Extremely low energy/strength level. Help me out.

[the-short-one]

Hey, ladies. For the past few days my energy levels & strength have taken a complete dump. I'm wondering if I have an iron deficiency? Here's what my stats, training and daily food intake are:

Supps:
1 - 2 StimX per day
Multi Vitamin
SesaPure
Glucorell
Purcee before workout
anavar 10mg

Food Log from 3/8/06 (I eat the same every day - might switch up vegis or meat source from chx to fish). I didn't work out or do cardo yesterday because I feel like shit. When I do workout, I'll usually have a 1/2 an apple with Purcee before, and 2 scoops Isopure Whey w/1/4 cup dry milk + water after:

Meal #1 - 365 cal
oats - 1/2 cup
flax meal - 2tbs
egg whites - 6
soy milk - 1/2 cup

Meal #2 - 284 cal
2 tbs peanut butter
1 apple (i usually just have anpb, but felt like I needed the carbs)

Meal #3 - 251 cals
chx breast - 4 oz
green beans
1 tbsp olive oil

Meal #4 - 205 cals
Isopure Whey protein - 1 scoop
Soy Milk - 1 cup

Meal #5 - 329 cals
chx breast - 5 oz
green beans
1/2 tbsp olive oil

Totals = 1432 cals
macros = 42pro 25carb 30fat

I weigh 147 pounds
Body fat = 18%
Lean Mass = 120
Fat = 27lbs

Trying to drop the fat from my ass - so have been cutting now for 3 weeks. So far have dropped from 21% and have added 5 lbs muscle.

Training:
I am working out only at home right now. I've moved to this little town that has a 'Curves" as their only gym. So - I have Selectech dumbells, weight bench, jump rope, stretchy bands, 12" step.

Cardio 5x a week. I alternate between The Firm video series, Billy Blanks Boot Camp or sprints.

I train a different body part every day, and take 1-2 days off a week to recover. I typically do 2-3 exercises per muscle group with 3-4 different sets, 10-12 reps. I try to superset as often as possible, and do drop sets as well. Example:

Tri kickbacks 20/10 17.5/12 15/12 bicep curl 30/10 25/12 25/12
dips/pushups
-----------------------------

Thanks, you hot women. Please help me - I feel like death today. I took 2 StimX's at 6:45 this morning and still want to go lay down.

 

[*Bunny*]

How many sesapure are you taking exactly ... Glucorell as well ... these may be working TOO well for your daily intake.

Were you like this pre Stim X?

 

[velvett]

Notice anything like dry or brittle skin/nails?
Headache?
Unusually pale?
Weird or strong food cravings?

 

[the-short-one]

How many sesapure are you taking exactly ... Glucorell as well ... these may be working TOO well for your daily intake.

Were you like this pre Stim X?

I take 4 sesapure a day, and maybe 2 glucorell.

No - I was on a pretty even keel before the StimX - but up until 3 - 4 days ago, my energy levels were good. I alternate every 2 weeks from StimX to T-rex.

Notice anything like dry or brittle skin/nails?
Headache?
Unusually pale?
Weird or strong food cravings?

Had a headache last night for the first time in many weeks. Took 2 advil and it went away. Otherwise, no to the rest. I am having some muscle cramps in calves. only on waking when i stretch in bed.

BTW - I drink about a gallon of water a day. forgot to add that.

 

[velvett]

Try and eat some nuts, leafy greens and sweet potato.
If at all possible banana or raisins or some good old fashioned dead cow.

After one or two days see how you feel.

 

[the-short-one]

otay.

I ate part of a cow for my birthday dinner. It tasted wonderful. Today I will do as you suggest. A sweet potato sounds tasty. And a spinach salad. Maybe I just need som carbs.

 

[velvett]

mmmmmmmmm a slab o' beef sounds really good.

I'm starving today - I can't take it.

 

[Sassy69]

if you're going at only oatmeal as your complex carb (30g carb) for more than 3 days, you're easily going into ketosis --> no energy, lethargic, etc. Don't do the no-carb diet. You need to do a carb up.

 

[the-short-one]

if you're going at only oatmeal as your complex carb (30g carb) for more than 3 days, you're easily going into ketosis --> no energy, lethargic, etc. Don't do the no-carb diet. You need to do a carb up.

yeah - I've been looking over my diet and realize I'm not getting enough carbs. I'm SO carb sensitive. Eating a higher amount of carbs (even 2 more 1/2 cup servings of brown rice) daily and I'm not dropping fat. But I've never tried reloading every few days, so that sounds like a plan.

Would you recommend every 3rd day, or longer?

 

[Sassy69]

When you go extremely low carb for more than 3 days or so , you are actually putting yourself into a ketogenic state (think - the first 2 weeks of the Atkins Diet). The Atkins Diet can make you drop weight - first water because complex carbs require water to hold them in your body (thus the bloat you feel when you eat a lot of them) so you see that big initial "weight drop" (its not fat ... its water weight). Then you can continue to drop - and Atkins people often drop fat & weight because they are watchign their total cal intake for the first time in their lives as well - so not necessarily that its a great diet - just its a controlled diet. But as you continue to stick to this crazy low carb state, you start to drag ass & feel lethargic. This is not a great way to build muscle simplly because you have no energy for lifting. And further because your body is now realizing that its carb intake has been stifled waaay below what it is used to, it will eventually respond by slowing up the metabolism - the rate at which it burns energy -- because it thinks there's a limited amount, and possibly not a replenishable source (e.g. like in a drought -- its a survival mechanism) of carbs so it holds onto everything it has ---> that's how you see people hit plateaus and get frustrated when they follow continuously low carb diets. Your body NEEDS carbs to run efficiently. Not EXCESS carbs but just enough.

I would suggest doign a carb cycle schedule - over a 3 day period do the following:

Day 1 - High carb (e.g. 150 g carb - e.g. 3 servings of complex carb over the day - 1/2 c oatmeal, 3 oz sweet potato, 3 oz potato)
Day 2 - Med carb (e.g. 100 g carb - e.g. 2 servings of complex carb over the day)
Day 3 - Low carb ( e.g. 30-50 g carb - e.g. 1 serving complex carb)
Day 4 - repeat Day 1.

Best to match up the higher carb days w/ your heavier lifting days - e.g. leg day. Low carb days on cardio only days. These dont' have to match up exactly to your training schedule - but if you can try to get them close or anticipate less energy if its a low carb day but its a heavy training day.

If you are carb sensitive - use Glucorell - 1 pill for each 30 g of complex carb in your meal. But if you feel like you can't lose fat when you eat carbs - that just wrong. I cut 30 lbs & 8% bf using carb cycling and its a staple of my competition prep. But if you go low carb forever and then slip cuz your tired, hungry, whatever - sure your body will respond because it is dragging on no carbs for too long.