sources are all kinds of potatoes, white rice, white rice pasta, sprouted brown rice and sprouted legumes and fruits.

[Nady]

First thought, check your electrolytes. If you're drinking a lot of water, you could be low. My energy really suffers when I don't keep my water/electrolytes balanced.

[noodletoy]

are you sure you're eating enough?

[kimann79]

Maybe you need more sleep? Five hours of sleep isn't at all enough. I need eight hours to be fully functional.

[SleepyRoots]

The things that make me feel sluggish: less than 8-9 hours sleep, not enough calories in general, not enough carbs.
If you were able to feel energetic on 5-7 hours of sleep that would make you an amazing outlier. If you are not jumping out of bed full of energy half an hour before your alarm goes off that's likely not enough sleep.

For carbs I tend to have mostly rice and mashed potato. Both are great at soaking up rich meaty sauces. I tend to have a portion at dinner, sometimes honey during the day in tea or yoghurt. It usually averages around 100g.
Total calories is an important thing for me i found. I am trying to maintain my weight rather than lose, so I don't know how well this translate, but a few days of not getting high enough and might body will go into energy saving mode and I won't feel like doing much except to sit around.

[RitaRose]

Lots of good ideas here.

If you have an active job, you will probably need a few more carbs than the average person. Just make sure they're really good quality, and if you start gaining, cut back a little.

If you work out in the heat or around a hot kitchen or are constantly moving, you're probably sweating. Plain water won't cut it after a whole day like that because it's exactly that - plain water - and your sweat isn't. You need electrolytes too. I get coconut water (Vita Coco) in 11 oz packs and they work wonders. Some people love the taste and some hate it, but it's good stuff. If you get some, make sure you check the ingredient list. It should be pretty much "coconut water" and nothing else.

Sleep. 7 hours solid is good, but 5 is probably not enough. A lot of people take magnesium a little before bedtime to help them sleep. It's good for you anyway, so either way it's a win.

[Sandra in BC]

Get more sleep!! That's the first and easiest thing to try.

I can get by on 5-7 hours once in a while when necessary, but then I need a few nights in a row of 8+ hours of good quality sleep to recover. I do find that eating primally I can function better on less sleep, but not optimally, and not long term.

[fatfran]

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback. I'm lacking sleep for sure & I am working on that. I've been adding a few carbs here & there like sweet potatoes in the crock with my roast, a banana maybe once a day if I have them or other fruits. I think I was below 50g/day which made me drop another 4-5lbs. but I was just miserably tired. I was falling asleep just sitting & reading posts here. Sometimes I have a hard time getting to sleep now though so I'm quite confused. I'm not buzzing with energy by any means, I'm just not completely lethargic. RitaRose mentioned magnesium so maybe I'll add this. Do you suggest a certain amount & source? I drink an occasional cup of chamomile tea at night hoping to settle my mind down since the problem seems to be that I lay in bed & think too much. Thanks again for your suggestions.

[Catharsis]

You need more sleep, in my opinion. I don't feel "right" without at least 8 hours of sleep and at least a gallon of water a day. YMWV of course, but in general, sleep, water and a reasonable amount of food keeps me going with no issues.