So Tired!!

[Lessara]

Every day around 2pm to 7pm, I am so tired. To the point, I can nod right off. I get 8 hours of sleep and I drink 3-4 liters of water (now). I wish I knew what is wrong. I've been LCing for 8 weeks now. This tiredness started about a month ago. I do have sleep apthia but this is even more tired than before. Twice as bad. I feel quite awake in the Mornings (which is where I used to feel the most sleepy, but not any more). I'm wide awake after 7pm to the point sometimes I have a hard time sleeping at 10pm.
But even if I get extra sleep, like on the weekend, it doesn't help.

[Natrushka]

Lessara, looking at your journal I think you would benefit from added calories. You should be aiming for 10 times your body weight, thats approx 3000 calories. I know you dont have access to fitday from home right now, but you could add some things like extra mayo, butter, olive oil. avocados some nuts and seeds etc to get the fat up. You might also need more protein, protein is brain food :) having a bit more with lunch should perk you up.

Nat

[numberonewendy]

I wonder if your taking supplements? Potassium is what I took when so tired (Wa'il told me about them), but stopped taking them only a week ago after reading a post from Nat saying, it's not so necessary later on in this woe if your eating properly.

[Lessara]

I'm starting a food journal at home so I'll keep track of my calories that way. I also take Potassium, Calcium, Chromium, plus a really good multi vitamin. I even walk. My doctor says "Its my diet" Lot of help HE is! :bash:
I hope its calories... Wouldn't it be funny if the whole problem of me getting off this stall and my tiredness is due to a lack of food??
:lol:

[Natrushka]

Originally posted by Lessara
Wouldn't it be funny if the whole problem of me getting off this stall and my tiredness is due to a lack of food??

Undereating is a pretty common problem, lessara :) Getting past that low fat/ low calorie mindset is pretty tough. Once you see results from increasing the calories you'll be more of a believer ;) You'll also feel better!

Nat

[doreen T]

Originally posted by numberonewendy
I wonder if your taking supplements? Potassium is what I took when so tired (Wa'il told me about them), but stopped taking them only a week ago after reading a post from Nat saying, it's not so necessary later on in this woe if your eating properly. hi Wendy and everybody,

Just quick note ... potassium is indeed the mineral one thinks of first, when confronted with fatigue, headaches and tiredness. Wendy brings up a good point, so I did a search ... and came up with the original thread from back in March, 2001 .. where potassium was discussed at length. Please click here to read it (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=607&highlight=potassium), as there is a great deal of good information about potassium in that discussion .. :thup: .. It can really help newbies if they read it.

On the subject of stopping potassium supplements ... the Drs. Eades. of Protein Power, suggest that you should continue to take potassium supplements until you are at Maintenance, and are consuming more vegetables and fruits, which are the main dietary sources of potassium.When can I stop taking potassium?

When you have reached Maintenance, you can stop your daily intake; reserve extra potassium supplementation for summer months or periods of intense physical activity accompanied by sweating. During these times, you may still wish to take potassium periodically (say, two or three days a week.) If you have been off the regimen for more than a brief "vacation" and are restarting, remember that falling insulin will deplete potassium and you should replace it accordingly.

Important: If you are taking medication for blood pressure or fluid retention, be certain to check with your physician or pharmacist before supplementing with potassium.)

http://eatprotein.com/answers8.html#8cMy 23 years' experience as an Emerg. & ICU nurse has led me to believe that most people walking around out there are deficient in both potassium and magnesium. These important minerals are not stored in the body, and so they must be replenished every day. Supplements are the surest and safest way to ensure that the daily need is being met.

Doreen

[numberonewendy]

On the subject of stopping potassium supplements ... the Drs. Eades. of Protein Power, suggest that you should continue to take potassium supplements until you are at Maintenance, and are consuming more vegetables and fruits, which are the main dietary sources of potassium

Oh heavens Doreen,

I thought stopping them would be ok. Now you got me thinking not such a good choice as I still am in the induction faze.

Sorry for the wrong information Lessara, didn't realize while still in the induction one should continue to take potassium.

Question to you Doreen,

With this thought in mind, after reading what Nat said (I'm sure she didn't realize I was still in the induction part of my woe), Jim has been suffering with weird pains in his upper stomach, so I thought since we have been eating this way for a long period, stopping the potassium might help him? He seems to have stopped with these pains. I am now wondering, with this new information on potassium to start him up on it again, but fear the pains may come back?

They do say with too much potassium its not good. Jim does eat some carbs when at work, but I am not always aware of what he eats?

Any suggestions?

Ps. Wow, just read that thread, too kewl when one forgets and someone brings it back. Happened to me earlier too. Brings things back...what a newbie I was...LOL..

Thanks for the memories...LOL

[Natrushka]

Actually what I said was I don't need the extra potassium most days as I am getting a lot more of it in my diet (and more of it than sodium) based on my nutrional breakdowns as recorded at fitday.com. I do take some from time to time when the weather is hot and when I've done a particulary sweaty workout. The suggestion that you might not need them was to "see what happened if you stopped". You're right, Wendy, I did not know you were on induction, otherwise I would never have suggested it.

Nat