I am tired. Desperately tired. I can barely function and can’t think straight – it’s a wonder I can formulate a coherent sentence.
I’ve had myself convinced that the reason all I want to do is sleep and lounge on the couch is that I am sleep-deprived and inherently lazy. Truth is, I can’t be bothered to do much more than keep my kids fed, clothed, and relatively entertained. I have no energy for exciting outings or crafts or even playing outside. And I’ve been feeling really guilty about it. The house is only passably tidy and dinner is whatever takes the least amount of effort.
Am I sleep deprived? Perhaps, but Em has been sleeping through the night for a few months now. Am I lazy? I like to think not.
So, what is wrong with me?
Iron-deficiency. It turns out that my iron levels are so low that they are barely detectable.
Well, THAT explains a lot – irritability, lack of patience, extreme fatigue, headache, restless legs, shakes, inability to think straight. Bring on the supplements and iron-rich food! I am going to eat my way out of this. This is good news! It’s treatable and reversible. With a little effort, I can start feeling human again! The best part is that I can let go of the guilt.
But that’s not all! There’s more. . .
The day I found out about my iron, I also found out that I’m prediabetic. The good news is that it is reversible and with some effort, I can avoid Type 2 diabetes.
Diet overhaul is in progress. For three days, I’ve been on a no sugar, low carb, iron-rich diet. It’s been easier than I would have thought, but Halloween is going to hurt. I love me some candy! Sugar is my biggest vice, so it’ll be interesting to see how my body reacts. Thankfully, I don’t have to give up coffee and have been able to choke it down without sugar. I don’t think my mind or body could handle going sugar-free and caffeine-free at the same time.
I decided to share this for two reasons:
- Making it public makes me accountable.
- I want to track my progress and record how I’m feeling without bellyaching on Facebook and Twitter about it all.
So far, so good. Though I have been looking longingly at the things I can’t eat, I haven’t been tempted to cheat. This diet isn’t about my weight; it’s about my blood. I have to take it seriously and do whatever I have to do to get it under control.
In the meantime, I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten – my mom has even given up sugar in a gesture of solidarity! Thanks, mom.
I feel you on the low iron as you know. Like you said luckily that easily treatable and easy to reverse. You can do that with supplements to get it back up & then hopefully maintain just with diet after you’ve got it back up to an acceptable level. I’m glad you have found this out and have been able to let go of the guilt.
I have not had to deal with the pre-diabetic at all. I’m glad that you have found this out and are able to make some changes that will reverse it and keep it from going to Type 2.
That is very sweet of your mom to give up sugar as well. That would be a hard one for me to do as well. I love me some sugar! If there is anything you need or anything I can do for you let me know. Stay strong my friend.
Hey- I’m with you on the no-sugar thing. I’m not pre diabetic or anything, but I find white carbs & sugar (same thing) really make me feel sluggish and awful. So, I’m with you in the whole thing!
Awesome! Funny, considering last time I was at your house all I ate was twizzlers and ketchup chips.
Well, glad to hear you know why you feel so tired. I know my hemoglobin runs well above average (like 145) which might explain how I can functionally manage 4 children and a FT job
. I take a multi-vit daily with 18 mcg of iron which seems to help. The sugar thing must be tough…I still enjoy some (not a lot) so I can imagine what it might be like to cut those things out, but I also know (and have seen) how those changes can make drastic differences in health outcomes. Way to go on the public accountability…feel free to @mention me every time you consider having a Coke 
Wow! No wonder you can function on so little sleep! My iron stores are at 6!
Hey – just stumbled upon your site – I know exactly how you’re feeling with the low iron/low energy – it can take a while for all those stores to build back up – I got iron results back at 8 this past spring – lots and lots of leafy greens, beets and supplements later I’m still feeling sluggish if I miss even a day with the vitamins – good luck!