I'm so tired in the afternoons even though I get plenty of sleep. I work from 7-3:30, running a printing press (lifting a lot) and am usually physically exhausted at the end of my day. But I eat a super clean diet (see below) and still want to nap every afternoon. I feel awesome afterward, but also like a lazy sloth for taking one. I work out in the eves and get to bed by 9:30. Any suggestions/comments?

5:30 grapenuts/skim milk/blueberries
9:00 handfull of carrots
11:00 1/2 can black beans/cup fatfree-80 cal yogurt/two pieces of fruit
2:00 fruit or handfull of carrots
5:00 broiled veggie medley/whole wheat bread
7:30 fatfree vanilla yogurt w/fruit, nuts and whole grain cereal

(It doesn't look like much when I write it out, but I'm always full. )

Tatum,
I am CERTAINLY not a nutrition expert, but I'll tell you what stands out to me.
It looks like you are a vegetarian.
If you are doing weight training in your workouts, I would suggest adding some more protein to your diet. This will aid in an increase in lean body mass which will help increase your metablism.
Just a thought!
Wes

yeah. when I "dieted" i was tired a lot too. i felt much better when i added some chicken or salmon or egg whites to my salad.

You DEFINATELY need protein!! Like 25g at EVERY meal. If you are a vegetarian than look to egg whites, cottage cheese, protein shakes, legumes...

i'm mostly vegetarian and i agree with the above comments - get some protein going there. i'm not surprised your tired on that diet. i've noticed if i dont stay on it with the protein i get the same symptoms.

I thought 35 g DAILY was what I needed, and I'm taking that in with the dairy and beans. I'll try to add some fish and egg whites. What about protein bars, are they any good? Does that protein work the same or as effectively as meat/egg? Thanks a lot!

Different protein sources have different biological values (absorption rates). Fortunately for you, the best protein sources are actually vegetarian: whey and soy.

You can get these in shake form, unflavored powder form (which you can add to food), and in bar form. Any of these would be great, and actually a better source than meat.

Just watch the bars, most of the ingredients are crap.

THANKS Karl!

Maybe someone has more info on this but i've read in numerous articles that bodybuilder's should get 1g of protein for every pound of bodyweight.

IE if your 200pounds you would need 200grams of protein.

Opinions?

Yeah, I've heard that as well. It seems like a good enough estimate, but it's just that - an estimate. If you're leaner than average or fatter than average, it doesn't work as well. I've read in BFFM macronutrient ratios are usually better and protein is, as a starting number, about 30% of your caloric intake.

It's probably more accurate to say that you need 1g per KG of lean body weight. If you're 180 lbs, that's 81g of protein, which is much more accurate. 200g of protein a day might be bad for your liver.

I've read that as long as you don't have renal problems your body can handle up to 2grams/lb of body weight

2g/lb of bodyweight is a bit excessive, though, unless you're going low carb. As far as I know, there aren't any conclusive studies on the necessary protein intake. Has anyone come across something like this?

Ah, just read something that has to do with this stuff - according to Tom Venuto, "A high protein diet is not harmful to healthy kidneys - as long as plenty of water is consumed every day."