Exercise and energy | TheaterFire

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RolandOfGilead@reddit

I started walking about two months ago, so way too small of a sample size probably, but I haven't noticed an energy surge or definite weight loss yet. I absolutely need to work on my diet and food choices, though. I enjoy the walking and enjoy being active, so maybe the psychological energy is happening, and that's a good enough start.

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Top_Quit_9148@reddit

I find that recently there's a fine line between exercise that makes me feel great and too much that tires me out. And the fatigue often doesn't hit right away, it may hit a day or 2 later. My cardio is usually running but only 3 days per week and one day of hard running at most. Off days are usually a short walk. If I do other things like lift weights at the gym or go hiking I have to make sure I don't run too hard the day before or after and leave plenty of time to recover. This didn't used to be such an issue. I'm also looking at diet because like you I'm mostly pescatarian with a lot of vegan meals. I get decent protein but I'm learning that it's not just about that. It's iron, creatine and a lot other things that are unfortunately only found in animal products and you won't get unless you really know what you're doing with supplements.

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Run_Error@reddit

Had to get an extra hour of sleep. Not tired anymore

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Reasonable_Smell_854@reddit

I was similar to you, exercising but running out of gas quickly and I wasn’t losing weight. A few sessions with a dietician last year fixed the energy issue and got my weight under control. Funny enough, I started stress eating and fell back on old eating habits this year and sure enough energy and libido crashed and weight soared. I got back to eating the way I learned, starting my 4th week tomorrow, and it’s quickly reversing itself. All that to say, go see a dietician and figure out what works for you.

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

So, is the dietician doing anything more than saying “no junk food and no fast food, only Whole Foods”? Asking as I went to a nutrition course at Kaiser and they said shit like “if you want something sweet, have a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar” and I’m sitting there thinking “yeah, no shit. Good thing this course was free.” I mean they were right, but it was hardly a revelation…

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Reasonable_Smell_854@reddit

Way more involved than that We talked through portion control, using your hand to size portions rather than a scale. Palm of the hand is a portion of protien. Fist for carbs. Two fists for veg. Index and middle finger for fat. Talked about composition to lose and maintain weight. I cut out most carbs, eat 5x per day, heavy protein and veg. When I hit goal weight what carbs to work back in. We talked some psychology around food. Planning cheat meals through the week as treats rather than getting frustrated and binging. Mindfully (I hate that word) eating and tracking emotions before and after eating unplanned cheats. And accountability. I logged and reviews everything that went in my mouth and discussed it.

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WhiplashMotorbreath@reddit

Problem is what they say is a portion . 4oz of chicken or 4 oz of steak, what veg's you can have, and what ones to limit. limit carbs, great idea, but now you are limited on any bread, pasta and limit starch. So, now you are kissing potato's bye bye. oh, a portion is 6 chips. yay!! Then the don't have a lot of food before you nap or sleep. ok, seems like that makes sense. Told her I have my meals at x/y times. and no matter how many times I explained my lifestyle because of work hours. She blew off everything else because I ate my breakfast at 9pm and dinner at 8-9am. Sleep was 1-2pm to 8 or 9pm . She wanted me to eat dinner at 5-6pm (while sleeping) and breakfast at 6-7 am(while working). I don't have an office job, am moving active the whole shift, don't drink, stopped soda, and exercise. lost no weight. Gained no energy. Sleep worse. I'm at 1600-1850 calories daily, and still 275 .

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Moonsmom181@reddit

54F here and I was convinced I was dying. Ok, maybe not dying but suffering from something dreadful due to fatigue and body pain along with a few other symptoms. Iron & Vitamin D low. Started supplementing and improving diet, more protein especially in the AM when I am not a breakfast person. Adding more protein then has changed energy levels. Also, lots of water. I also supplement B vitamins. At the same time, my thyroid was only slightly low but Dr decided to treat me for it because of other symptoms. Changed my life completely. Low energy alone might not be enough, but if you have other symptoms talk to your Dr. My PCP was spot on after 2 specialists told me I was getting older, exercise more, it’s normal. It was normal. Nutritional counseling consists of far more than “eat this not this” as one commenter posted. Our needs vary based on age, sex & so many other factors. Keep looking for answers.

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SassyStealthSpook@reddit

Did you get your vitamin d levels checked? That was key to my energy levels.

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

I hadn’t but wouldn’t Sun exposure help with that?

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SassyStealthSpook@reddit

Not necessarily. It's a simple blood test and I found out I was at a 7 when you should be in 40s. Seriously- I take high quality supplements now and I am so much happier. It can't hurt to find out.

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Hefty_Peanut2289@reddit

What's your alcohol intake like? Have you been tested for sleep apnea?

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

I’ll have a few on the weekends but that’s a fairly recent development from about a month ago. Mostly it’s coffee and tons of water.

