Any suggestions for not feeling so tired all the time?

M

ML

Guest
I posted this in HL but got no responses and I could really used some feedback. What, if anything, have you found to combat constant fatigue? Thanks!
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Cut way back on carbs/sugar, get at least 7 hours of sleep & move at least 15 minutes a day, especially outside - mild, nothing real strenuous. Take a multi-vitamin, drink plenty of water. When I stick to this, I feel great and have plenty of energy to make it through my day into the evening.
 

klmno

Active Member
I've fought that a lot this past year or so. I think part of it is figuring out the cause(s)- at least for me. I think part of it was stress and depression from difficult child issues, MP, and resulting not eating/sleeping good. So, I've been trying to eat better, deal with stress which of course takes time but also, I came here and vented, wrote a lot for my own regrouping processing, made a list of things I could do something about then try to proceed with them, and pray the MP phase hurries up. LOL!

It has gotten a lot better- I can actually ssleep thru the night now, although not as many hours as I wish. Forcing myself to do things during the day actually helped, too. I think that helps with the depression side of things- it gets the chemicals in the brain working better and also helps make me feel better about myself.

So, what do you think is causing yours?
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
Odd to see this post shortly before noon when I'm about to log off the computer and go have a nap. I know my fatigue is often MS related but other times I think it is just something I'm going through?? Who knows. I just know it is driving me nuts.

I agree with the suggestions. They are helpful. I have used a light therapy unit in past with some improvement.

The only real helpful long term solution I have ever found for me, was exercising first thing the a.m. Having MS now, I'm limited and it isn't happening and I can't prove its related, but my energy has gone to nil. I miss it. I would get up, light healthy breakfast, shower, off to the gym. Either something in the pool or some light cardio or whatever. I'd leave and have pep in my step all day.

I'll be back to see other suggestions!! I hope you find something to work for you. fatigue is the bane of my existance. I totally get it.
 

klmno

Active Member
I had another thought here- I remembered how I always felt this time of year when difficult child was home- EXHAUSTED!! If you have stayed in a rush from the end of summer (getting school clothes, supplies, and other stuff to prep Manster for going back to school), then the beginning of the school year getting him back on a schedule, checking homework and stuff, then doing fundraisers and/or putting energy into him having activities, and now are trying to prep for holidays- cleaning, shopping, etc.-on top of the typical "mom" duties, it can wear down anybody and we don't always realize it until we are completely worn down.

Now what to do about it if this is the cause?? I have no idea. LOL!

ETA: Oh- allergies. I never had them as a child or young adult but when I got to "that age", my dr noticed a pattern in my fatigue and illness visits that were happening every autumn and not hardly at all other times of year. I started taking allegra-d because no OTC's helped.
 
Last edited:

gcvmom

Here we go again!
What JoG said :)

And naps if you need it.

And getting outside for some fresh air, sunlight and exercise helps, too.

And doing something different and fun in your routine can shake things up a little as well.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Become independantly wealthy, hire a nanny and a housekeeper.

Then it doesn't matter if you're tired. You just go take a nap.

Aside from that, cut the carbs and everything else Jo said.

And make sure you don't have mono.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
B12. According to my GP and my neuro, you cannot get too much of it because it is water soluble and your body gets rid of what it doesn't need.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
SUGAR is NOT YOUR FRIEND.
EATING AFTER 7:00 PM is a LADY KILLER.
HAVE BREAKFAST EVERY DAY.
HAVE a 10:00 snack, lunch at noon, a 2:00 snack, dinner by 6:00-6:30. and that's IT. No "cheating" on the weekends. This is your over 40 life.

START being aware of what /how much you are eating every day.

START being aware of the sugar grams in what you are eating every day.

START being aware of PORTION size in what you are eating every day.

When you are over 40 - your bodies metabolism starts taking LONGER to process food. If you keep eating after 7:00 PM? It's like shoving paper in a shredder that can't keep up. The food has to go somewhere. About 1/3 of Americans today are Glucose intolerant. This means that your body's liver can not process all the sugars that it's taking in, and instead of turning what you are eating into energy? It's being turned into fat. You start to feel sluggish, tired all the time. You have no energy.

