T Nation

Drained of Energy

Beginners
#1

Hey,

I have recently started working out and my energy levels after starting seem to have dropped significantly… I am pretty skinny 6 foot at 150 pounds. I have always had an excess of energy, more then every one I know, but after only a week of training, I am dragging my feet.

My diet is fairly good, I think… I am getting about 3000 Cal from six meals. Most of the carbs I take in are complex and I’m getting about a gram of protein per pound. I take a dextrose drink(Gatorade) and 40g of protein after each workout too.

I working out 4 times a week using an opposing muscle group system.
Mon - chest/back
Tues - Legs
Thurs - Bi/Tri
Sat - delts/traps
I also swim twice a week for an hour one mon and wed.

I am getting about 8.5 hours of sleep a night. i was only getting 6 or 7, but I just start passing out at night now.

Has anyone else experienced this or have any recommendations? Possible reasons i can think of are: needing more sugars, calories, sleep, or maybe just to adjust.
I just don’t know…

#2

Try downing 1000 more calories/day. Does that make a difference? Don’t be too picky. Some cookies and a glass of chocomilk or two. See if that helps. Alternately, go to 3 sessions per week if you’re hitting it real hard so your recovery will be more complete.

#3

How many carbs are you getting? I had this problem when my carbs were to low.

7 pm would come around, and if I had nothing to do, I would be in bed. Im a college student, Im supposed to be up chasing girls and stuff and things.

#4

Yes. I had energy problems at 6-7 hours sleep. Funnily enough it was nothing to do with sleep. I wasn’t eating enough carbs! I upped my carbs by about 1500 cals and felt better.

Also I was feeling sluggish because I was doing NO cardio whatso ever. The carbs made me feel stronger and warmer, but I was always feeling like I wanted to sleep. I added 10 minutes of cardio 3 times a week when I felt most tired in the day and it fixed me up.

#5

The extra carbs were brown pasta with tomato sauce, so I didn’t just eat any old carbs! Stay clean with carbs, you don’t want them spiking too fast.

Funnily, despite wholemeal pasta’s high fibre content, I find I can eat more of it than white pasta per gram. I think white pasta bloats you more than brown.

#6

Wow, thanks for all the responses!
It seems to be the consensus that I probably need more carbs. I haven’t been the slightest bit over weight my entire life, so I am not worried about gaining a little extra fat. I think I have just been trying to cram enough clean calories down my throat and didn’t think about the composition. I’m finding it kinda hard to eat so much food, still feels unnatural for me.

can’t wait for the time when I stop worrying about when the last time I ate or if I am getting enough calories.
Thanks again!

#7

Yup, if you are anything like me, eating enough calories will be a struggle at first. Your stomach adjusts eventually, took me about 1/4 of a year before mine did, and boy did I shit more than I have in a lifetime!

Just try to not think of it as a chore, and more of a regular part of life.