Other than weight loss and soda/coffee, what do you use to give yourself an energy boost?

[bbernardini]

I'm going to try and lose weight, and based on an upcoming dentistry bill, I'm eliminating soda from my diet. However, as a new father, I'm going to be facing many days with little to no sleep. What's a good and somewhat safe method of getting a soda-like boost in the morning?

[skygazer]

1. Exercise

:bounce:

[pitohui]

12. we have a word for people who exercise when sleep-deprived

injured

[skygazer]

14. Oh, for Pete's sake

You make it sound like the guy is going through sleep-deprivation training. He's a new father. I've got three kids - I know what it means to try to lose weight and be a new mother at the same time. You've got enough life in you to do a bit of aerobics in the morning. I'm not advocating entering the New York Marathon.

[SPKrazy]

35. Good Point

No one ever died from a little lack of sleep, and exercise is a good way to energize you.

"injured" doesn't make sense within the context of the OP's question.

:shrug:

[RebelOne]

2. Caffeine pills.

I don't drink coffee, so I take a caffeine pill in the morning to get my body moving.

[pitohui]

3. weight loss will decrease energy not boost it

i think you need to pick one thing at a time and work on it, people who try to tackle too much rarely succeed

it's like the year my hubby made 27 (!) new year's resolutions -- none were kept because it was overwhelming

when you are running on lack of sleep, food and caffeine keeps you going, so i would focus first ONLY on eliminating sugar

in other words, what the heck is wrong with coffee or tea in the morning, the traditional source of the caffeine boost, drink them black and there is no sugar to be worried about

to be honest, in normal times, eliminating sugar is all you need to lose weight, but when you don't sleep deeply, you do not lose weight for hormonal reasons i'm not competent to explain

so again focus on one thing at a time to prevent discouragement

when you are able to sleep deeply again, having broken the sugar/soda habit, the weight should peel off like magic

since i am not overweight i then add some sugar back to the diet to avoid losing too much, since you have a known problem w. weight, avoiding soda/sugar should be a lifetime thing as w. my hubby

[LostinVA]

5. Healthy weight loss INCREASES energy

God, your posts about health and exercise issues are tres misinformed... such as insisting women whom want to "lose weight" wear a corset.

Forsooth.

[pitohui]

9. no weight loss does not increase energy

indeed to lose weight you need to be able to sleep deeply

your ideas are conventional and were once considered true and this is why we see the obesity epidemic we see today

i am not overweight, never have been -- so i may know more about staying slim than someone who is

not trying to offend, trying to help

"forsooth?"

[LostinVA]

15. Yes, weight lose does increase energy -- Jeebus

HAHAHAHHAHA --- I can't fucking believe you just called me overweight. I can tell you you're bonkers if you think that.

And, these "new and improved" ideas of yours are just as out of whack as the corset one.

Healthy weight loss and exercise increases your energy level.

God, so write for Monty Python or something.

[LeftyMom]

20. Of course it does.

All that energy a body doesn't waste on hauling fat around and circulating blood to areas of no utility gets diverted to something useful. Also, very overweight people often snore and have apnea and other sleep issues, so they often get less restful and energizing sleep.

Now, if you're emaciated and starving, your energy level will be in the toilet, but since this isn't ProAnaUnderground, I think we can assume that's not a big issue for most of us.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. Weight loss DOES increase energy. Maybe not in your "world," but in the REAL WORLD it does

A full sleep cycle is 100 minutes. That's for the first one, subsequent ones increase in length. Everyone goes into a "deep" sleep if they are sleeping for a full sleep cycle. Many people survive on 4-5 hours of sleep while losing weight healthily, a subject you should NOT be lecturing people on.

LostinVA's ideas are conventional and correct, while your's are...well...made-up bullshit. The obesity epidemic has to do with diet and inactivity, not sleep or lack thereof.

LostinVA is also not overweight. She's in very good shape and a trail runner, which is a much healthier way to keep in shape than say...corsettry or liposuction.

Seriously, this is just one subject on which you should not be trying to "help."

BTW, "forsooth" means "in truth." I'm not surprised you're unfamilar with it.

[auntAgonist]

8. weight loss will indeed increase energy

and vitality. I am living proof of that. I agree that soda isn't good for you.
Healthy weight loss, not a crash diet can only enhance your wellbeing.


aA

[pitohui]

10. no the man can't lose weight and cut sleep at the same time

sorry, no, facts not in evidence

i am going to suggest that healthy weight loss does not occur when a person is short on sleep

[auntAgonist]

13. I do not sleep for hours at a time .. maybe 5 or 6 a night ...

I lost a LOT of weight, I have more energy and vitality than ever. In my case healthy weight loss worked. Eating right, therefore losing the weight you want to, will help with getting proper rest. there are so many factors to consider. Obesity, sleep apnea, etc ...

nothing wrong with losing weight and getting healthy

of course, I have battled obesity all my life and I DO know something about getting healthy.

aA

[LostinVA]

16. Quit arguing with the poster

Trust me, it's like falling down the rabbit hole.

She advocates corsets instead of exercise for women. Seriously.

I run, lift weights, and eat decently -- and have more energy than I ever have. How the hell do you think I can keep up with my GF?

[auntAgonist]

18. ..

:rofl: .. yeah, I guess when you're living proof of what you say, you don't know anything about the subject :)

I'd love to get into weight training ... I see that in my future, i do.

:hi:
aA

[LostinVA]

21. Do the weight training

It's good for women to do because of strengthening our bones, it helps shape you up, AND -- the best part of all! -- the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn off just sitting around watching TV or reading.

