Day 16 and Very Lethargic.

[estrock]

I'm on day 16 and if anything, I'm more tired and groggy than ever. I've been getting enough sleep but I've just been dragging myself out of bed every morning and counting down the hours until I can go home and sleep again! I'm usually a pretty tired person in general which is why I started the Whole30 but it's not usually this bad. I also have a dull constant headache. I know I've stayed on program so I'm not sure if I'm just being impatient or if something else could be going on. 

 

[Brewer5]

If you post a few days of what your food looks like, that is a great place to start if you are looking for feedback.  Activity levels, stress, and sleep also give us clues to go on.

 

Also, you say you've "been getting enough sleep" ... but your post says otherwise.  Maybe your body needs more.  Maybe your sleep is disturbed.  You could have sleep apnea.  You could be sleeping in a room that is not completely dark.  You could be consuming stimulants too close to bedtime.  Are you taking any meds or supplements?  There could be something there that is making you tired, too.

[estrock]

Here's what I've been eating for the last few days: 

 

Monday

- Breakfast: banana, almonds, green juice with spinach kale and pineapple

- Lunch: arugula salad with grilled chicken, avocado, artichoke hearts and tomatoes 

- Dinner: sweet potato chili with ground meat, onion, tomato sauce, carrots and spices 

 

Sunday

- Breakfast/Lunch (I woke up really late): scrambled eggs and home fries with peppers and onions

- Snack: Olives and carrots 

- Dinner: sweet potato chili with ground meat, onion, tomato sauce, carrots and spices 

 

Saturday

- Breakfast/Lunch (I woke up really late): ground beef, pine nuts, cilantro and scrambled eggs with some carrots on the side

- Snack: Olives and tomatoes

- Dinner: steak with baked zucchini rounds and a big arugula salad

 

 

I really haven't been hungry at all either and have been kind of forcing myself to eat because I know I have to.

 

As for activity level, I really don't ever exercise (terrible I know). On a scale of 1-10 for stress I'd say I'm on an average day I fluctuate between 4 and 7. But I deal with it well and have been tested for low cortisol levels which I have so I'm not to worried about those spiking. I've also been tested for sleep apnea, which I do not have. I've always been suspicious of having some kind of underlying sleep disorder (narcolepsy? idiopathic hyper somnia?) and maybe the Whole30 is just emphasizing it because I'm metabolizing food differently? It's something I'm getting test after the Whole30 but I had wanted to try the Whole30 to see if some of these lethargy problems went away. 

 

I've never had trouble falling asleep and I can't sleep in a completely dark room because if i keep the shades closed in the morning I won't wake up! I do take Prozac and Wellbutrin (Wellbutrin can sometimes be stimulating) but I really don't have any trouble falling asleep and never have. I get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep on weekdays and sometimes up to 10 hours on the weekend. 

 

Hopefully all this information will help. Thank you for your help! 

[Brewer5]

Ah, okay.  A few things:

 

I will never tell someone to stop taking their medication -- but I do like to make sure that people understand the side effects of those medications.  Have you read through the fine print of both Prozac and Wellbutrin?  Because you should know that either one of these alone is completely capable of making you sleepy and/or interfering with your sleep at night.  Two of them together?  For sure.  They can also very much affect appetite.

 

So.  I say, you make yourself eat 3 real meals per day, according to the Meal Template:  http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf

 

That is protein+fat+vegetables -- 3 times per day.  Period.  No snacking, and no skipping meals.

 

Fruit and nuts/seeds are optional parts of the program -- but the protein+fat+veggies is not optional.  

 

Your first breakfast had no protein at all.  That is not a good way to start your day if you want to be alert and energetic.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Banana for breakfast -- and an entire banana, at that -- will raise your blood sugar, only to send it crashing back down later.  This will make you sleepy.  This will give you brain fog.  But you also have "green juice" and some pineapple in there -- more sugar.  And juicing things makes them go that much more quickly to your bloodstream.  That is part of why smoothies are greatly discouraged on a Whole 30.  Eat real, whole food, that has not been digested by your blender -- make your body do the work, the way nature intended.    And try no fruit for breakfast and see what you notice.

 

Try this for a few days, really give it a shot -- and I think you will find that you feel better overall.  Another thing to keep in mind, especially if you intend to stick to eating Whole 30-style:  Many people get to a point where they need to consult with their doctor to see about reducing the dose on medications.  If you continue to feel so lethargic after really following the meal template, I would definitely discuss this with your doctor.

[Guest]

She did have some protein at breakfast through the almonds and kale (depending on how much). A banana is fine as long as its paired with protein and fat...but they do warn against eating too much fruit for breakfast. also think you need 3 meals. That's probably the biggest contributor to your fatigue. Add in a 3rd meal and see how you feel. It may just be something you need to ride out. Try to go easy on the carbs in the morning, as well. 

[Brewer5]

Nuts and seeds are not a complete protein -- they do not contain all of the essential amino acids -- therefore, for the purposes of a Whole 30, they are considered a FAT.  Kale does not count as a protein, either.