losing weight and im always tired, any tips?!?!

[leeroy1985]

Im a 21 year old male, im not really fat, ive just got a beer belly! I weighed about 11st. when i was 18 but now i weigh 15st. and i want to shape up before i go on holiday in July but i have the biggest appetite ever, i love eating and i eat mainly crap, i dont like veg. (i wish i did like it) and never eat fruit, just chips and chicken or McDonalds if i cant be arsed to cook.

 

Anyone know any tips or know of any pills/drugs to suppress my mamoth appetite??

 

Secondly.... Lately (like for the last month) i have been feeling tired all the time, when i get up im tired, when im at work im tired but when i get home i cant sleep, i toss and turn for what feels like a lifetime! When the weekend roles around i want to lie in and catch up on some sleep but i cant, i end up waking at like 8-9 O clock, when i go out on the town with the lads i get refused from the pubs because doormen think im already hammered or that im drugged up because of my tired eyes

 

Can anyone help me with this one?

 

I was going to go to the docs but i thought see what other people have to say first! My initial thought is that its my diet of chips and all things rubbish but ive eaten like that since i was a kid and ive always had a good sleep and ive never felt this constantly tired, why do i feel it now?

 

All help is awesomely appreciated

[SweetOlive]

Well for the tired part... take some B-12 it works wonders but try vitamins.

For your eating habit try to make healthier choices. Like chips try the lite or baked kind. Mc d's find something on the menu that you like an ask for no cheese or mayo or something. Little things like that do make a difference.

If you have trouble sleeping now, you won't be able to sleep if you take diet pills... they have tons of caffine, they really will screw you up... in the long run its not worth it. Try working out at night maybe that will get you tired...

Hope I helped.

[SweetOlive]

Well for the tired part... take some B-12 it works wonders but try vitamins.

For your eating habit try to make healthier choices. Like chips try the lite or baked kind. Mc d's find something on the menu that you like an ask for no cheese or mayo or something. Little things like that do make a difference.

If you have trouble sleeping now, you won't be able to sleep if you take diet pills... they have tons of caffine, they really will screw you up... in the long run its not worth it. Try working out at night maybe that will get you tired...

Hope I helped.

Oooohh... and try not to drink beer if you don't want that belly.

[Teacher's Pet]

I, too, am losing weight, but having problems with being tired all the time.

 

One thing I did was almost totally eliminate red meat from my diet.

 

Apparently, I now have a borderline iron defiency, which is making me tired more.

 

I have a choice... steak or supplements.

 

Since you can't have a Centrum medium-well with a baked potato......

 

-tp

startin' up the grill

[blind_otter]

I think it goes without saying that your poor diet is catching up to you what with the weight and all.

 

As for the sleeping problem -- I would definately see a doctor about that.

[norajane]

Sugar and carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike up (immediate energy after eating) and down (tired, lethargic, sleepy) a couple hours later and makes you hungry for more carbs and sugar...that's why your appetite is out of control. Some years back, I cut out most sugar and carbs from my diet except for dinnertime and had lots more energy. Eat the burger, but not the bread and chips. If you eat the lean meats, veggies and some fruits, you wouldn't have the tired feeling - the protein and vitamins really keep you going.

 

As for not being able to sleep, are you drinking lots of soda? That has caffeine, just like coffee does.

 

And if you aren't eating veggies and fruits, yeah, your body is screaming for some vitamins. You probably are deficient in some of them. At least take a multivitamin each day.

[leeroy1985]

Oooohh... and try not to drink beer if you don't want that belly.

 

Yeah i figured that one, LOL!! Thanks for the advice, i'll try the B-12.

 

As for not being able to sleep, are you drinking lots of soda? That has caffeine, just like coffee does.

 

I drink alot of coffee during the day, and red bull! But that is because i couldn't sleep the night before and i dont want to fall asleep at work, LOL! Anyway im going to eat as much fruit as possible, i dunno about veggies though, my mum used to force feed me them when i was a young lad and now im, well..... kinda scared of them. Since i moved from my mums ive never touched a veg, i feel sick even seeing others eat them!

 

Whats the best fruits to eat, i like kiwis and bananas, they any good??

 

thanks for the advice y'all

[norajane]

I drink alot of coffee during the day, and red bull! But that is because i couldn't sleep the night before and i dont want to fall asleep at work, LOL! Anyway im going to eat as much fruit as possible, i dunno about veggies though, my mum used to force feed me them when i was a young lad and now im, well..... kinda scared of them. Since i moved from my mums ive never touched a veg, i feel sick even seeing others eat them!

 

Whats the best fruits to eat, i like kiwis and bananas, they any good??

 

thanks for the advice y'all

 

You've gotta cut down on the caffeine. That's why you can't sleep. Slowly cut it down by setting a time limit - no more caffeine after 7pm, then no more after 6pm, and so on until you're not so dependent on it.

