4 Underrated Hacks That Helped Me Stop Feeling Drained

 

Hey hey, beautiful human! Today we’re tackling a topic that I know is going to hit home for so many of you: Underecovery.

What if the real reason you’re constantly running on empty isn’t just that you’re doing too much — but that you’re recovering too little? Because sister, underecovery is a real thing. And most women don’t even know it’s happening until their body forces them to slow down.

So if you’re tired of being tired… and you’re ready to feel strong, energized, and in control of your body again, this one’s for you.

 

What I discuss:

 

  • What underecovery actually is (and how it’s different from just being tired)

  • How it shows up in your day-to-day life and workouts

  • The signs your body might be screaming for more recovery — not more effort

  • Simple, real-life ways to build smarter recovery into your routine without overhauling your life

 

If you loved this episode, you’ll also love… Episode 544: The Science of Recovery. 

  https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/the-science-of-recovery


If you want more from me, be sure to check out...

Transcript

00:00

Hey there, beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get in, let's go, let's get it, let's go. Hey, hey, beautiful human, you are tuning into another episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, and today we are tackling a topic that I know is going to hit home for so many of you. Let me ask you something have you been feeling drained lately? Like, no matter how much sleep, how much coffee you drink or how well you think you manage your stress, you still feel tired. Maybe you've told yourself it's just mom life, or it's work stress, or life being extra chaotic right now, especially in the summertime, while all the kids' schedules are totally out of whack and while, yes, all of that can absolutely wear on you, what if that's not the full story? What if the real reason you're constantly running on empty isn't just that you're doing too much, but that you're recovering too little? Because under recovery is actually a real thing and most women don't even know that it's happening until their body forces them to slow down. And I wanna help you catch it before you get to that point. So in today's episode, we're going to unpack what under recovery actually is and how it's different from just being tired, how it shows up in your day-to-day life and workout the signs that your body might be screaming for more recovery not more effort and simple, real-life ways to build smarter recovery into your routine without overhauling your entire life. We're going to talk about things like sleep and stress and nutrition and strength training and how optimizing your recovery doesn't mean doing less. It means doing the right things to support your energy, your performance and your long-term results. So if you're tired of being tired and you're ready to feel strong, you're ready to feel energized and in control of your body again, this one is for you.

02:01

But before we dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from Black Unicorn, 1974. She gave a five-star review and said just what I needed to hear. I don't know how Julie does it, but she seems to cover topics and I listened to it at just the right time from how to lose weight properly to how to lift weight properly to how to just feel better about yourself in general. Julie covers it all. I've also been following her workouts on the Moment With Julie app and I can feel myself getting stronger. Thanks again, julie, for all you do. Thank you so much. I'm so grateful that you found this podcast, you are loving the Moment With Julie app and that you are just getting stronger and feeling better about yourself in general. That is the goal, so thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in that review.

02:44

All right, let's dive into the four underrated hacks that help me stop feeling drained. Number one prioritize sleep like it's your superpower. If you are constantly feeling fatigued, it's easy to assume that you're just doing too much too much work, too much stress, too many workouts. But here's what I want you to think about. Maybe the problem is not that you're doing too much. Maybe you to think about. Maybe the problem is not that you're doing too much. Maybe the problem is that you're actually recovering too little.

03:07

Recovery is not something that just happens passively. It's an active process that your body needs in order to repair, rebuild and adapt. Recovery is where the magic happens. It's where your body processes all the work that you've been putting in, and so when you do not prioritize recovery, it does not matter how good your training or your nutrition plan is, your body will stay stuck in a stress-depleted state.

03:29

Sleep is, honestly, one of the most underrated recovery tools that we have. It's free, it's powerful and it impacts almost every single system in your body. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormones. This is critical for muscle repair, fat metabolism and overall recovery, and without enough deep sleep, your body actually struggles to repair the tiny tears in your muscle fibers that happen during resistance training. This means slower progress, more soreness and higher risk of injury over time. Your brain also goes through its own recovery process while you sleep. So during that deep sleep, your brain clears out the waste products through a system called the glymphatic system. Think of this like a nighttime cleaning crew for your brain. Sleep also consolidates memory and restores cognitive function, and this is why poor sleep oftentimes shows up in our life as brain fog, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, not just the physical fatigue, but also the mental fatigue as well. And also, when you don't get enough sleep, your body actually produces more cortisol, which is your primary stress hormone, and higher cortisol levels interfere with muscle recovery, increase water retention and make fat loss harder. It also throws off the hunger hormones, making you feel hungrier the next day and more likely to crave quick processed foods.

04:46

Most adults actually need seven to nine hours of sleep, but if you're training hard or under a lot of stress, you might need closer to eight, or even eight and a half or nine. It really just depends. It's not just about sleep quantity, it's also about sleep quality, because that matters too. You need the deep sleep which supports your physical repair and hormone regulation, and you also need your REM sleep, which supports your brain health, learning and emotional regulation. Poor sleep hygiene, like late night screens, inconsistent bedtimes, alcohol, high stress all of that interferes with both your deep sleep and your REM sleep, and that's why, even though you might be in bed for eight hours, you're still waking up exhausted Number two fuel to recover, not just to train.

05:30

So recovery isn't just about laying on the couch or taking a rest day. It's about actively giving your body the nutrients that it needs to repair damage, rebuild stronger and adapt to the demands of your training. Without this support, even the best workout program that will fall flat, and that's why I'm such a huge advocate of utilizing the tool of macro counting. This is why I teach the how and the why inside my Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy. Because once you understand how to strategically fuel your body, you actually unlock the secret to not just working out harder but recovering smarter and actually seeing results. Let's kind of unpack with some science made simple.

