I’m 36, overweight, have sleep apnea, and there I no way I can get through the day, let alone a training day, and be productive without caffeine. I am on the cusp of getting a CPAP machine and I am really hoping once I get my sleep straightened out I can maybe lay off the caffeine once I lose weight. I only take 50-100mg per day but feels like a crutch.
Do any of you in your mid 30s have an adaquete amount of energy without caffeine? Enough to get up in the morning, go to work with a clear mind, and be productive? And exercise/strectch regularly while eating healthy?
Eeeeeveryone I see at work is hopped up on caffeine especially the older people. Cup after cup until the coffee pot is pitch black. I don’t want to go out like that.
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I think simply losing weight and moving into a more active lifestyle will fix a lot of your problems. It sounds counterintuitive but working out every morning actually leaves me energized for the rest of the day. I know sounds crazy but shit works for me.
I mean you kind of know. You’re overweight and have sleep apnea. You aren’t sleeping well (because sleep apnea basically causes you to wake up throughout the night AFAIK and not get into a good deep sleep) and so then you drag the next day. What is your diet like? Are you eating foods that are good for you or relying on take out and fast food? What’s your water intake like? Going to the gym is great but also there is stuff you can do outside of the gym. Body weight squats right after a meal helps regulate blood glucose, helping you fight the post meal nap.
CPAP will change your life. after a few days/a week, you should be able to start a walking regimen.
i drink two cups of coffee a day, every day. there is some evidence it’s helpful against parkinson’s disease, which runs in my family. it definitely is a little kick/mental focus in morning and mid-afternoon. i could do without if i had a good reason to.
Worry about that weight and sleep apnea not 50-100 mg of caffeine. That’s not much at all, a cup of coffee or two without a lot of added sugar is healthy. Yes, I have plenty of energy even with a 4 month old. I do drink 2-3 cups of coffee daily as well but would be fine without it.
It is all about the things we are told to do. 6 years ago I was 43 years old and 90 pounds heavier and drinking alcohol. I didn’t have a lot of energy and felt pretty crappy and was taking 200-300 mgs of caffeine a day to keep going. I quit drinking and lost 90 pounds and started running again. I have as much energy and endurance as I did when I was in my late 20s now at 49. One of the things that was hard to fix for me was my sleep which I always struggled with. But you need to get good quality sleep at the right amount. I did end up quitting caffeine altogether for a while but honestly it was one of the hardest things I have done. I was 2 weeks of consistent low-level headaches until it went away. I will now sometimes take a 100 mg caffeine pill when I feel that I need it but I don’t do that daily just when I have a sleep that is off, but I only take it early in the morning to not disrupt the next night’s sleep.
Overall caffeine use is just a bad thing when done heavily. The more you use the harder it is to get decent sleep the next night and it becomes downward spiral. At the amount you are taking it likely isn’t that big of a deal though. Some people are taking far more than that. But I would look into the other things like your diet, weight etc. At 36 you should have plenty of energy to get through the day unless you have actual medical issues.
I’m 39M 6’1, 185lbs and work out 5 days a week. I have plenty of energy to the point I don’t usually stop moving until it’s time for bed (10pm). When I was younger, 210lbs, and not exercising at all…I was tired constantly and kind of depressed.
Losing weight might make you not need cpap. I drink a cup of coffee on the way to work but not all day. I don’t think it’s a big deal TBH.
Fixing my sleep helped me tremendously, and gave me the energy and mental clarity to get the rest of my body and life in order. I bet if you can work on sleep quality (CPAP and good bed times) you’d see your energy rise enough so you can focus on losing weight.
Losing weight will be mostly about diet but, also, the more you move/exercise the more energy you will have. A good 3 or 4 day lifting routine and easy cardio on the other days will do wonders.
I was overweight and out of shape at 39 and now I’m 45 and get up every morning at 5 to workout before work. Plenty of energy. I lost 40 lbs initially of mostly body fat but now I’ve probably put back on 15 lbs of muscle. I’m in much better shape than I was in my 20’s and 30’s.
Try those B12 tablets that dissolve under your tongue. I wouldn’t say I’m lacking in energy, but when I take one of those it’s like a bolt of lightning hits me. It is to the point where I only take two a week (I used to take two a day) or I feel like I have too much energy.
Yup I’m nearly 41 and feel great. I’ve always been moderately active to very active though and have never been overweight.
My advice would be to make small incremental changes that will lead to cumulative effects over time. Going from nothing to big dietary changes and changes in physical activity will make it easy to burn out and give up.
Get a sleep study, if you haven’t done so, and get a CPAP. Quality sleep will change your life.
For some people, losing weight can significantly impact sleep apnea. But it’s hard to lose weight if you’re not getting enough sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. Alcohol also has a tendancy to make sleep apnea worse, so cut that out if you drink. Get the CPAP, fix your diet, and start some light exercise (even if it’s just a short walk), your energy will skyrocket.
Sleep has been my biggest game changer. I worked night shift for years which really started all the problems, then staying up until 2am some nights like I was still in college.
Now the goal is all screens off by 10pm and sleeping by 1015, waking up every morning at 6am no matter what even if I have nothing scheduled for that morning.
Yes.
This is because I’m not overweight, don’t eat like shit, exercise frequently, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, get 8 hours sleep and minimise stress.
Y’know, the opposite of what every guy on this board who complains about having no energy does.