Low energy?

[e.e.cummings]

I have been really fatigued lately and I cannot pin it on any one thing in particular. I do have an appointment with my doctor next Tuesday for a follow-up.

Early last year I tried to lose weight. I started cycling and I actually gained weight. I thought that was strange, so I went to the doctor, got all sorts of tests to see if I had a thyroid condition, etc. - all tests gave me a clean bill of health. I joined a gym, worked with a trainer and nutritionist and finally I started seeing results. From January 2009 to now, I have lost about 40 pounds.

Now I am thinking, have I lost too much weight? I can fluctuate within 5 pounds of my target weight set for me by the gym. Is that why I am fatigued - is it too much for my system to handle? I often feel exhausted, sleepy. I barely need to do any workouts at all to feel that way. I rode to work twice last week (26 k ride return, all flat terrain), rode to work on Monday, I do ten minutes of abs, and 20 minutes of pm yoga. Forget about the swimming and running that I want to do, I don't have the energy.

I take vitamin supplements and I think I well, according to my nutritionist. And I go to bed at a decent hour, I am not a night owl.

I am 46 - it is frustrating not to be able to go like the Energizer bunny that I used to be in my 20s.

Anyone else have problems with fatigue?

[shootingstar]

And that means your iron levels are fine?

Because that was part of my problem. Under doctor's orders I was prescribed more iron for a month.

I know for me it comes down to not eating the right foods.

You know, e.e....I get disappointed with myself, but I accidentally close my eyes during the day occasionally. Really, I do attribute abit of this to age.I was never like this in my 20's.

I am approx. same weight now as I was back then (maybe 4 lbs. more)...which means I am still in excellent health (but exert alot more effort to stay healthy) , but 30 years older. In my 20's, my metabolism was higher but I was not as physically active on a regular basis compared to now. I was not cycling at all at that time in life. Just walking around to use transit, etc. because I don't drive.

Relook at your diet. What has been the most drastic change to your long-term diet and then fine-tune it.

[Vega]

I would talk with your nutritionist about adjusting your diet. I would also visit your doctor to make sure it's not a health issue too. But it sounds like you may not be getting enough calories or eating the right foods for energy.

[NbyNW]

Sorry you're not feeling well. I hope your doctor is able to help you get some good information as to what is going on.

I lost a lot of muscle weight due to the stress of my first year of grad school. I was probably 15-20 lbs. under what I felt was my optimal weight. Normal for me was 105-112 lbs, I went down to about 92 lbs at my lowest. It definitely did not feel like a good place to be, like what you described. I fatigued easily even though I was making a point of getting good nutrition and good sleep.

Nothing wrong with me at the doctor, the only thing that stood out was my blood pressure was 10 pts higher, but still in a range considered low.

It took a while for me to build myself back up. I think it was a wake-up call for me to take better care of myself in general, and to not let my life get out of balance.

[ny biker]

It's kind of hard to know if you've lost too much weight without knowing more details, such as your current weight and how tall you are. I agree that iron levels might also be a factor. A visit to the doctor is the best place to start. Good luck!

[PamNY]

Are there any emotional factors that might be contributing to your fatigue? That happens to me and is worth considering.

Pam

[e.e.cummings]

I am 5'4 1/2" and I hover around the 130lb mark. I got down to 124 at one point and when I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror, I looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings. I started eating more when that image sank in.

[Dogmama]

e.e. - did you get any news from your doctor? I've been experiencing the same kind of fatigue. I did 30 minutes of weights yesterday & I was wasted. I can usually easily go over an hour in Jillian Michael's fashion - supersetting & tri-setting. Yesterday, I'd do a set of chest presses, sit up & find myself staring into space...

[DebSP]

I have the same problem, but I eat healthy and I am slightly overweight still. I lost 50 lbs over last two years. I am so tired at night that I fall asleep on the couch right after dinner (sometimes before!) I thought I had a wheat intolerance so I quit eating anything with wheat in it. I found that my energy levels returned to normal. I wasn't tired all the time. Then I started to eat wheat again (because the other problems I had did not go away) and my energy levels flagged again. I don't know if it is all coincidence or not. Avoiding wheat is hard. I feel bad for people with celiac disease. I just started now to limit how much wheat I eat. But there are so many factors that come into play. What else you eat, how much sleep, how much energy you expend in the course of a day, stress, weather, time of the month etc. Also I am 48 now and I could be perimenopausal Trying to pin point the problem is so hard.:confused:

[KnottedYet]

I feel bad for people with celiac disease.

