Energy increase, Please tell me there's an energy increase

[Tamika James 60]

My kingdom for some energy lol. Please please please tell me that you got more energy after you started losing the weight after your procedure. I've noticed more and more that with my weight loss I am sluggish and tired all the time. I've also started getting symptoms of PMDD. I've been reading online that a lot of the things I've been dealing with like OAB and asthma, improve significantly but I really really want to stop being exhausted all the time

[Arabesque 6,683]

Yes, your energy will return. Especially as you start to eat more & a more varied diet. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluids. (They may taste sweet to you so dilute the drink so it’s not as intense.) I still add some hydrolyte to my Water if I’m going to be doing something very active.

You’re in calorie deficit at the moment & your body is burning fat so it will function effectively. Sometimes it takes time for your body to realise it needs to burn more to give you the additional energy you may need especially if you’re increasing your activity levels.

You may need to speak with your doctor/gyno regarding the PMDD. The hormonal flush of estrogen that occurs with your weightloss could be contributing to those symptoms.

[BabySpoons 541]

I woke this morning to the sound of a snowplow in my driveway and a snowblower. Not sure who my good Samaritan is yet, but it was 5:30 AM. I normally would go back to bed and sleep till 9 or 10. When I was young..er, till noon.

Before WLS I always woke up tired no matter how many hours of sleep I had. Anyone who knows me is aware I am not a morning person. Don't call early unless it's an emergency etc. LOL

Of course, early on after surgery, I was tired. I had major surgery. But now?? I can't believe how good I feel and waking up rested is nothing short of a miracle. YMMV.

I made sure to stay hydrated, take my daily Vitamins, drink my Protein and move post op. And rest. Let your body heal. I did have a time when I felt exhausted and found I was low on Iron. I switched vitamins with added iron and that made a huge difference.

All I know is that WLS does wayyyy more than just effect food restriction. It rewires the brain, resets your body fat setpoint and reverses a lot of co-morbidities. 👏

And I never would have guessed I would become a morning person. LOL

GL @Tamika James , speedy recovery and boundless energy to you!!

[FifiLux 152]

I am struggling for energy also months after the op but did have serious complications so that is part of why recovery is slower but I hope it it kicks up a bit soon. I find I can do one thing during the day like go to shops or for a walk and then need the next day to recover. I am not sleeping well though it is slowly improving however I do struggle to get out of bed most days and I used to be a morning person.

[Tamika James 60]

20 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Yes, your energy will return. Especially as you start to eat more & a more varied diet. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluids. (They may taste sweet to you so dilute the drink so it’s not as intense.) I still add some hydrolyte to my Water if I’m going to be doing something very active.

You’re in calorie deficit at the moment & your body is burning fat so it will function effectively. Sometimes it takes time for your body to realise it needs to burn more to give you the additional energy you may need especially if you’re increasing your activity levels.

You may need to speak with your doctor/gyno regarding the PMDD. The hormonal flush of estrogen that occurs with your weightloss could be contributing to those symptoms.

Oh I haven't had surgery yet. It's just with all this weight I just feel sluggish so I was hoping that with the shedding of weight there would be an increase in energy

[Arabesque 6,683]

Oh I didn’t realise you hadn’t had surgery yet. Your energy levels will drop & be low for a while after surgery so be ready for that. Once you lose some weight & have increased your general fitness (because you’re able to be more active), yes you will have more energy. Plus there’s a lot less of you to move about so it doesn’t take as much energy to do things. I’m a short burst of energy type of person. Still am but not lugging around that additional 40+kgs makes doing whatever I’m doing way easier. I sleep a lot better too. Before, if I got 6hrs it was wonderful. Now only getting 6hrs is pretty unusual. I can easily do 7, 8 or 9hrs. That gives me more energy, better concentration, etc. too.

[Tamika James 60]

24 minutes ago, Arabesque said:

Oh I didn’t realise you hadn’t had surgery yet. Your energy levels will drop & be low for a while after surgery so be ready for that. Once you lose some weight & have increased your general fitness (because you’re able to be more active), yes you will have more energy. Plus there’s a lot less of you to move about so it doesn’t take as much energy to do things. I’m a short burst of energy type of person. Still am but not lugging around that additional 40+kgs makes doing whatever I’m doing way easier. I sleep a lot better too. Before, if I got 6hrs it was wonderful. Now only getting 6hrs is pretty unusual. I can easily do 7, 8 or 9hrs. That gives me more energy, better concentration, etc. too.

