Diet Fatigue & Jitters

Aactivated Charcoal will also help you with the die off and to flush the toxins out. Drink filtered water.

Dear N.,

I too feel your pain. 13 months ago I topped out at 265 pounds and knew I had to do something. I began walking, cut out desserts, cut out fried foods, cut out any soda, added more vegetables and fruits, reduced fats while adding protein, and did not eat after 7 pm and I always ate breakfast and drank lots of water. I also began taking a bunch of vitamins and calcium.

13 months now and I have lost 70 pounds but I still have 40 more to go. It wasn't easy, it was/is very slow. At the beginning 2-3 pounds a week. Some weeks nothing, many plateaus, very frustrating. Now around 1 pound a week. But now I know this is a lifelong journey and not a roadtrip (I call myself the turtle, slow & steady, slow & steady).

So in response to your requests: I did not use any supplements except a good multi-vitamin, Omega 3 fish oils, and calcium. For the jitters, I recommend eating more smaller snacks throughout the day (fruit, low-cal cheese stick, handful of lowfat crackers, a handful of nuts). Avoid or eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from your diet, it reaks havok on your metabolism. Become an avid ingredient label reader, HFCS is in multigrain breads, whole wheat cereal bars, low-fat graham crackers, and many sports drinks and sports bars. I try not to go for more than 2-3 hours throughout the day without eating something (until after 7pm). This keeps my blood sugar up and my metabolism constantly working instead of moving into starvation mode (my body saving every calorie I eat).

For the fatigue I drink green tea, coffee, chai tea, or exercise (yes, it helps with fatigue- very counter-intuitive). And make sure you are getting enough sleep. If you are not sleeping enough your body responds to the stress by gaining weight ( I know, completely unfair!). I also made "sassy water" (google it) for anytime I hit a plateau. I also got "Propel" packets to add to my water for a vitamin boost. I bought them at KMart to save money and only had 1 a day as a sweet treat (and it made sure I was drinking at least 20 oz of water).

I read many different things about this too; "You on a diet" (book), prevention magazine articles and online articles. But beware, online will try to sell you on being every pharmaceuticals unpaid test-subject for every "miracle weight-loss pill" out there. My friend joined "sparks people" online and found that very helpful for her.

Oh, keep a record of your measurements! This can work wonders against the discouragement of working a week without seeing the scale budge. My husband would measure me when I began to grumble and it would help me re-motivate to keep going. I went from a size 22 to a size 12. I just bought my first pair of jeans in 7 years! I now, on ocassion get to enjoy a splurge. When I went below 200 (in May) I went to Iron hill to celebrate with my husband and children and ate french fries, buffalo wings, and Iron Hill's chocolate peanut butter dessert. So it is not a "never again" will I eat this or enjoy that, it is on a special occassion.

My recommendations to you: find a great support network (my husband and 2 good friends for encouragment), start today, buy a good pair of sneakers, get out and walk at least 4 times a week, do some weight training 2-3 times a week (you can use can goods or your own body weight without buying anything now), and know you are worth this - one hour a day for you! And mostly celebrate your achievements! You are amazing! You are a working loving mom who is now taking care of a very important person- yourself!

P.S. you can always contact me if you think I can encourage you.

This is what works for me! I am always fluctuating, but usually pretty disciplined. Even when I'm too busy to exercise every day, eating like this keeps me form blowing up. They key to avoiding dizziness, starving and jitters is to eat small amounts frequently, and always include protein. The protein equalizes your system, feeds your brain, gives your body something to really feed on, so you don't burn through carbs with no satisfaction and get the jitters. NEVER go too long without eating, or your body reduces the amount of calories it needs, and then gains weight faster if you eat more. So, don't just grab some crackers, have a little cheese on them. Have some nuts in your cereal, have an egg with your toast, have yogurt with your banana, have turkey on your salad-and always some carbs as well, so you feel full. Stick to whole grains and skin-on potatoes etc. Eating more frequently small amounts helps you burn more calories. Don't cut out fats with artificially fat free food either! Healthy fats, like nuts, olive oil, avacados, at least 2% fat in your milk, feed your brain and make you more logical and stable and less exhausted. So. Eat frequent small amounts, don't get starving and depleted, eat normal portions at meals. Only eat healthy food, and don't eat right before bed. And exercise! Fat burning really increases with muscle building as well as cardio. Good luck to you! Always think of your healthy food as treats and your hideous cardio exercise as a luxurious heart massage, and your annoying weight lifting as an exotic butt lift procedure.