I bet you a dollar you have celiac disease.


(and it's not just wheat. it's wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, and I think kamut, too. and all their derivatives and products. including beer. and the glue on envelopes.)

[DebSP]

Maybe I should go and get tested. I can't believe the products that contain gluten (wheat especially) when you start reading labels! If I have it, I can't send you your dollar because I can't lick the envelope!;)

[KnottedYet]

Blood antibody tests can give false negatives.
Small intestine biopsies can give false negatives.

And you have to be eating the equivalent of 6 slices of bread a day for weeks before the test.

The "gold standard" in the US is the small intestine endoscopic biopsy. Expensive. Kind of harsh on the body. Twilight anesthesia. False negatives.

The "gold standard" for the rest of the known universe is an extremely strict 2 week ABSOLUTELY gluten free diet. If you feel better after 2 weeks, you have celiac, eat carefully for the rest of your life.

There are also genetic tests which are highly accurate, but insurance doesn't pay for them. Last I heard those were $2,000 or so.

Lots of info in this looooong thread: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12203&highlight=celiac

[Lesley_x]

Blood antibody tests can give false negatives.
Small intestine biopsies can give false negatives.

And you have to be eating the equivalent of 6 slices of bread a day for weeks before the test.

The "gold standard" in the US is the small intestine endoscopic biopsy. Expensive. Kind of harsh on the body. Twilight anesthesia. False negatives.

The "gold standard" for the rest of the known universe is an extremely strict 2 week ABSOLUTELY gluten free diet. If you feel better after 2 weeks, you have celiac, eat carefully for the rest of your life.

There are also genetic tests which are highly accurate, but insurance doesn't pay for them. Last I heard those were $2,000 or so.

Lots of info in this looooong thread: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12203&highlight=celiac

I have to agree with this. I had horrendous stomach pain and rashes for 10 years before I was finally tested for coeliacs. I was nearly kicked out of university, was getting a couple of hours sleep a night from being up in pain. Got a negative result on the biopsy. What amazes me is the endoscopy only reaches 2 inches of the 24 foot long small intestine, and they test 3-5 tiny areas, yet this is the gold standard?

Here on the NHS you cannot receive gluten free prescription (products are not available OTC) without a positive intestinal biopsy. My docs blamed it on anxiety for 10 years and still refuse to believe me.

However, within a few days of being GF, I was basically cured. I have been on it for 2 years and the difference is incredible. I have energy, I'm no longer in chronic pain... but the docs still do not think I have coeliacs.

Interestingly enough, I was diagnosed with sjogren's syndrome about a year after going GF (at 22!) and it's closely associated with coeliacs disease. But according to them I am still not coeliac. There is a family history of it too.

Crazy.

[rain]

wow, i've been pretty oblivious - I had no idea so many people on this forum would be celiac or gluten intolerant. I just got diagnosed, thankfully. I've been sickly my whole life and most clearly for the last 20 years. 3 months ago I quit eating gluten and among other improvements that deep fatigue is gone. It's completely awesome. It makes giving up wheat super-easy. I'm still roller-coasting as my body recovers but that's ok. As for missing chocolate chip cookies -- no biggie, I have no desire to ever go back to the struggles I seem to be leaving behind!! :)

[KnottedYet]

I have to agree with this. I had horrendous stomach pain and rashes for 10 years before I was finally tested for coeliacs.



The rashes/eczema were a real bear. I had them on my hands and feet, to the point I'd have to coat my hands with greasy lotion and wear soft cotton gloves all the time. I had the typical tiny deep itchy blisters, but since they were on atypical sites my dermatologist didn't make the connection with celiac disease.

I didn't get the nasty canker sores, but I did get patches of flattened villi on my tongue. ("geographical tongue")

[e.e.cummings]

e.e. - did you get any news from your doctor? I've been experiencing the same kind of fatigue. I did 30 minutes of weights yesterday & I was wasted. I can usually easily go over an hour in Jillian Michael's fashion - supersetting & tri-setting. Yesterday, I'd do a set of chest presses, sit up & find myself staring into space...

I have gotten my energy back by eating more and better. I have not really gained weight, I keep my activity up, but I do make sure I get my recovery days, which I sometimes did not give myself before. I am a bit frantic in my energy and I often don't slow down enough until I get sick. I started doing yoga regularly and that seems to help in relieving my stress and forcing me to slow down (but still gives me a good workout). Plus I recognize that when my period rolls around, I ease up on the exercise, I seem to be more vulnerable at that time.