Nutrition Month Ask a Dietitian: I’m overly tired, can’t get back on track – how can I push past this?

As a dietitian involved in the fitness and sport industry, I must say daily activity adds a different spring to my step, but I used to get kicked down a lot before I learned what things I needed to put in place, and what things I needed to say no to in order to keep my health a priority.

Question: I have had a very busy few weeks at work and have been feeling a lack of energy. I used Sunday to rest all day and was hoping to get back into routine on Monday. Although I did make it to the gym on Monday morning, it definitely was not one of my best workouts. I have been snacking a lot and then skipping my main meals, which I know is not the best idea.

What are some things I can do to get my energy level back up so I can get back into routine and start eating better?

Do you ever find it interesting how “things happen”? When something may unfold and then you kind of look back to the last week, 2 days, or 24-hours and recognize how all of the signs were pointing you directly in that direction? Remember, things happen in your life when they’re meant to unfold. So if you’re working on that project, keep working on it. OR, if you’ve set a new goal this Nutrition Month and have enjoyed the first three days, keep going. It is human nature to want “what’s next” and forget to remind ourselves to continue living in the present moment and enjoy the journey.

So, the above question came from a client the same day I had some discussion around stress, cortisol and eating and a great round of education from dietitians, a naturopathic doctor and some online reading material, followed by a day where I had to personally close my books, step back, go for a walk and then take part in a grounding yoga class, and now we come to this.

As we as dietitians, continue on our journeys in this world to support our clients in their journey for optimal health there is a big focus on being mindful, learning to listen to your body intuitively to recognize what it needs, and be present during our daily rituals, which yes, means eating at a table, with friends, colleagues, family, or your self, away from the screens or away from behind the wheel. These little daily rituals will allow you to better understand your body in all other facets of life, step back when you need to and then jump right back in.

And we can’t remember that life is also happening for all of us, unfolding in different dimensions. Life is busy for most. Always running from one thing to the next, limiting our sleep during some points and then there’s that pang of dread where we find it a challenge to do anything and everything. Your body can only run on adrenaline for so long until your body’s stress hormones (primarily cortisol) begin to fluctuate, decreasing the surge of energy you usually bring forth each day.

As a fitness professional and someone who works with people who are adding, including or upping their physical activity, I see this a lot. Overtraining is hitting the nail on the head when it comes to feeling these ways, especially if you are not eating properly (calorie restriction is very common, as activity may suppress one’s appetite), and possibly burning the candle from both ends. Yes, we are amazing people on this planet who can do many things in the course of a day, but if our energy, attitude, and focus on proper nutrients and our overall well-being starts to dwindle, we may be needing to give ourselves a day or two to re-focus, re-group and chill out. Some may have heard this term used loosely as “adrenal fatigue”, which, after scoping out some highly credible sources (NO, not Lance Armstrong’s webpage), is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a conceptual idea based on the notion of chronic or excessive amounts of stress, which people may not be recognizing. Don’t get me wrong – activity – YES! A good thing. I love it. It makes me feel great, but if the ramifications of too much activity are starting to take away from other things you love to do or normally have energy to carry out, you may need to consider how you’re training, why you’re training and how much you’re training, ALONG with what your nutrition is. And don’t get me wrong, I know people who can train for 2 hours a day and always be right on par with everything else, but fuel, relaxation, sleep and hydration all need to be thoroughly assessed.

There is NO NEED to start blaming these issues on the dairy or gluten in your diet. Now, if you have a highly processed food diet, that is something to consider, but again, that’s when you need to be honest with yourself first, and then seek out the support of a sports dietitian or someone who is highly qualified and specializes in this area and work together to get yourself on track!

And then!!! In the midst of brainstorming this article, I came across a great link of what some RD’s do when they “fall off track”, because, hey, we’re human! Just like you. But we have strategies in place that allow us to sit back, take a deep breath, remember that the moment or experience passed and we can still ride on this roller coaster of life!

Enjoy the reads and the links. Take time for You. Put your energy in to what you love and what matters in your life and all good things will come. And remember that goal or two you put your focus towards on March 1^st, re-visit it, and better yet, share it with someone who you can be accountable to and who will support you along the way!