To ask you to analyse my diet and tell me why I lack energy, motivation and bowel movements?

[TakeMeToTheUSA]

So frustrating.

I went to work today and by lunch time I was fatigued. Brain fogged. Sat in my car feeling like I couldn't carry on with the rest of the day. I just have no energy at all and I'm sure it must be my diet?!

By time my shift finished I couldn't stop yawning. I felt absolutely drained. I didn't go to gym as planned and am instead laid on the sofa eating chocolate wanting to go to bed.

My diet for today was:

Breakfast - fuel protein porridge and coffee.
Lunch - bacon and cheese toastie made with 400g (small slices) 50/50 bread. A packet of hula hoops.
Dinner: spaghetti Bol made with 5% fat beef mince, wholewheat spaghetti and dolmio with a sprinkle of cheese.

A) why am I not losing weight?
B) why do I have no energy?
C) why do I feel hungry and weak?
D) why do I look like shit?????

Doesn’t sound like you’re having much fruit and veg. And maybe too much carbs.

I can't see any fruit and veg in that food diary.

400g of bread? Have I misread something?

Too many simple carbs causing a sugar rush. Swap the porridge for scrambled eggs/omelette with one bit of seeded loaf. Lunch needs to be something much more healthy, quinoa and chicken salad? Again supper needs to change, perhaps some stir fry with flat bread?

And don’t calorie count. Get some avocado for your morning eggs.

If you want to count anything, count macros rather than calories. Trust me. I know this stuff.

You need fruit, veg and healthy fats (avocado, oily fish etc). You'll feel better and look better.

My view would be you have too many carbs, too much fat and not enough fruit and veg.

No snacks either.

Keep the porridge, add honey and seeds.

Mid morning fruit snacks or handful of nuts.

Salad with plenty of greens, beans, chicken or fish. Maybe a yoghurt.

Another snack. Small cubes of cheese etc

Dinner - sweet potato, with plenty of veg, maybe chicken, salmon etc.

That would be my suggested changes to lose weight and feel better.

It's hard to tell from one day's intake. What do you think eat on other days? How do you sleep?

Domino is full of rubbish. Are you drinking enough water?

What's protein porridge?

Personally what worked for me was ditching the carbs and massively upping the vegetables.

I was always full of aches in the morning, tired all day, bm's almost none existent.

Reversed all that in about five days

(Saying that, it may be because I have PCOS, I changed my diet when I was diagnosed. Haven't had any PCOS symptoms since I swapped either)

There is no fruit or vegetables at all in your days food. All the advice for years has been to eat at least 5 portions per day.

It's just carbs with nothing in between.

Where's the fruit and veg?

I agree about the lack of fruit and vegetables. Do you drink enough water?

Dolmio is usually full of sugar so I'd make my own if I were you and add veg to your pasta sauce.

Sorry, no diet advice but it may be worth getting your iron levels checked. Low energy, brain fog etc are common symptoms of anaemia. Do you get out of breath easily too?e.g. Just going upstairs? Do you have heavy periods (a common cause of anaemia in women)?

I felt like you do constantly and ended up going to docs. A simple blood test showed extremely low (bordering on dangerous ) iron levels.
Have been on high dose of ferrous sulphate now for about 6 months. Started to feel better very quickly and now feel like a different person. Loads of energy, can stride up hills, able to focus, sleeping much better etc.
Definitely worth checking just in case.

Also "protein" specific foods are not necessary unless you are working out regularly and even then, you can get protein without buying things labeled 'protein'

I don't like fruit other than grapes.

I could eat more veg though admittedly.

Another typical day:

Breakfast - 40g coco shreddies and coffee
Lunch - low fat ready meal
Dinner - chicken kievs with chips and beans

Your diet seems a bit carb heavy and a bit short on veg. But the fatigue may not be related to your diet. There could be any number of other reasons. Anaemia, vitamin deficiency, poor sleep, a virus, depression, peri menopause to name a few.

As well as tweeking diet as above I'd suggest upping water intake from first thing in the morning and trying to cut caffeine. I feel much more energetic drinking water and herbal teas even though I much prefer standard tea and coffee. Helped my face look less drawn too.

Buy one of those portion plates. Half your plate should be fruit or veg every meal, a quarter protein and a quarter carbs. You are woefully lacking in vegetables and fibre and eating too much stodge. I feel shit when I eat like this, two days of sticking to my portion plate (yeh I know I am sad) and I feel absolutely great.

My diet was good and varied and I never looked 'anaemic' so never considered this as a possibility.

A) If you are not losing weight you are consuming too many calories
B,C,D) You are consuming hardly any nutrients or fibre

@calvinlookingforhobbs Counting macros is just the latest way to count calories.
Protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram

I do have ferritin deficiency anaemia but can't take iron tablets due to chronic constipation

Because that is a dreadful diet?

And you don't eat any vegetables?

No wonder you don't poo very often and want a colonic irrigation (see other thread).

Try eating lots of green vegetables and you would see a big difference.

Prune compot on your porridge

Vegetable and lentil soup for lunch or salad with beans or fish or lean chicken

Vegetable stir fry with lean protein, no noodles, just masses of veg.
Courgetti (courgettes cut into noodle shapes) with pesto
Vegetable and meat casserole with lots of root vegetables, peppers and tomatoes

It's a pretty poor diet.

You need veg, fruit, seeds and nuts. Even if only in small amounts.

Walking and water should keep you regular.