Hi N.-
sounds to me like you have blood sugar management issues especialy if you are getting light-headed adn gittery. and you are gettign into too low blood sugar is what i am referring to which can result in those symptoms. so you may actually best to work a nutritionist to help you get that blood sugar issue under control before you start any supplements that may not help but may make the issues worse.
i am a nutritionist and when my clients have those issues, it is usually a blood sugar management issue more than anythign else. so eating regularly spaced meals is key (every 3-4 hours) and also making sure you get enough protein, carbs, veggies, good fats and fiber into each meal as well. cause if you just eat less or skip meals, you won't be helping yourself, you'll actualy get worse.

also, there may be some adrenal fatigue issues as well. but wihtout looking at your daily eatning habits and nutrient intake, i cannot comment on it. but fatigue is also a symptom of low blood sugar, too, so once we correct teh blood sugar issues, your fatigue will lift as well (and you should be able lose weight, too)

so if you ahve otehr questions, feel free to contact me directly if you want.

J. C.
therapuetic lifestyle educator, nutrition coach
www.nutrition-in-motion.net
###-###-####-6774

N.,
I've experienced the same thing that you descibed very often. I would consider going to your doctor and having some blood work. The symptoms you are describing can either mean that you are diabetic or Hypoglycemic. I am hypoglycemic and feel weak, light-headed, etc. if I don't eat the right balance of carbs vs. protein. So, go talk to your Doctor! If your numbers come back okay, then eat smaller more frequent meals and eat more protein! It will keep you feeling fuller longer! Good luck!

Green tea helps curb your appetite, I drink a couple of cups a day. Good luck

N.,
I am no expert on dieting and weight loss, but the fact that you are experiencing fatigue and jitters might mean that you need to eat more frequent meals and snacks throughout the day to keep your blood sugar steady. Good luck. You can do this!

A multi vitamin can help supplement anything that you may be missing in your diet. Drinking allot of water around the clock helps allot. Vitamin B-12 can help keep your energy up as well. My doctor has me using that and it does help. You don't feel a big boost of sudden energy, but if you take it for a while and then miss a dose, you'll notice! LOL

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat
Chat, events and happenings!

You may need more protein in your diet. Protein tell the sugars where to go in ur system. You could also take the supplement chromium, that is supposed to help regulate blood sugar.

Hi,
I have recently started to exercise and have experienced the same thing. Hydration is the way to go and make sure you take multi-vitamins to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients. Eat fruits and veggies they stop the craving and have lower calories.

Also to be on the safe side get your sugar level checked to ensure your metabolic system is ok.

Be aware that jitters and fatigue can be related to low blood sugar and or a change in your thyroid.
If you are not dieting correctly (ie: watching your protein, sugar, etc intake) you are just setting your body up for failure every day.
Dieting is important, but eating a lack of foods usually has more negative impacts than positive. You'll see more weight loss from healthy upbeat active lifestyle, rather than cutting back what you eat.

Good luck!

