Unusually tired after weight training and craving carbs

KarenVirapen

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
getting up in the morning
Hi folks, I wonder can you help me.

I'm not currently diabetic but my dad and all his family is (Type 2), and I'm considered high risk as my BMI is pretty high, so I'm trying to get my weight down, eat better and exercise. I get tired when I eat carbs, so I'm trying to cut down on them during the day a bit.

So I've been going to the gym for a month or two now, thing is after a weights session (say 40 mins, things like squats, lunges etc, nothing mad or over strenuous) and a short cycle home (20 mins on the flat) I'm absolutely exhausted, like can barely move tired. And craving carbs like crazy, like I MUST EAT BREAD NOW NOW... If I eat carbs, then I have to go to bed for an hour or two to sleep as I'm so tired. Then the tiredness lasts usually into the next morning/afternoon.

Any idea what is going on? I don't know if it's low blood sugar or high or what. I have a monitor to test my bloods, should I test after exercise? Should I eat a carb snack immediately after the gym? Or a protein snack? I had a banana straight after gym yesterday, but still was wrecked. Still over tired today.

Pre-gym I had greek yoghurt and berries and a boiled egg for breakfast, some home made veg lasagne and salad for lunch (although usual lunch is chicken or tuna salad so usually low carb, and I still get tired at gym), and almonds as a snack. Am drinking lots of water, like 2.5 litres a day.

Any advice would be appreciated, if anybody else has experienced anything similar.
 

TorqPenderloin

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,599
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The feeling of being tired and hungry after the gym doesn't go away for me, and if you're going to eat carbs one of the best times to do it is immediately after weight training (though make sure you're reasonable with your intake).

If you're working hard in the gym, and it sounds like you are, you're naturally going to feel tired and hungry as your muscles are craving energy to replenish glycogen reserves and to recover from the workout.

As far as suggestions, I don't have the absolute answer, but I don't think you're off-base eating a banana (just don't eat 5 of them) and supplementing it with protein of some sort.

Remember that if you're using energy (working out) you're ultimately going to need to replace it. The thing you don't want to do is eat to excess at the times when you don't need energy...that's when your body decides to store that energy as fat.

Keep up the good work. I think the cardio (biking home) will definitely help with your energy levels as you get into better shape.

I say this genuinely, but you're very inspiring and its good to hear that you're addressing your health now rather than waiting until a bigger problem arises.


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum
 

KarenVirapen

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
getting up in the morning
Ah thanks for the advice @TorqPenderloin. Yes I'm hoping that as I get more in shape and more used to exercise, the energy levels will come up. I was just wrecked last night, and still tired today! But I am going to stick at it :)

And thanks for the compliment :) My dad keeps nagging at me to get my weight down, he's right, he's had type 2 for 30 years and had a few bouts of nasty pancreatitis...and I don't want to have to suffer the same trials as he has done... I need to act now before I become prediabetic or Type 2, all my dad's family are Type 2 and have had some nasty complications with vision, heart problems etc, and I don't want to give myself a load of health issues in the future.

I do suspect that I might have reactive hypoglycemia, just because of my reaction when I eat carbs (excessively sleepy and so on). I think I need to go a bit more low carb and monitor what I eat and see what the reaction is. The suggestion to eat some protein with a little carbs is a good one, thanks!

Off to gym again tonight, but just for a short session. Will see how it goes :)