If you cut back on your sugars or eliminate them? Have breakfast every day, stop eating after 7:00 PM, and decrease things that turn into sugars like pasta, watch portion sizes and have healthy snacks 2x a day? Your body will actually spark up and start to feel better and perkier within a week. You'll also possibly loose weight. Maybe 2-3 lbs. the first week and if you stay committed the first month? 8-10 lbs or more. By the end of the first month? Your body will actually start craving exercise. When Nomad told me this? I thought - "She's got to be kidding!!" - She's right. I'm also inspired by Fran to get out and move and walk more. My dog loves it. I think it makes him feel better too. Before all this sugar-shedding? I was in bed by 5:30, sleeping 12 hours a day and on weekends if I could even get out of bed it was just to eat and go back to bed. I knew it was bad....but I had horrible female problems, and my hair was falling out, I was morbidly obese, I hated my (wish I could tell you what Timer calls them) big girl clothes...we decided that no large ladies really like flowers, horizontal stripes or to look like sailors. Seriously? And what is with all the GRAY everything - I want SEXY but not stupid big clothes...there are none. EIther they make them look so stupid that you'd only see them on a hippo in Fantasia or they look like something from the Sound of Music.

So yeah - you need to purge your system get on a 1200-1600 calorie a day diet - but SERIOUSLY start checking the sugar grams in stuff you eat. There are a TON of great sugar free things out now that taste just as good or better - with 3 -7g of sugar in them - and that is how you loose weight over 40. Walmart has sugar free candy - Have one or 2 pieces now and then. Splenda Blend is good substitute. Can't do completely sugar free? Mix it....1/2 & 1/2 I do pancake syrup like that - no one knows in my house. NO one. I replaced the sugar in the sugar bowl with Splenda blend. Of course they all say - Oh that stuff tastes awful - Well? Guess whats in THEIR sugar bowl? Yup - I'm a stinker. They are using less because all of a sudden sugar is so sweet....(wow really?)

Our cereals? Cheerios, Rice Checks, Kix, and bran flakes - NOT raisin bran - (high in sugar) Or Oatmeal, and cream of wheat. All very low in sugar. Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes too - 3 is a good number. I can't eat 3 but the pups like to share.

1% milk - very low in sugars - (actually once you give up sugars you may not like whole or 2%)

I was discussing with a friend ;) Weight Watchers and the treats and points systems which I tried and gained weight using. What WW is GOOD for is lunch. What it's bad for is maintenance diet. Their desserts? High in sugar. Their ice cream? Sugar. You want ice cream? The only thing I've found that is sugar free or low sugar is Popsicle Sugar free fudgesicles.

So far even the No sugar added ice cream has high sugar.

So if you start adding up just in 3 days - HOW many sugar grams you have or get in your daily diet.....and say you are trying to say under 30g a day to loose weight - just add up what you would normally have in 1 day ;) You will be :surprise: then :mad: and then :confused: that you are tired and then you'll think about your pancreas and liver and think - OMG no wonder I'm tired, and gaining weight and can't get moving, feel sluggish and worn out. I'm literally poisoning myself.

Another thing that Jo brought to my attention is that MOST of the low fat foods that are out and being pushed in our faces as GOOD FOR YOU or TRY THIS FOR YOUR DIET? Are high in sugar. REALLY HIGH. Take something out? Replace it with something else.

My NP told me that if I stay away from bread - but when I must have calorie reduced bread - it would be better. Let go of all sodas. Even diet sodas as they are triggers for making you crave other foods. Water, 1% milk and if you need a pick me up - water with crystal light flavoring in it. Lots of water to flush out your kidneys and give them help.

Also if you stick to the OUTSIDE WALLS of the grocery store when shopping? You'll be better off. Frozen veggies, not canned....then steam them or microwave them.

Did you know 1 tsp of margarine has SEVENTY calories in it? So you learn to live with LESS butter - and make the portion the size of a dice. That's 35.

You also take a smaller plate than everyone. It's mind over matter - but your brain gets used to it. Your eyes see that the plate is full. That's what matters.

Fruit at every meal or cut veggies.....#1 necessity - an apple cutter. They're $1 at the Dollar Tree......cores the apple and you feel like you're getting more slices and you think - more snacks.....little tricks.

Seedless grapes - I ate these by the pound when I was giving up sweets.

Gum? Dollar tree again - Denteyne Spearmint - It's sugar free and has a punch.

There are lots of little things you can do to get rid of the sugar.

Oh and the JELLO and Snack Pack sugar free things - yeah.....there's Mousse too....OMG it's sinful and you can get Sugar free spray heavy cream for the mousse and it's 10 calories and 0 sugar g on top of that mousse? It was like I had found a snickers bar again. YUM. Sugar free jello? 10 calories...with the whipped cream? 30 calories......And it's GOOD for you.

So there's lots of stuff you can do to rid yourself - #1 thing is breakfast and no eating after 7:00 -----you can literally FEEL the difference the next day if you do or do not cheat that rule. If I don't cheat? I can get up not cranky and I'm ready to roll. If I DO cheat? OMG? It is just like I have to drag myself out of bed....and it's awful. I hate feeling like that again.