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Hefty_Peanut2289@reddit

And testing for sleep apnea?

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

Sorry, forgot to respond: yeah I have that. Problem is CPAP makes it worse: when it spools up it wakes me up, so I wind up getting less sleep. I’m doing side/stomach sleep to counter it.

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Hefty_Peanut2289@reddit

It's so refreshing to hear someone say that....I tried for 3 months with different masks and pressure settings, and it just made my already bad sleep terrible. I think I developed it because I got fat. You said you lost weight - are you back to the "normal" range? There's also a mouth block you can get that will help with apnea.

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

What’s frustrating is that I can’t adjust the CPAP myself… I have to talk to someone at Kaiser who does it remotely…and everytime I say we’re pushing too much boost it’s always “that’s what we think it should be”. I’m not where I should be yet with weight…I reckon I have about 35 more lbs to go before I’m at a decent which (I got massive tree trunk legs, so all the weight/BMI bullshit chart weights really don’t work for me…if I were at 165, I’d look like walking death). I know in general things are better when I weigh less, so I just keep going..

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Hefty_Peanut2289@reddit

>so I just keep going.. That's all you can do....but please look into the dental appliances: [https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dental-appliances-for-sleep-apnea-do-they-work-2021042822476](https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dental-appliances-for-sleep-apnea-do-they-work-2021042822476)

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the info!

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MowgeeCrone@reddit

I started taking Vital All-In-One in One powdered supplement. Recommended by my naturopath. It makes a big difference for me. I use their protein powder as well. Recently I didn't take either for 3 days, and I was having a hard time with everything. The exhausting fog was noticed.

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bconomist@reddit

Sleep apnea?

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Mean_Fae@reddit

Are you female? Because fatigue is REAL during perimenopause.

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

Naw, just a dude.

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VolupVeVa@reddit

have you had covid? if yes, search "post exertional malaise".

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Siltyn@reddit

Exercise is just part of it. One also needs to eat healthy, get plenty of good sleep on a proper mattress, eject stress from your life, etc. I don't recover from exercise like I did in my 20s, but I have way more energy now mid-50s than I did in my late 30s when I was eating poorly and not exercising.

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itsasnowconemachine@reddit

How's your sleep? Or your diet?

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

Diet is pescatarian (maybe once a week; the rest of the time, veg). Sleep is roughly 7 ish hours a night.

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According-Sun-7035@reddit

Might be your iron and/or ferritin.

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cartoonchris1@reddit

There’s your problem. If you’re real veg and not junk food veg, then your calories are probably too low. That plus sleep quality.

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TheCircusSands@reddit

I don’t mean to ruffle any sensibilities, but meat is a highly dense, high energy food source.

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PookiPoke@reddit

Eat properly.

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GeoHog713@reddit

Also good to get a good blood panel done. What my PCP wrote off as "general fatigue", turned out to be a few things that were out of whack.

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AnnotatedLion@reddit

You might be overtraining? I'm really active but sometimes I really overdo it, especially like I'll have a hard week at work so I'll work out harder to get my mind right and (like today) I'll just feel a little beat up. Your body needs the rest days to recover. Also, at our age, don't underestimate how much supplements can help. I do a pre workout drink, a post work out/recovery drink, a multivitamin and protein powder. I also drink water like a fish.

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intoxicuss@reddit

Strength training is your friend. Cardio mostly maintains and helps endurance, but won’t overall increase energy levels. A mostly vegetarian diet can also make this a challenge. Avoiding all red meat should be fine, though. I know eating meat isn’t for everyone, but the science is what it is.

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CynfullyDelicious@reddit

I ran into the same thing when I started hitting perimenopause - after oral B6/B12 didn’t do shit, my doctor gave me a 1000mcg B-12 shot along with magnesium. Energy abounds. I get them generally once every couple of months as oral and sublingual B doesn’t absorb well for me.

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middlingachiever@reddit

How much protein are you eating?

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

Don’t know the number but I’ve started tracking it as I feel fuller longer when I eat a good amount (thus trying to prevent intra-meal snacking)

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middlingachiever@reddit

We need more protein to build/sustain muscle as we age. Aging naturally leads to muscle loss, so we are fighting upstream to maintain muscle. That takes protein. Try adding a protein shake for a quick 30g.

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RunningPirate@reddit (OP)

OK, back again…tracking food on LoseIt app and it’s saying I’m under 300 to 500g a week…I’m roughly 260 so I should be getting 665 a week…so that may be a clue.

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chikn2d@reddit

I got into a routine about 4 years ago and yes, my energy level greatly improved. If I don't exercise now, I feel like shit. It sounds like you're expending a ton of energy, particularly if you are swimming a good distance. Also, we're old.

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