low cal exhaustion vs. exercise

Zyx

not sure if its tiredness, depression or low calories but after 2 1/2 months restricted cals to the -500cal/wk rate as sedentary (fitbit user) but truly sedentary 70yr woman, challenge is the 1000 cal basically all I get and dont have energy to get steps to burn more-- cycle. How can I break through this cycle?

Susan_RD_101

I agree with @p0wer_lifter ! Your calorie intake shouldn't be less than your BMR.. At minimum, I would aim for 1200 kcal per day and start with very short walks. Activity endurance can take a while to build up so even short walks at the beginning can be draining.

Depression and poor sleep can also undermine energy. If you're struggling with your mental health or sleep habits, I highly encourage you to reach out to your doctor for assistance.

Best of luck!

p0wer_lifter

Are you on restricted calories for medical reasons? If not, then could you increase calories to see if that helps? This would eliminate one variable at the very least.

But, ultimately, you would want to see your doctor.

p0wer_lifter

Oops, I just realized your question was in the Ask the Experts area. I’m not an expert, so better to wait for one of the nutritionists/health professionals in the forum to chime in.

Zyx

Trying to get out ofbeing overweight category to my old normal weight when in my 30s.