I always envied morning people....and now that I eat right I can be one. If I want to not be one? I just eat something after 7:00 and I'm back to crabby little morning me.

Hope this helps.
It's 1 month - WHAT have you got to loose? And as far as Turkey day goes? Turkey is good, cranberry good....YAMS? OMG 36 g of sugar per 2 TBS? I won't be having those. One of my favs.....gone for good. sigh....Some mashed taters, stuffing and then we're finding some kind of sugar free recipe for dessert. I'm not cheating on pie. We're doing so good we don't want to. We'd like a sugar free pumpkin pie....but so far no luck.

Good luck (L) (LL) :angel3::angel3:
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Working out in the morning also gives you tons of energy for the rest of the day. I used to get up at 4:30am - and, yes, I had to drag my fanny out of bed - but after a week or so, I had tons of energy. And I felt wonderful. And dragging my fanny out of bed got easier because I knew the results were wonderful.
 
M

ML

Guest
Thank you everyone! Shari you had me cracking up about hiring a nanny and housekeeper. KLMNO, you're right about the extra stuff in my schedule, thanks for remembeing all that! Star, this was actually my instinct, that sugar could be contributing to my fatigue. I read about chronic fatigue and yeast which is caused by too much sugar. So you confirmed what I was thinking.

So my plan is to start watching sugar and carbs plus try to do some trampolening in the morning. I'll let you all know in a few weeks if I've noticed improvements.

Thanks so much. I do take vitamins (I'll make sure there's enough b12 fb) and drink lots of water and walk a few times a week so I'm doing some things right.

I plan to experiment with a pumpkin "pie" recipe from sparkpeople that looks divine. I'll let you know how it is.

Hugs,

ML
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
ML -

Another thing that came to mind while I was driving home tonight thinking about this post.

I also had a physical BEFORE I started doing this. I had general blood work done to test for basic things like anemia (because I have Thalassemia trait - like a funky anemia) and should take iron every day.

Women often do not get enough iron in a multi-vitamin and need a supplement as we get old..I mean more matu.....age.....um.....as we become smarter. hm....That sounds better. Women need more stuff as our bodys get smarter because we've used up so many smarts our minerals and nutrients get depleted. Wow - that sounds good.

It can't hurt to just have a general physical, and have your cholesterol screening, and blood work, urinalsys - JUST in case there is a slim chance that you ARE glucose intolerate or resistant. The big difference is - medication to help regulate the insulin. I take Metformin in a pill once a day and it's helping regulate the insulin - diet alone at this point will not do it. FYI. Thought you should know that. It's because I am borderline diabetic. If I don't live this lifestyle I will be diabetic.

My cholesterol is ridiculously low - it's like that of a 17 year old girl. Go figure. But the rest of me is whacked. At least I got one good gene in this adoptive quagmire. lol. That and I'm the pretty one. :tongue:haha

You may want to just do this to have a starting point too.

I'm not saying that sugar IS the culprit. I'm saying it's a possibility. There could be any number of things going on that you should get checked. It's possible you have something else going on and I'd hate to think that you took this advice as "word up" forgoing a physical. So first thing first - Get Thee in for a physical. IN THE MEAN TIME? Try this. m K?

Hugs
Star
 

susiestar

Roll With It
You should also have a sleep study done. Surprising amounts of people have problems with sleep. Not enough, not enough of the right kind, etc... You don't have to have sleep apnea to have a sleep problem and you will be amazed at how much better you feel if you get good sleep.

For women it is extra important. We tend to get much worse sleep because we sleep with someone. As long as we are not kicking our spouse in their sleep, our spouses tend to get better sleep with us there. Doesn't make sense but our sleep doctor says he sees it all the time. He thinks women, esp moms, sleep lighter when we sleep with someone because we want to be sure they are OK. So each time that other person moves we become more alert so we can wake up if there is a problem.
 
M

ML

Guest
Interesting stuff about sleeping with someone. I want my own room! Or twin beds even. The other thing about the sleep Susiestar is that manster wakes me up every night. It's a bad habit but he calls for me when he wakes up and I have to go into his room and lay with him for 5 minutes till he goes back to sleep. We're working on getting him out of this habit but it's not happening fast enough.

Star, I did just have a physical and they found a few things. My brother has diabetes and takes all that stuff. He pricks my finger once in a while and the sugar is always super low. I have always felt I had hypolycemia. I cannot skip a meal or I get lightheaded. My triglycerides were good but cholestrol bad. They still don't know why the d-dimer is elevated which could indicated infection or other things. Otherwise I think I'm good to go.
 
Top