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.

 

[the-short-one]

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.

Have you ever worked on something really hard - to the point of where you just can't see it anymore? (that probably makes no sense to anyone but me) It's like working on a jigsaw puzzle and you cannot find the right piece to save your life. Someone walks up behind you, picks the piece right up and puts it in place. You just want to beat your head on the table.

I'll switch up today. Thank you so much for the help.

 

[Sassy69]

Its really easy to let the generally held misinformation about dieting completely throw a well-developed diet that is otherwise completely solid & feasible. Don't sweat it - its a learnign process that everyone has little details that dont' seem to make sense or you arent' sure where they fit. Carbs is one of them. We are all obsessed w/ low carbs, carbs are bad, etc. The one truth about nutrition is that so much of it is completely counter-intuitive and that's why you have to look at the whole story & not just pull out easily packaged & marketed things like these low carb diets, etc.

Run the carb cycle for a few weeks, see how it works for you. I wouldn't suggest running it endlessly forever. Diets always need to change because your body's state of response is always changing. And you also have ot have the patience to experiement and not totally freak out because you didnt' lose "weight" for a few days -- nothing is a regular continuous predictable process. There are too many factors involved.

 

[scorpiogirl]

I'll tell ya' what!!!! I just started cutting last Friday and my energy and strength are both down too! After eating 150g - 200g carbs a day and dropping down to 70 or 80 I see a HUGE difference. Never noticed that before. Probably why I LOVED bulking so much - I just felt better eating my carbs.

If it's any comfort at all.....I'm in the boat with ya', Girlie!!!!! I've taken an EC stack today and just popped a T-REX!

 

[the-short-one]

I'll tell ya' what!!!! I just started cutting last Friday and my energy and strength are both down too! After eating 150g - 200g carbs a day and dropping down to 70 or 80 I see a HUGE difference. Never noticed that before. Probably why I LOVED bulking so much - I just felt better eating my carbs.

If it's any comfort at all.....I'm in the boat with ya', Girlie!!!!! I've taken an EC stack today and just popped a T-REX!

It is hard to drop the carbs down. I added muscle in December/January. Started cutting in Feb., but the going has been slow. In the last few weeks, progress has finally begun to show, but energy is caput. I've overcut the carbs.

I tend to get into a diet rut. I eat the same things most of the time because it's easier to count. And easier to shop. Shadow mentioned a while back that everything works, but only for so long - meaning that I need to stay on top of things and have enough brains to switch up when my program stalls.

Sassy gave me that much needed bitch-slap, and back on track I go.

 

[wlmcrae]

I may have missed this in your log, but are you OK eating that far below maintenance? From your stats and activity level, using Katch-McArdle formula (lean mass based) for basal metabolic rate and a moderate (3-5 day/week) activity multiplier, your maintenance level is 2395 calories/day, which would give you a cutting level of about 1895/day. I'm just asking 'cause if I drop below max cutting level, I lose all my lift strength and energy and quit losing, but I can cut and lift like crazy in the 'zone'!

I'm nowhere near as up as Sassy on this kind of stuff though, so go with her notes!

 

[*Bunny*]

I'll tell ya' what!!!! I just started cutting last Friday and my energy and strength are both down too! After eating 150g - 200g carbs a day and dropping down to 70 or 80 I see a HUGE difference. Never noticed that before. Probably why I LOVED bulking so much - I just felt better eating my carbs.

If it's any comfort at all.....I'm in the boat with ya', Girlie!!!!! I've taken an EC stack today and just popped a T-REX!

You did?!?!?!?!?!? Feel anything???

 

[ck2006]

Thanks for all the info on carbs! I am the most carb sensitive person around, my body loves, loves loves carbs I have been tired for the last week too, all the info about macros and carb cycling is awesome. I am so filled with new found knowledge I think my hubby is sick of hearing about it. He just wants me to change his diet and not hear about why, but he is a good sport!

 

[Sassy69]

IF you think you are carb sensitive, definitely look into Glucorell! Excellent anti-ox as well.

 

[ck2006]

I tried a fat burner that was supposed to grab the carbs and I became really sick, does glucorell do the same type of thing?

 

[the-short-one]

I tried a fat burner that was supposed to grab the carbs and I became really sick, does glucorell do the same type of thing?

no. although you can make yourself go hypo if you overdo it. (too many Glucorells and not enough carbs)

 

[the-short-one]

I may have missed this in your log, but are you OK eating that far below maintenance? From your stats and activity level, using Katch-McArdle formula (lean mass based) for basal metabolic rate and a moderate (3-5 day/week) activity multiplier, your maintenance level is 2395 calories/day, which would give you a cutting level of about 1895/day. I'm just asking 'cause if I drop below max cutting level, I lose all my lift strength and energy and quit losing, but I can cut and lift like crazy in the 'zone'!

I'm nowhere near as up as Sassy on this kind of stuff though, so go with her notes!

I stick to between 10 x my body weight and 12 x my body weight to lose fat. Those numbers work well for me and I lose at a nice, steady pace.
________________________

BTW - UPDATE!!!

I am feeling MUCHO better with this new plan. Today happens to be my carb up day. Did some ginormous supersets for lower body and topped it off with 40 minutes of sweaty, heaving, side stitching cardio. It was heaven.

Measurements this morning show that I've lost:

an inch of my thighs
an inch off my ass
an inch of my biceps
1/2 an inch of my waist
2 inches of my chest

in the last 9 days. Scale weight is the same.

Time to bra shop again.

 

[velvett]

BTW - UPDATE!!!

I am feeling MUCHO better with this new plan. Today happens to be my carb up day. Did some ginormous supersets for lower body and topped it off with 40 minutes of sweaty, heaving, side stitching cardio. It was heaven.

Measurements this morning show that I've lost:

an inch of my thighs
an inch off my ass
an inch of my biceps
1/2 an inch of my waist
2 inches of my chest

in the last 9 days. Scale weight is the same.

Time to bra shop again.

YOU DA' wooooooooooooooooMAN

Wonda woman that is.

 

[*Bunny*]

YOU DA' wooooooooooooooooMAN

Wonda woman that is.

How did I miss this!!!??!?!? NICE shortstack!

I'm with ya on the bra's ...

Great news on your progress!

 

[the-short-one]

thanks, ladies. Boobage is not really a concern. Mine have been through breast feeding, so they're not exactly my favorite asset.

I'm going for abage.