98/365 Energy Throughout the Day

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

I write this somewhat drowsily which is why I felt this topic was necessary for today. Let's analyze my day and figure out where I went wrong and why my energy levels are so low.

Last night, I fell asleep at about 12:30p. I woke up abruptly to my cell phone alerting me that I had a text message at 7:30a. I proceeded to start my day with some exercise from 8a-9a. I had breakfast of yogurt, granola, and banana and oatmeal with a cup of black tea. I showered then power walked my way to the bus stop. Once there, I sat for about 15 minutes, another 25 minutes for the bus ride itself, then briefly walked to my internship site. There I sat for a good 5 hours taking a lunch break of hearty vegetable-barley soup at 3:00p. I left to catch the bus at 5:00p and found myself nodding off on the ride home. I made a PBJ bagel sandwich then headed up to the library and ate it. Here I sit writing to you.

1. I should have slept earlier. Though I got ~7 hours of sleep, I could have used some more. Waking up to an alarm is somewhat necessary but also disruptive to one's natural sleep cycle.
2. I should have taken brief walks during my 5 hours at my internship. This certainly would have kept my energy levels up. It's good to sweat everyday throughout the day. It refreshes one's pores and keeps you refreshed. It also encourages you to breathe more and deeply.
3. I should have had my lunch sooner. I was probably already very hungry when I had lunch. That was about 5 hours between breakfast and lunch; 3-4 hours would be ideal.

These errors could have been prevented. The one thing I can commend myself on is the kind of food I ate. You will notice that certain foods, those that are nutrient/fruit and vegetable filled and low in saturated/trans fat, make you feel light and energized instead of post-Thanksgiving full. Quick note: I hypothesize that this is because foods heavy in protein and fat take longer to digest. If you're just sitting, your body will shunt blood to your stomach and digestive system in order to break down that food. Keep it light and you'll feel light!

Regardless, if you find yourself feeling tired, try to figure out what it was that caused it. Are you not sleeping enough? Did you neglect to feed yourself? Did you eat poorly? Did you stay inactive for too long?

In health,

Lauren