Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

I Think I May Be A Little Nutritionally Deprived...



Recommended Posts

So, backstory. I have a family history of depression and anxiety. It sucks, but it's just a part of my genetic makeup, so I deal with it. I'm on an antidepressant med, and I think that MOSTLY it controls it.

But my mood has been swinging lately, and I'm not entirely sure if it's a medication issue or not. It certainly COULD be; this is a new med and my body might still be adjusting to it. But...

I have two "confounding factors" (as we science people like to call "monkey wrenches" in a good theory). First, my sleep has always, ALWAYS sucked. I have NO idea what my pressure on my CPAP is supposed to be -- I have sleep apnea. My last overnight sleep study concluded that I didn't NEED CPAP anymore, but when I sleep without it, I keep waking up and feel like I don't get any rest.

Second, nutrition. This, to me, feels more relevant; let me explain why. I've recently started really "upping my game" at the gym -- working out with a trainer, going in almost every day, working out HARD instead of half-assed. I'm seeing progress, but I also notice that my energy and mood really seem to drop after the gym. It's not just normal sore muscles fatigue, nor is it the "I just worked out hard so I'm breathless" version. It actually feels like I'm sleepy! Like I want to just lie down and sleep; my eyes get heavy, my limbs feel leaden.

I think I'm very close to my long-term "maintenance" weight now. I don't think my body has much more in the way of fat reserves to burn off, so if I am nutritionally deprived, I don't have a built-in source of calories at hand! And I haven't really changed my eating habits; I'm still eating 1200-1400 calories per day, mostly Protein. That's great for losing weight -- and I'm still losing, rather rapidly! -- but I'm not sure it's a good maintenance diet, especially when I'm burning 500-600 calories per day at the gym!

I mention this because it seems to make me sleepy, and often for me "sleepy" and "depressed" feel VERY similar (in the past I've known I was depressed because my sleep wasn't up to to par). If I'm running a significant caloric deficit, my "depression" might actually be just "out of fuel." I'm sure it takes calories and micronutrients to manufacture serotonin and dopamine in the brain, so this sounds plausible.

Anyone else have this experience?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've heard that when a person is low in serotonin and dopamine their body will crave/need carbs... Maybe you have a few things going on; it seems you already know you need to up your caloric intake and up your carbs with your exercise routine. You should start that and see how you begin to feel. If you increase your intake and still are feeling down/weak and such perhaps contacting your Dr about your med. dosage would be your next step.

Good luck on this and keep yourself in good health :)))

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

MyPlate says I've consumed 1304 calories so far today, 158g carbs, 51g Protein, and 37g of Fiber.

I'm sure I've burned off 500 calories -- I was working out until I was dripping sweat and unable to stand up at the gym for an hour, and I just got back from a brisk 2.5 mile walk. So my net calories for the day are 700-900 (so far). This is a typical day. Note that I'm being conservative with my counts; I'm overestimating how much I ate of things like my Fiber chips or raw almonds, so probably my net calories are in the 600-800 range. At 3 pm.

I'm at a BMI of 27.2, and my body fat is about 22%; I don't have huge fat reserves left.

I suspect I need to bump up my daily calories to about 2000 or so if I want to maintain this activity level and still keep a healthy weight.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Working out that hard, and being a man, I would say you probably need to bump things up. I was going to mention carbs, but it looks like you do eat carbs. Try eating more calories and see how you feel. If it doesn't help, you know that it might be something else. Also, have you ever gotten a full blood workup done? Low Iron, low Vitamin D, low Vitamin B, and thyroid problems can make you tired too. Worth a check. Also, could be a side effect from the new medication. I am on an anti-depressant too, and so many of them have side effects. Not sure what you just started, but maybe read up on it and see.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Follow your gut instincts. You may also want to add something to your diet like a fruit smoothie that has lots of nutrients, starting with some crushed ice, a banana, a frozen berry blend or frozen pineapple/mango and then a healthy green like spinach or kale with or without a plain Protein boost. Both my sons are athletes and they swear by this concoction for energy. Follow up your work outs with a Protein Shake for your recovery mode. Perhaps you will soon be able to gauge whether this helps. You look great !

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have you considered just talking to a nutritionist or a dietician about your regimen and what they think you might need in regards to this? I mean there's a lot of great suggestions but they might be able to help you in a more specific way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, I don't really have access to my nutritionist anymore, and it's too expensive to pay out of pocket right now. But the signs are really pretty strong that there's something nutritional going on: I perked right up tonight after I ate my dinner.

I think that like most things, there's a bit of "all of the above" going on, but I really think that the key for me is proper eating, so I'm going to try to add more calories, especially on heavy gym days.

Thanks, all!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • buildabetteranna

      I have my final approval from my insurance, only thing holding up things is one last x-ray needed, which I have scheduled for the fourth of next month, which is my birthday.

      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BetterLeah

      Woohoo! I have 7 more days till surgery, So far I am already down a total of 20lbs since I started this journey. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NeonRaven8919

        Well done! I'm 9 days away from surgery! Keep us updated!

    • Ladiva04

      Hello,
      I had my surgery on the 25th of June of this year. Starting off at 117 kilos.😒
      · 1 reply
      1. NeonRaven8919

        Congrats on the surgery!

    • Sandra Austin Tx

      I’m 6 days post op as of today. I had the gastric bypass 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • RacMag  »  bhogue925

      Hi, I’m new here. I’m currently on the liver shrinking diet. So far so good, but I have to say I haven’t found a protein shake I like. Anyone have any suggestions please? My surgery date is September 17th. 
      · 2 replies
      1. BlondePatriotInCDA

        Fairlife Core are by far the best. They taste just as they are - chocolate milk. You can either get the 26 grams or the 42 grams (harder to find and more expensive). For straight protein look at Bulksuppliments.com ..they have really good whey proteins and offer auto ship plus they test for purity. No taste or smell...

      2. BlondePatriotInCDA

        Fairlife has strawberry, vanilla and of course chocolate. No more calories than other protein drinks. Stay away from Premiere, they're dealing with lawsuits due to not being honest about protein content.

  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×