Ohhhhhh see this is what I was looking for, thank you!!! I am the same, if I get 6 hours of sleep we having a great night lol

[SomeBigGuy 108]

I was pretty lethargic most of the time prior to surgery, but I started to have a little more about 4 weeks after surgery. I was able to walk 2 miles at a time pretty easily, and not get really tired until I was around 5 or 6 miles total for the day. However, I caught covid and had a rough time with it for about 2 weeks, and I feel more tired than I did before surgery. I can't do a half mile without having to sit down, and walking up a flight of stairs makes me dizzy. I have an appointment with my doctor on Friday to see if I need some different Vitamins or see if I developed long covid.

If the fatigue persists, check with your doctor, and see if there are some other factors that may be causing the issue. With the restricted diet, it could be that you're not getting the vitamins and minerals you need as well.

Also, work on your sleep schedule! Even getting 1 more hour than you're accustomed to routinely can make a big difference. It takes about 3-4 weeks on a new sleep schedule to see results though, so be patient.

Edited January 10 by SomeBigGuy

[Tamika James 60]

3 hours ago, SomeBigGuy said:

I was pretty lethargic most of the time prior to surgery, but I started to have a little more about 4 weeks after surgery. I was able to walk 2 miles at a time pretty easily, and not get really tired until I was around 5 or 6 miles total for the day. However, I caught covid and had a rough time with it for about 2 weeks, and I feel more tired than I did before surgery. I can't do a half mile without having to sit down, and walking up a flight of stairs makes me dizzy. I have an appointment with my doctor on Friday to see if I need some different Vitamins or see if I developed long covid.

If the fatigue persists, check with your doctor, and see if there are some other factors that may be causing the issue. With the restricted diet, it could be that you're not getting the Vitamins and minerals you need as well.

Also, work on your sleep schedule! Even getting 1 more hour than you're accustomed to routinely can make a big difference. It takes about 3-4 weeks on a new sleep schedule to see results though, so be patient.

Yea I just realized I said since losing weight and I meant since gaining weight

[BlondePatriotInCDA 275]

I'm 5 months post op and have really noticed only a small difference in energy thus far. I keep hoping I'll notice a change..soon I hope!

I spoke with my dietician at my 3 month check-in and she didn't seem concerned (of course its not her slugging around), but, she did ask about my calorie intake, Iron supplementation and the dreaded Water consumption question (I don't get the required Lake Superior quantity by any means) but I do get the minimum 48oz or close. All she said was we'll know more at your 6 month because of the blood tests for nutrients. To be honest I was expecting more concern, she was more interested in my reaction to carbs - I get a racing heart if I eat too many.. This was discussed because she wanted me to add fruit to my diet that's when I explained the racing heart (I currently keep my carbs below 50).

Anyway, I'm sure the energy comes back at different times for each individual, until mine does...I'm in stand by mode Good luck on surgery - just take one day at a time and listen to your body!.

Edited January 10 by BlondePatriotInCDA
Typos

[ChunkCat 714]

I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for over a decade, along with Fibro and an autoimmune disease, so fatigue is a daily companion of mine. Pre-op I could generally pick one thing in a day and anything else was too much, not enough spoons!! Just walking from the car to the flat was exhausting. Before my fatigue was disability level and I slept on and off all day and all night.

Post op at about week 3 I started feeling more energy off and on and it was so strange, I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I just noticed I wasn't falling asleep in the middle of the day anymore... Then I noticed I had enough energy to make a meal. Then several meals. Then I noticed we'd go run and errand and I could still pick something to do around the house afterwards. Walking to and from the car was easy. I've gradually started adding steps in, increasing by 500 each week. I'm at over 2,500 steps a day now (which is a bit more than a mile) and I'm not wiped out by it!! I can still go run errands or go to an appointment, and still no naps. Honestly, I haven't felt this much energy in my body in decades... I still pace myself some to respect my limits, but man, it is a miracle, I swear. I had NO idea that the surgery I had could impact my chronic fatigue. I'm incredibly grateful, it just feels unreal. I'm almost 10 weeks post op. I can't imagine what I'm going to feel like a year post op!!

ETA: I do still get tired, but it is a good kind of tired from a productive day. And I sleep much better too, before sleep never did anything, now I actually feel refreshed a bit in the morning!

Edited January 11 by ChunkCat