Hi N.,
I've battled my weight my whole life (literally first put myself on a diet when I was four after a salesperson patted my chubby tummy and made a comment), and I've always said that no one knows how to lose weight like a fat person. We've done it often enough! You've gotten some great advice here. I just wanted to point out that sugar is physically addictive. It takes three weeks to get it out of your system. When my intake starts creeping up, and I try going off sugar I definitely feel fatiqued for a few days. Caffeine is also difficult. Even if you don't drink coffee, you might surprised how much caffeine is in sodas, iced tea, and chocolate. I was in college when I went off it, and I had to miss class for a couple days. I never know when I suddenly had to be horizontal. I've even heard of people who had to go the hospital for the pains it caused.
Don't forget that our bodies are designed to maintain the status quo (homeostasis). When we make big changes our bodies sometimes want to change it back. That is why right now you might really crave some of those old foods. And if you cut down on calories too much, your body won't even let any weight go because it is afraid of starvation.
The jitters shouldn't last, especially if you eat enough of the healthy stuff.
Good luck to you,
Martha

jittery? sounds like cutting out caffine and maybe too much at once.

How about just increase your exercise and watch what you eat and not starve yourself.

Slim shots are a great appetite suppressant and they don't give you the jitterry feeling that alot of stuff with caffeine can do. I also suggest a good multivitamin.

i have tried so many things...alli was ok i didnt have the side effects...if you are ready to make a committment do weight watchers you can get point values on line and try to follow...i find everything else tempor. sounds if your life is crazy and alot of chunks of time wasted try to take walks in between that will halp...and get your mind focused

N. weight watcher is the best diet along with a multi vitamin you dont want loose it to fast make sure you are well hydrated with water not caffine. caffine will add to the jitters. if that doesn't help check with you dr abt blood work maybe you glucose levels are too low.

Make sure you are getting a LOT of fluids. I've read studies in several places that much of the cravings and light-headedness that people feel comes from dehydration more than hunger. It's definitely true for me. However, don't wait until you feel hungry, because that's too late - be sure to drink water regularly throughout the day. If you don't enjoy plain water, try a few drops of lemon juice (I keep a bottle in the fridge all the time) in a glass. Good luck getting back into healthy shape!

N.,
I recommend using a balanced weight loss program like Weight Watchers which ensures that you eat enough food and the right foods to nourish your body. I lost 38 pounds previously on this program and am starting it again to lose some pounds I gained this year due to depression.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a little over a year ago. I started counting grams of carbohydrates, and along with my diabetes medications, ended up losing 50 pounds, 30 of which I have KEPT off. Because I have no other diet restrictions, I can eat all the proteins I want to combat the "hungries" if I'm full up on carbohydrates.

If you want more details, get in touch with me. Total carbohydrate grams for most foods are listed on the label, so as long as you can figure out portions, you're good to go without any "new" expenses. I allow 45-60 grams for meals and 15-30 for snacks, depending of course on my blood glucose readings.

If you have medical coverage, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietician. They can help you form an eating plan to combat the problems you have faced.

Above all, good luck with your weight loss efforts. If you haven't been diagnosed with it, you may be able to avoid becoming a diabetic if you successfully lose the weight and keep it off.

While this isn't a supplement I would highly recommend Weight Watchers. You can either do live meetings or do it online (online is cheaper). I lost 21 lbs before my wedding on Weight Watchers and will be returning in a couple weeks to lose the 50+ lbs I gained with my recent pregnancy. I like Weight Watchers b/c you can eat whatever you want as long as you count it towards your daily values. Good luck!

This is what my husband does. Make sure that you are always well hydrated, drink LOTS of water. Also for the jitters and such eat your meals at the SAME time every day or atleast close to the same time. Some fruits can be taken as freebies. Like apples. They can really help when your sugar starts to go down. So have a healthy snack ready when you start to feel you're going down. Make sure what you are eating is good for you. NO fastfoods etc... Stay away from the excess empty carbs. Make sure you're eating all the right things and this will help you.
V.

N., Before you start on any diet/excersie program you need to get a complete check up from your doctor. Including blood tests. If you are getting the "jitters" tired, or feeling "shaky" when you begin to diet it is most likely because of the sudden drop in calories. You need to gradully cut back your calories and increase your protien to prevent that. You can't just drop 1000 or more calories a day without feeling something until your body gets used to it. Also eating small frequent meals/healthy snacks to keep your insulin levels level will help a lot! Good luck and best wishes!