Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Energy Boosting

Since Monday, I've been determined to do what I can to boost my energy.  I started out by googling "boosting energy".  Not surprisingly I got a lot of results:  18,700,000 to be precise.  So I figured I would narrow it down by trying "boosting energy naturally" - low and behold 19,500,000.  What's up with that? 
I quickly discovered that telling myself I do feel better and I do have more energy and I don't need a nap in the afternoon doesn't work.  I think I can, I think I can.  I've always thought that affirmations were overrated.  I read a headline on an article recently about  why affirmations work for some people and not for others but I didn't read it at the time and I'll be damned if I can find it again. (I think there was an article about procrastination too -  maybe I've been procrastinating doing the affirmations.) Have affirmations worked for you?  If they have, got any tips for me?  (I think I've asked this before) Back to the subject at hand...
Taking advice from various websites, Med and Linda, my husband and I have devised a plan to start adding supplements to see if something will provide me with a little more get up and go.  I re-started taking a B-Complex vitamin which was recommended to me by a naturopath some time ago.  I added Magnesium this week and next week I will start with COQ10 (whatever that is).  I'm also trying to drink more water and add a couple of cups of green tea during the day.  We'll see how this goes.
I also concluded the obvious which is I have to eat better.  I'm hardly ever hungry and when I do get hungry (or even when I'm not) all I want to eat is junk food.  It seems to alternate between sweets and salty stuff but crap nonetheless.  I only really eat one balanced meal a day and that's dinner.  So I've been doing my best to choke down a little breakfast every morning.
The thing that pisses me off the most is that in the last year I've lost about 30 pounds without really trying.  You would think that would boost my mood, my energy and that I would feel better in general but I don't.  So if in response to my lack of energy, one more person suggests I get more exercise and loose some weight I'm going to strangle them.  It's not like I don't have weight to lose still, I'm still about 30 (okay maybe 40) pounds away from my ideal weight but jeez louise, shouldn't I feel a little better by now.  I keep thinking about the whole thing about carrying a 30lb pack and I can only conclude that I have even less energy now than I did before losing weight because I can't imagine picking up a thirty pound pack, never mind toting it around.
I'll be seeing my GP today so we'll see what she suggests.  I hope she doesn't say anything about losing weight and getting more exercise because I really like her and would hate to have to strangle her.  I'm pretty sure that I cannot increase the dose of antidepressants any  higher than they already are and I'm not necessarily convinced that would help anyway.
I'm also thinking about going back to the naturopath I saw a couple of years ago.  She helped quite a bit with my anxiety (though it's not gone) but (there I go again) the visits are a little pricey even though it's partially covered by John's plan at work.  Also the supplements and concoctions she had me taking at the time were also quite expensive and since they are obviously not prescription, there is absolutely no coverage there.

If I find a magical cure for low energy and fatigue that does not involve illegal drugs, you will be the first to know.

5 comments:

  1. Oh my, I could have written this myself! I've had one infection after another for a year now (viral, bacterial, fungal, amoebic ... you name it).

    The fear factor kicked in (Is it autoimmune? Is it depression? Is it just old age?). It becomes a downward spiral.

    I'm glad you're seeing your GP tomorrow. Best of luck.

    If you have no energy, there's a reason!!!

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  2. I think sometimes the antidepressants make you have no energy at all. I know I have been on some things that absolutely made me exhausted at all times. Hope the GP can help. Affirmations. I try but its about a 24 hour thing, keep doing it. I havent really tried hard to ever do them. H ave a good day. Hugs, Kim

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  3. I hear you... no energy. And I just... mostly don't care. But things have really gone to shit around here and it looks like I'm elected to do something about it.

    You made me snicker about hoping you don't have to strangle your doctor.

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  4. I have no energy either. It's extremely rare.

    Love,

    SB

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  5. Affirmations never did work for me. All they gave me was a feeling of stupid as I said them.

    I hope the nutrients help you to feel better soon. You already know this, but if you're only eating junk food you aren't getting the nutrients your body needs and so it bails on you. Just a reminder. :)

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