 

Veggies aren't bad - start small and work your way up. Add a salad to your dinner meals. For both fruits and veggies, the ones that have the most beneficial vitamins are the ones that have a deep, rich color. So all the berries are good, tomatoes, spinach (order the spinach pizza!), kiwis, carrots, watermelon, canteloupe, plums - anything that has a deep color. For fruit, I usually eat whatever is in season as it tastes best then.

 

That iceberg lettuce that is mostly pale and white is useless, it's just water.

[quankanne]

lol, if your mom was like mine, the vegetables she prepared were ususally overcooked and yucky to eat. I usually stuck to salads as a kid because you can't screw those up!

 

the best way to get into the regime of eating vegetables is to prepare a raw veggie snack tray – with cut carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash – and use a low-fat dressing (Ranch or Buttermilk is good) for a dip. The best part of it is that you can go as slowly as you like, but once your palate grows accustomed to the fresh food, junk food just doesn't taste good any more. Same thing with sweets and fruits.

 

your sleep problem could be tied into the weight gain – the heavier you are, the harder your body forces itself to work properly, and that includes breathing. So, ask your doctor about sleep apnea, which can contribute to poor sleep.

[Mr. Lucky]

lol, if your mom was like mine, the vegetables she prepared were ususally overcooked and yucky to eat.

God, how true. My mom thought "al dente" was an Italian swear word to be avoided at all costs.

 

My wife has lost 1-2 lbs per week for the last 20 weeks (not sure how many lbs in a stone ) simply by eating an apple before every meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Her doctor says this works in two ways. First, the bulk in the apple helps you feel full and eat less. Second, the fiber helps food pass through your system quicker so less calories absorbed. It's working for her...

 

Mr. Lucky

[SweetOlive]

I forgot to mention if you don't like veggies or fruit there is these great vitamins you can take called -Juice Plus-... they really help. The red bottle is the fruit vitamin and the green one for veggies... enjoy!

[josie54]

You've gotta cut down on the caffeine. That's why you can't sleep. Slowly cut it down by setting a time limit - no more caffeine after 7pm, then no more after 6pm, and so on until you're not so dependent on it.

 

I agree. It sounds like you've built a lifestyle that has spiraled into a cycle that has put your system out of whack. Your body could probably handle any one of the factors you describe (the poor diet, the beer, the partying, or the excessive caffeine). But put them together, and that sounds like a mix ready made to run you down.

 

I'd suggest a taking week or two and wean yourself off the excessive caffeine and to put yourself on a regular sleep cycle. Get to bed by midnight and get up at a reasonable hour (6:00 to 8:00) every morning, including weekends. Even if you can't fall asleep, be available for sleep at those hours. Get up and do something relaxing (read a book, for instance--not watching TV!) for 15 or 20 minutes if you can't sleep, and then go back and try again once you get sleepy again. And sleeping in too late on the weekends will just mess up your sleep for the next week. Stay on a schedule and reduce the caffeine and, over time, your body will get back in sync with a normal sleep cycle and you'll fall asleep more easily.

 

Not many guys go for yoga, but I've also found that one or two yoga classes in a week can really relax me and make it easier to fall asleep at night. And take a multivitamin for good measure.

 

If you make this effort and you're STILL tired, go see a doctor!

[FleshNBones]

My guess is

 

#1. Fast food. All of the fat and garbage in there will make you feel sleepy. In long haul drives (more than ten hours at a time), I've had the worst experience with fast food like burgers, and chicken sandwitches. Funny, I never had a problem with personal pan pizza topped with tomatoes and mushrooms.

 

#2. Beer. Muscles cannot burn the alcohol so were do you think it would go? The belly of course.

 

#3. Foods like potato chips have a high Glicemic Index so you digest them quickly and get hungry sooner.

 

You should try eating oatmeal for a few weeks. I recommend the old fashoned style with equal part water, or in other words, enough water to give it the consistency of cookie dough. Put some into a bowl, add a little more than enough water to cover the oats, and microwave for a few minutes while making sure to stirr it up a few times. A good indicator would be whether or not the oats are sticky.

Oatmeal contains a lot of fiber and protein, and old fashoned oats with less water will digest even more slowly. Your blood sugar level should stay pretty high, and you should feel good for a few hours. In my experience, I usually feel full for four to five hours after filling up on it.

 

If you like to eat crepes, switch from white flour to whole wheat flour preferably the whole grain variety. Use lowfat milk instead of water. Try to use less oil in the frying process. It will taste a little different, but you will feel full longer.

 

You should eat chicken or fish instead of red meat. You can switch to a cast iron pan for extra iron (seems to work best with eggs).

 

You can acquire a taste for these other foods by eating them every day for a few weeks. You just need to exercise some discipline in your eating habits.

 

You need to reduce your caffene intake. I think intense exercise can reduce the effects of withdrawl symptoms. That's been my experience.