Just don't get a trainer that thinks women should only lift little purple weights. You won't bulk up in a bad way unless you take steroids or something.

Good job on the healthy weight loss!

[Evoman]

28. *grin* you and haruka should show muscle pictures to illustrate that concept.

WAAAYYY to many women are scared that they will become she-hulks. Its mystifying.

[LostinVA]

31. I've actually been to gyms and heard "trainers' tell women that

I've always jumped in with, "Not true!" Genetics and/or steroids are about the only thing that can make a woman into an East German female shotputter. Or, they're freaked by free weights. *sigh*

[ThomCat]

19. WTF?

Carrying around a lot of extra weight is tiring, especially when you're trying to be active. It also makes physical activity more difficult. So, yes, loosing weight can increase your energy, and it makes phsyical activity easier which is also interpreted as having more energy.

Also, while sleeping deeply and kicking the sugar and soda habit helps, it does not (in and of itself) guarantee weight loss. Or sufficient weight loss.

If you have never had a problem with your weight, contrary to what you think, you probably are not the ideal person to speak to people who are trying to loose weight. Direct experience is often more accurate than distant theory.

[Phillycat]

25. Wha?

Listen, I lost 40 pounds several years ago. I have about a MILLION times more energy now (actually 50 pounds lighter) than I did then. Then, it was a struggle to even drag my fat ass up the stairs.

And recently, I lost 5 pounds to get me back down to 120. Five pounds isn't that much, but I feel much better and have more energy.

[bbernardini]

40. What's wrong with coffee or tea? I don't like them.

Not that I haven't tried them. I have. I just don't care for them.

[BarenakedLady]

4. Errrr uhmmmm

:evilgrin:

[LostinVA]

6. Tea or coffee -- drink it without sweetener

Take about a month or two to wean yourself off sweetening your morning caffeine. Trust me, it works.

[LeftyMom]

7. Get enough sleep, eat good food, take vitamins if I remember.

A little burst of activity helps, not long enough to wear you out but long enough to get the blood moving.

[BOSSHOG]

11. If you can squeeze this in

Running. Way back, in my late 30's, early 40's I'd run 30+ miles a week and my energy level remained high all the time; morning, noon and night. Ate lots of veggies, drank lots of water and I didn't need a kick in the AM. Nothing beats an endorphin high when you hit that 12 to 15 mile mark on a Saturday morning. Yes it can be hard on the knees. But get up to a 2-3 miles jog an hour before bed time and you won't need anything to wake ready to go.

[Strawman]

22. steel cut oats

Always seem to help my energy level and mood.

[Phillycat]

26. Dude, totally.

I eat oatmeal every day.

I would also suggest at least a dancer's stretching warmup or a quick yoga routine, if not a full workout. That gets my blood moving and my muscles warm.

[Strawman]

29. I need to take up yoga

Or something to build 15-30 minutes of relaxation into my daily routine.

[Phillycat]

30. It's fantastic.

I was making the suggestion to the OP, for his dilemma, but yeah, it's good for everyone. It makes me feel so damned good. I take "hot" yoga in a studio that is 85+ degrees. I sweat like a pig and I feel really awesome afterward.

Oh, and :hi:

[LostinVA]

32. Yumm... McCann's -- love 'em

[Taverner]

23. Excersize and Ginseng

Ginseng gives you a good boost of energy without a drop afterwards

[zingaro]

24. Two suggestions: Yoga and breathwork.

Both can be done easily with a new baby. I'd even suggest that they can be beautiful bonding experiences.

Yoga is an excellent way to tone your muscles and work your whole body gently and efficiently. Breathwork will amaze you with what it can do for you, on every level.

Congrats on the new baby and your decisions. Good luck.

[Evoman]

27. Weight-lifting, weight-lifting, weight-lifting!

Increase your muscle mass....easier to lose weight, and its easier to carry around those babies. Plus, the fact that your looking better than ever, helps boost your energy. Not only that, if you really work at its, you can see real results in a couple of months, if not weeks.

I've been so busy with grad school, that I have lost all kinds of muscle weight from eating like shit, putting on fat, and not working out. Heh..now I feel scrawny and terrible....ugh. I'm getting back to it now.

[LostinVA]

33. Get your meathead butt running some, too

Hehehhehehehe.

[graywarrior]

34. Exercise and an herb called Schisandra-holy crap!-$11 at Whole Foods

Been taking it for little over a week and I'm zooming around like I'm 20.

[flvegan]

36. Me? Ephedra/ma huang.

I have a big stash. Depending upon where you live, you can probably still find it at the Circle K/7-11.

[Elidor]

37. Ginseng root

Not the extract - the actual root. I keep a bagful of them in my drawer at work for those days when I have no energy or have an overwhelming workload (like today). It doesn't rattle your teeth like coffee. It's more subtle than that. It makes me get off my ass and do things. Doesn't taste very good, though.

I buy it from these people:
http://www.warnerherbs.com/

[Burma Jones]

38. Sugar Free Red Bull is a favorite of mine

as is Morning Thunder Tea from Celestial Seasonings

[Patiod]

39. High protein breakfast vs. carbs

I've NEVER been on the no-carb or even low-carb diet(s) but I find that when I NEED energy - for instance, when I have 10 hour-long interviews ahead of me, starting at 7am and ending at 8pm, I make sure I have a protein breakfast like an omelet and bacon or scrambled eggs and lox.

If I'm really lucky, and staying at a (usually West Coast) hotel that offers a Japanese breakfast, I go for that.

Always have so much more energy and it's more EVEN than when I eat the pastries that are usually provided by the places I do my interviews.

Don't do this all the time (I worry about my cholesterol) but it works when it needs to.