Energy too low to exercise

[JMW]

Hi everyone,

I've been doing atkins now for almost 3 weeks and I really want to exercise, but when I get back from work I'm simply too tired to go to the gym. I don't mean just not feeling like going to the gym, but really tired.

I walk about an hour and a half a day to and from work (up and downhill), but I don't know if that is enough to establish the maximum weight loss.

I really hope someone can help me with this!

Jessica

[Georgiana]

Can you post two typical menus (like, let's say, today and yesterday), including quantities?

[JMW]

Sure!

Breakfast:
2 boiled eggs, 0.14oz of low carb cheese and 2 slices of ham or smoked salmon.
with 16oz of water. I know this is not a big breakfast, but I am really not a big breakfast person. So I'm very proud I am actually eating breakfast! haha.

I usually sip on the Atkins Milk chocolate shake throughout the morning.

Lunch: Salmon paddy, 1 fresh onion ring and mustard. 1 cup ice berg lettuce, 1 slice ham chopped up, 0.14oz of low carb cheese and red wine vinegar. 0.18oz water.

I take an Atkins bar with me, so I can take a bite if I'm feeling a little bit hungry.

Dinner: thin sliced beef, stir fried with aprox 8 mushrooms, one small yellow union, 4 green onions, garlic, bean sprouts and zucchini.

I drink a lot more water than I mentioned, but I don't count them. At least 67.6 oz.

Today the only change so far from yesterday is that I made a 4 egg cheese and mushroom omelet. Part I ate as breakfast and the other part as lunch.

I hope this help you see why I'm so low on energy. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to look into this!

[liv]

I think you are eating enough. But I am not quite sure. Are you adding enough fat to your diet. Try putting it into FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and see what happens. I think it looks a bit carby to me. But hard to say. If you add it to fitday it will tell you

And those Atkins products are stallers for many. I would cut them out. Stick to whole foods.

What is low carb cheese?

[James S]

I'll tell you what's helped for me and perhaps it'll help for you. First, congratulations on your water consumption. Imagine how much more fatigued you would be otherwise? Try taking a B Vitamin complex first thing in the morning with your breakfast. You'd be amazed at what this does for you, simply. Also, what I do in the morning is as soon as I wake up I head straight for the kitchen and drink a tall glass of water to get the engine started.

One thing I would like to know is, how much spacing is in between your meals?

Another thing....in order to have energy you MUST expend energy. What I mean is, you will have to force yourself to exercise. Since, you're having this issue, I'm assuming you're not wanting to workout in the morning? If not, try it! That's your best time to rev up your metabolism and you'll have a greater metabolic advantage this way.

I hope these tips help a little.

P.S. What is your iron intake like? Be sure to avoid multivitamins with Iron since you should be getting plenty of that as it is now. I'm not sure what effect this may have on your energy, but its better not to take chances.

[JMW]

I use the daily plate, I think it's the same thing. That shows me I'm eating 17grams of net carbs. So that's not bad right?

Thanks for the tips about the Atkins products! I really had no idea! I won't touch them again.

I am from the Netherlands and how sterotypical it may sound, I love cheese! So I did some research and found in my local QFC a mozzerella that does not have any carbs in it. Or is this another Atkins trap? :s

James, what B vitamin complex do you use? I will definately try that one.
The morning exercise, hmm.. I know this is what everyone says, but I don't really have time to do that. I wake up every morning at 05:00AM to go to work. I do walk 1 hour in the morning to go to work (and the ferry I have to take to commute). The route I take is up and downhill and I change the speed I'm walking with every couple minutes. Can I maybe maybe consider this as a little bit of exercise?

Concerning the spaces between my meals, I try to eat every three hours. That should be alright.

I am currently taking a multi vitamin with Iron. So I will see if I can find another one. Thanks!

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by JMW

I use the daily plate, I think it's the same thing. That shows me I'm eating 17grams of net carbs. So that's not bad right?

The carbs are okay. But how much fat and protein are you eating?

I am from the Netherlands and how sterotypical it may sound, I love cheese! So I did some research and found in my local QFC a mozzerella that does not have any carbs in it. Or is this another Atkins trap? :s

I'm not sure how foods are labeled in the Netherlands, but mozzarella must have some carbs (like all cheeses). Maybe the carbs are very low per serving (in the US they are allowed to write zero on anything that has less than 0.5 g carbohydrate per serving), but if you eat more than one serving, then they'll add up. Dr. Atkins told us, as a rule of thumb, to count every ounce of cheese as 1 net carb.

I am currently taking a multi vitamin with Iron. So I will see if I can find another one. Thanks!

Ask your doctor if you need iron. Some of us, especially women, need additional iron (I did right when I started Atkins).

[JMW]

The carbs are okay. But how much fat and protein are you eating?

44g fat and 53g protein.

I'm currently living in the US. So good to know they can put 0 even if there are carbs in it.

I know that women need additional Iron, I had my blood tested about a month ago and everything was fine, except a bit low on vitamin D. Do you know if you can become tired of too much iron? I think my multivitamin has 100% of the daily dosage Iron in it.

[liv]

You're eating too little. That explains your lack of energy. You need to increase your fat especially. Don't be afraid to let it go way up there. When we lower our carbs we need the fat. Fat rocks.

[JMW]

Haha, fat rocks! nice one!

How can I increase my fat intake, without increasing my carb intake?