Where's all my energy gone?!

MrA

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2012
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Gave up eating rubbish 2 weeks ago, now have a healthy balanced diet but I feel awful!!! No energy at all, legs feel heavy and
crawl to work in the mornings on my bike. last time I rode only managed 20mins, even having trouble getting up in the mornings which is so not me! I have to keep making excuses at work to sit down for 5 mins as can't manage standing all day.

Doc appointment booked for next Monday but I may go back to eating biscuits and sweets as feel like sludge without! Anyone else had this?!
 
Are you still managing to eat lots of "good" carbohydrates? You need those for your cycling and will deffo feel a difference if you have cut back on those. Despite biscuits and sweets being bad for you (but tasting SO good!!) they would still have been a big carbo hit for your energy levels.

OR.... you may just be going through a "withdrawal" period which may pass in a few more days.
 
Yes lots of good carbs, I have some with every meal, either wholemeal bread or potatoes, brown rice or wholemeal pasta. I wondered if it may be a withdrawal thing so will stick with it and leave off the biscuits for a bit longer!!
 
If you're seeing the doc then they will give you a good indication I should think. It doesn't sound much fun having that little energy. You are not a big drinker / partier are you?! Lol at your age I used to get run down, but for all the wrong reasons:p
Have you tried energy bars or are they bad?
 
Sounds like anaemia to me! I have it, and that's how I feel when my iron levels are particularly low. Hopefully doc will do a blood test.
 
Sorry to hear this. I have ME, so know how horrible it is to have so little energy. Having to work when you're feeling this tired is awful, especially in a job where you're standing. I know that having time off sick nowadays is very difficult, but if this persists, you may need to do this, to give your body time to recover. Trying to push through it is what we all do, but I paid the consequences longterm by doing so. If I had rested in the early days, I probably would have recovered from the ME, so please don't let yourself get to this point. Hopefully you have something which will resolve itself soon, but I wish someone had given me some advice in the early days, as I would have done things very differently had I known.

I did wonder if it might be because you have stopped eating rubbish - well done, BTW. I tried to do this but couldn't keep it up. My self discipline is sadly lacking! It made me feel very tired and unwell, and I had a constant headache and sore throat. I did some reading on sugar withdrawal symptoms, and it seems very common for people to feel very tired, and generally grotty. I would have thought that the symptoms would have passed/reduced within about a week, though.

You haven't had a bug, have you? I had a horrible stomach bug a few weeks ago, and felt very Ill. I was shattered for some days afterwards.

Anaemia commonly causes tiredness, though your fatigue sounds too extreme for this to be likely, and I would have thought that it would come on gradually if this was the problem.

I hope you feel better soon, and that your visit to the doctor is helpful. Please let us know how you get on.
 
Sounds like anaemia to me! I have it, and that's how I feel when my iron levels are particularly low. Hopefully doc will do a blood test.

I've been on iron and calium/vit d supplements since quitting dairy a good number of months ago, but I suppose doesn't mean my body is absorbing it just because I am taking them!
 
I've been on iron and calium/vit d supplements since quitting dairy a good number of months ago, but I suppose doesn't mean my body is absorbing it just because I am taking them!

You might need pharmacy strength iron tabs. I am on them long term prescription. Just don't take the morning dose on an empty stomach if you get them prescribed: eeeew they made me very queasy until I ate first.
 
I really can't complain I'm sure it is no where near as bad as having ME. I think its most likely something to do with cutting back on sugar, I was eating a huge amount (think large packet of sweets before bed!!) I have cut down to one biscuit in the morning and one mint if I feel the need for something sweet later, must be a huge shock to my system after eating so badly!!
 
Okay didn't know there was different strengths thankyou. I will stick with eating well and try and have some more iron rich foods, I think broccoli is one and I love broccoli!! And just see what the doctor says, or fingers crossed it goes away in the next few days!
 
Okay didn't know there was different strengths thankyou. I will stick with eating well and try and have some more iron rich foods, I think broccoli is one and I love broccoli!! And just see what the doctor says, or fingers crossed it goes away in the next few days!

Yum brocolli !
Sorry, I just assumed you were on over the counter iron? I am anaemic so have been on them a long time from the doctors (the anaemia contributed to my hair loss:eek:)
But they do work because I do feel better in general and my poor old hair looks almost normal now:)
Hope you get to the bottom of it.
 
Yes I am, just got them from good old Sainsburys, doctor just suggested going on them due to new diet. I will probably pass out
if I have to have a blood test so hopefully it goes before then!
 
Yes I am, just got them from good old Sainsburys, doctor just suggested going on them due to new diet. I will probably pass out
if I have to have a blood test so hopefully it goes before then!

Ah, blood tests not your fav thing then?! They don't bother me apart from they can never get it first tims - they always seem to struggle!
 
Don't tell me that haha. Not sure I've ever actually had one but I get queasy thinking about it!
 
Ale I'm sure you are but are you getting enough calories? If you were eating a lot of sugar and bad carbs and dairy produce, it could be that you've just dropped your calories considerably which will also make you tired as well as lose weight. Could be a bug or it could be anaemia - some types of anaemia don't and can't respond to iron either, but hopefully your doctor will send you for some blood tests and get to the bottom of it.
 
I think I'm eating enough, I haven't worked out the cals and although I've dropped a little weight I was eating something like 3500cals most days so that's probably why. I dont feel hungry at all, just craving sugar alot!

Yesterday I had
2 wholemeal bagels with low sugar smoothie
Wholemeal prawn sandwich, carrot sticks, raisins and pom bears. Cereal bar and apple for a snack. Then I had chicken with sweetcorn and peas and jacket potato for dinner, with a slice of bread. And one mint haha.
 
I would try to be sure you get plenty of fruit and green leafy veg, they make the biggest difference to my energy levels.

*whispers* apart from coffee!
 
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When I stopped drinking coke and eating sweets, it took me a good four weeks to feel the impact. The first week I was in tears with sweats and shakes!!! I was drinking several bottles of coke a day plus binging on sweet stuff and stopped it cold turkey. I didn't realise how hooked I was on it!
 
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