<p>I seem to have no energy these days, and I drag myself around. I’m quite healthy, and I am pretty sure that this problem is not being caused by a health condition. There are plenty of explanations for the lack of energy - not enough sleep, too much to do, suboptimal diet, overweight, lack of exercise, advancing age. And I realize that the route to a “cure” is in reversing that list (except the age thing). But I’m interested in hearing about anyone else who has managed to increase her (or his) energy level, for motivation, and in other ways to do it that I may not have thought of.</p>
<p>Have you talked with your doctor about a sleep evaluation to see if you have sleep apnea?</p>
<p>My wife was diagnosed because her energy level was low. After two days on the machine, I can hardly keep up with her. While really don’t want to be on a machine, I am considering having myself tested in case I have the same problem.</p>
<p>Have your thyroid levels checked!</p>
<p>This is just me, but I feel like I have a lot more energy during the days if I force myself to get up a little bit earlier and do some light exercises in the morning. I just do like ten minutes or so of pilates stretches/exercises. On days that I skip, I always feel like I’m dragging.</p>
<p>Anemia? I was really dragging last year; a couple of months later I learned I was quite anemic</p>
<p>I second the thyroid tests. Otherwise, there isn’t much you can do to get around inadequate sleep (I should talk).</p>
<p>I can empathize. I get monthly B12 shots at my endocrinologist’s office, but she wants me to do full blood work to check on thyroid. It takes energy to get to exercise class or push to take a long walk. Lots of good sleep aids, tho I do think one sleeps better if they have been busy during day and ate well. </p>
<p>So, my suggestions is to treat yourself better with good food, and see an endocrinologist.</p>
<p>I try to work around my body’s natural cycles. I am very much an AM person, so I get up early and get a lot done. When I drag in the afternoon, I do more enjoyable/easier tasks and also I take a reading break.</p>
<p>I also agree with fendergirls post…I do Yoga and it makes me feel great not only physically but mentally…It’s something I do “For Me” ! Also, I have found that I can’t eat carbs during the day, especially at breakfast… I stay away from bagels…I found that the carbs turn to sugar, raising your blood sugar level which will give you temporary energy…But after your sugars level off , or drop as Im told, the lethargic, no energy feeling sets in…I was starting to feel like I needed a nap in the afternoons…Ever since I stopped eating bagels for breakfast ,I no longer feel tired or lacking energy…Try a good bran or whole grain muffin or cereal with some fresh fruit in it…Works for me…A walk on the treadmill helps also in addition to my diet changes…Feel better… :)</p>
<p>At mid-life, I found I had to modify my diet. I eliminated a great deal of processed sugar, pasta, rice and bread and even some fruits. Many of the books I picked up about mid-life seemed to suggest that, as hormone levels alter, some women just can not process the carbs as they once did - and that was certainly true for me. That’s not to say that I am not sometimes low energy, but that I do feel better when I stick to chicken/veggies/limited other foods on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. I agree that improving your diet and increasing the amount of exercise is the first thing to try.</p>
<p>Check out the huge diet/exercise/fitness thread. Many of us in our fifties are getting our bodies back to where they should be for the next twenty, thirty or forty years via diet and/or exercise and it’s a thread that provides support, information and entertainment.</p>
<p>In my case, it is always the same “overweight, lack of exercise”. I do not mean 10 pounds over. I mean if I am couple of pounds up while still being within recommended weight for my height, I will feel slaggish, likely pain in my back, my blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol will be over acceptable levels, my hands would be swallen every morning and my feet / legs will hurt very much. Yes, 2 pounds gain will make me an invalid. I do not need more incentive than that.</p>
<p>I only recently learned that Vitamin D deficiency can cause low energy and fatigue, among many other things. My doctor tested my blood and I was quite low. Maybe it’s my imagination but since I’ve been taking Vitamin D for a couple of months, I do feel pretty perky.</p>
<p>I’m a big believer in Vitamin D (which requires calcium to work, and calcium requires magnesium, but these three together will do tons to alleviate many energy issues, particularly in the winter.)</p>
<p>Excercise and no more processed carbs (white bread, pasta, etc…) is what I eventually arrived at after a couple of more listless years when I got to around 40…I find if I work out (run) for an hour a day, I am very energetic. This makes no sense to me, so I’ve ceased asking about it. I just do it.</p>
<p>When I first started to make the change, I just made a commitment to work out every day but Sunday for three months and then to evaluate. By then I was in the habit and had carved out time and it has been a routine for me for a few years now. The side benefit has been an ability to eat more without gaining weight, and a craving for healthier foods. It seems to be the opposite of a vicious circle.</p>
<p>good luck to you. Finding the right balance can be frustrating when we are used to having endless focus and massive amounts of energy. To me it felt like such a betrayal.</p>
<p>Just started getting B12 shots from a naturopath. It’s methlycobalamin. HUGE difference in my energy level. I’m a vegetarian, under a lot of stress with a lot to do (not a unique position these days) exercise 5 days a week. YMMV</p>
<p>Thank you for all the responses; great suggestions. I will take notes and try things. I will also join the exercise/diet thread (which I have been avoiding!)</p>
<p>I do feel betrayed; my body is failing me just when the demands are highest.</p>
<p>Another rule I follow is not to try to do everything and never ever create “Do List”.
I do whatever I feel at the moment after job and exercising about 2 hours every day. I hire for tasks that I and my H. do not like to do. One example, we do not own lawn mower. Doing what you have to do all the time will cost more at the end. It makes me tired and unhappy. However, doing nothing makes me also depressed. Got to find activity you like to make yourself happy. If you like reading, you are lucky, the cheapest hobby of all. Mine is expensive, so be it.</p>
<p>I used to have very little energy, and it really took a toll in high school. I was always sleepy, even if I had 8 hours of sleep the night before.</p>
<p>I had a check up at the doctors. Completely normal numbers, no abnormal blood level or cholesterol. I had the vitamins I needed. Make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. The doctor’s check up was right at the end of the school year, so I had a summer to be more healthy and make better choices, since I wasn’t exactly ‘in shape.’</p>
<p>I ditched the soda. Now I drink water (Seattle has great tap water :D), tea, and sometimes juice (but only sometimes, there is a lot of sugar and I get my vitamins elsewhere). I’m lactose intolerant, so I have soy milk instead of regular milk. </p>
<p>I ate less junk food and ate fruits and raw veggies if I’m watching TV or if I want a snack. I made sure I had a well rounded diet and ate a lot more fish than meat like pork or beef.</p>
<p>I started going to the gym. It was really painful in the beginning and I felt SO tired after jogging a mile (or less!). I started doing weight training as well. Over the summer, I worked out and slowly increased the amount of weights I was using and actually ran over 6 miles in one sitting, without stopping!</p>
<p>Today, I wake up at 6 (no alarm clock, my body just wakes up) and go to sleep earlier than before. I find that I have a lot more energy now and I’m excited to go off to college this fall with a lot more energy :)</p>
<p>It’ll take a while for your energy to start kicking off, but once you get it, it feels absolutely amazing. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>caseymom, It’s not carbs in general that cause the problem; it’s carbs that breakdown quickly, like white flour, white rice and processed breakfast cereals. Whole grains and (most) fruits and vegetables release glucose more slowly into the bloodstream so you don’t crash. If you look for a chart listing the glycemic index of various foods you’ll see which ones are the culprits (those with a higher number), which you will be better off avoiding. If you can find a bagel that is made with 100% whole wheat flour (as opposed to a little whole wheat flour and molasses for coloring) you should be OK.</p>