How do you deal with exhaustion?

[Guest]

What tools and tricks do people have for dealing with extreme tiredness? This was an issue for me before the W30 and send to be getting worse, not better. I've been sleeping 12-15 hours/day the last few days and I am so tired when I'm awake I can barely keep my eyes open. Eating makes me more tired, always has. I don't want to add more caffeine (I only drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning) but I may have to just to function. I used to use sugar as a pick me up but that's out. So how can I wake up?

[ShannonM816]

Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, and that you're salting your food -- dehydration or lack of salt either one could contribute to feeling this way. Food-wise, make sure you're eating enough at your meals, including enough fat, and make sure you're not using fruit in place of sugar to try to get that burst of energy.

Non-food wise, try to get out in the sunshine every day if that's possible where you are. Talk to your doctor about vitamin D supplements if you live in an area where there just isn't much sunshine this time of year. Do at least some light exercise -- go for a walk, dance around the house, work in the garden, just be up, moving around, even if you're tired.

Are you doing what you can to make sure you're getting good sleep? Practicing good sleep hygiene (there are tips in this article) can make a big difference.

[SugarcubeOD]

To me this sounds like something you should be talking about with your doctor. Sleeping 15 hours a day can be a symptom of many things including depression.  The Whole30 is great in that it can help people reduce inflammation, gain a better relationship with food, understand how food interacts with our bodies etc... but it is not the be all end all cure for everything and there's nothing about eating whole foods that should cause you to sleep 15 hours a day.

Shannon is right, you can practice good sleep hygiene, ensure you're drinking enough water and eating properly but whether or not you drink enough water isn't going to resolve a need to sleep 15 hours a day.

[Guest]

Thanks @ShannonM816, you are always so nice in your advice.  I drink about 60 oz of water per day, sometimes more, sometimes less.  I can't find the formula for determining how much water you should drink in the book, do you know it?  As of last weighing I was at 133lbs (before w30, but I don't think I've lost any).  I've been salting all my food.  I really don't eat much fruit, not more than a banana or a pint of berries once a day, and not every day.

I live in Michigan, so sunlight is practically non-existent.  I've used D3 supplements in the past but never found them to make any difference.  For exercise I go to Barre 2x week.  Outside stuff is not really possible during the winter, I am too sensitive to cold.  I can't afford a gym and it's hard to exercise at home because there is zero privacy here.  Mostly my exercise comes from shuffling around the kitchen and running up and down the stairs when cleaning.  I hope once spring comes I can get outside more and I also hope I can start a garden this year, although I know zilch about how to do that.

I do have health conditions that may affect my sleep, but I don't believe they can be the whole cause.  I have MDD and PTSD but those are being treated and it's not like I'm lying sad in bed, not wanting to get up.  It's literally falling asleep while driving or at my desk.  It's collapsing to the floor while trying to cook because my body just can't be pushed any further.  I realize this is not the w30's fault and yes, I plan to call my doctor tomorrow and ask for a sleep study because clearly nothing that we have tried so far has worked.  However I do feel like I've gotten much worse the last two-three days (on day 14 of my w30).

 

[ShannonM816]

In general, aim for 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight, so at 133 lbs, about 66 oz -- you're pretty close, I doubt that an extra 6 oz a day would make much difference.

Definitely talk to your doctor, this sounds like something that could get dangerous if you're falling asleep driving or collapsing while cooking. I hope you find an answer to this soon.

[MaryLu]

I'm in Georgina2's forum group and we are on day 16.  Many of us commented this past weekend on being extra tired with muscle fatigue and just overall exhaustion.  Maybe not to the extent that Georgina2 is feeling but definitely worse than we were.  As for myself I can say that I've been getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night), staying true to the program diet and exercising regularly.  Is this normal at this time in the program?

[ShannonM816]

28 minutes ago, MaryLu said:

I'm in Georgina2's forum group and we are on day 16.  Many of us commented this past weekend on being extra tired with muscle fatigue and just overall exhaustion.  Maybe not to the extent that Georgina2 is feeling but definitely worse than we were.  As for myself I can say that I've been getting enough sleep (7-9 hours per night), staying true to the program diet and exercising regularly.  Is this normal at this time in the program?

Usually by the halfway point, people are getting past feeling tired. If you want to list a couple of days' worth of meals, including approximate portion sizes as they relate to the meal template, and let us know if you're exercising and what you're doing for pre- and post-workout if you are, we can take a look and see if anything stands out.

Do be sure you're salting your food, that you're eating enough (a lot of people skimp on the fat -- don't do that, fat is your friend here), and drinking enough water.

[MaryLu]

4 days per week I do power yoga from 5a-6a in the morning.  Then I shower and get ready for work.  I eat breakfast at 7 which is usually eggs and some type of meat and vegetables.  On the days I don't work I eat within an hour of waking up and do yoga afterward.  I drink about 80 oz of water per day, sleep 7-9 hours per night and salt my food.  Do you think anything I'm doing could be causing me to be more tired rather than less tired?