06:09

So number one protein. So this is kind of the architect of recovery. So when you lift weights or challenge your body, you create controlled stress, which is tiny micro tears in your muscle fibers. Your body loves the challenge because it wants to come back stronger. But here's the catch it can't rebuild what it doesn't have. The tools for Protein is that tool. Specifically, protein is actually made up of amino acids, which is your body's building blocks. They're used in muscle protein synthesis, which is the process where your muscles repair and grow after a workout. Here's where many women go wrong, though. They either under eat protein and spread it inconsistently throughout the day, but your body can only utilize a certain amount at once and needs regular doses, especially post-workout, to stay in a muscle building like an anabolic state. So without eating enough protein, the repair process slows, you feel sore longer, your strength gains stall and, in extreme cases you feel sore longer, your strength gains stall and in extreme cases, your muscle mass actually decreases. So in short, if you're not recovering, you're not progressing.

07:14

Number two carbs are your ultimate fuel and recovery messenger. You cannot skip them. So carbs oftentimes get demonized, right, but they are crucial for training and recovery. Your body stores carbs as glycogen in your muscles and your liver, which it helps to tap into for energy during your workouts. So what happens when glycogen is depleted and not restored? You feel fatigued or foggy. Your endurance tanks, your recovery drags, your body stays in a stress survival mode. But carbs do more than just refuel energy. They also act as a biochemical signal which tells your body hey, we are safe, now it is okay to shift into recovery.

07:52

Without carbs in your body, your body actually might stay in a catabolic state which is breaking down tissue, increasing cortisol, impairing recovery and disrupting those hormones. A pro tip is combining carbs and protein after workout, because this not only refills the glycogen but it also amplifies muscle protein synthesis and they're better together. And last but not least, fats. Those are the hormone regulators. So fats are absolutely essential, not optional, especially when it comes to recovery. Your body needs that dietary fat to produce hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which affect those muscle repair and metabolic balance. Testosterone yes, women need it too for strength and energy. And, last but not least, cortisol and insulin, stress and blood sugar regulation. So healthy fats, especially those omega-3s. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and this helps to manage the inflammation that naturally occurs from training and reduces that joint pain, the muscle soreness and the risk of injury.

08:54

Low-fat diets or fear of eating enough fat can lead to hormonal imbalances, especially for active women, and if your hormones are off, your recovery, your energy, your mood and your metabolism will all take a hit. Number four why? Under eating keeps you stuck. So this is the part where most people miss. You can train hard, you can sleep well and still feel exhausted and or stuck if you're under eating. Chronic under eating, especially when paired with training, keeps your body in a catabolic state where it's breaking down rather than building up. So this can trigger muscle loss, hormonal disruption, suppressed metabolism, poor recovery, fatigue and low mood. Your body is smart and if it senses that there's not enough energy coming in, it will actually prioritize survival, not progress, and this means that it will downregulate reproductive and thyroid hormones. Goodbye energy and strength, increase cortisol, hello cravings and stubborn belly fat and hold onto fat as a protective mechanism. So, even if your workouts are on point, your body won't be able to adapt or improve if it doesn't feel like it's safe or supported.

09:59

So what happens when you fuel properly? Well, when you eat enough, especially in the right ratios of protein, carbs and fats, you're sending your body a very different signal Like I have what it needs, it's safe, I can recover, let's build some muscle, let's burn some fat, let's feel energized. You shift into an anabolic state where your systems start to thrive instead of just survive. Your muscle repair is faster, your energy rebounds, your strength increases, your hormones stabilize, you sleep better, you feel better and you see results faster. Number three lift with intention, not just intensity. Now you might be thinking what does lifting have to do with recovery? And honestly, the answer is everything.

10:38

Recovery isn't just about what happens after your workouts. It's about how well you've set your body up during your workout to know what it's recovering from. So let me kind of explain. Your body needs a clear signal to adapt. So when you strength train, you're creating those tiny, intentional stressors in your body, which are those microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. These tears are what trigger your body to say, hey, we need to rebuild stronger, so we're more prepared next time. This is called adaptive response and it's part of a bigger process known as super compensation. So here's kind of how it works.

11:10

Training creates a stressor, like lifting weights that challenge you, and that stressor causes fatigue and micro damage in your muscles and in your nervous system, and with enough recovery, your body not only repairs that damage, it overcompensates by making you stronger and more efficient and also more resilient. But if recovery is insufficient or if the workout was just a bunch of junk volume, your body is left depleted, not better. What's junk volume? It's when you do high rep sets with no real challenge, or you add tons of extra exercises without reason, or you repeat random workouts without tracking progress. Basically, it's effort without direction, and the science shows us that your body only adapts when there's a measurable overload. So without that, you're just accumulating fatigue, and fatigue without adaptation. That's when recovery feels hard and your progress stalls.

12:01

Here's what something most people overlook, though your nervous system needs recovery as well. When you lift weights, especially with good intensity, your central nervous system, your CNS, gets taxed. It's responsible for coordinating muscle contractions, maintaining balance, managing energy systems and processing movement patterns. But if you constantly do fatiguing but directionless workouts, you are overworking your CNS without giving it a reason to rewire or become more efficient. And that's when you get symptoms like feeling wiped out right after your workout, brain fog or trouble focusing, muscle flatness or lack of mind to muscle connection, feeling weaker even after resting. But when you train smart, with progressive overload, with intention, your nervous system actually adapts alongside your muscles. You get stronger, you move better and you recover faster because everything is working in sync. Progressive overload equals a clear communication to your body and this is why I really emphasize intentional programming and that's what you'll find inside my Moot with Julie app.

13:00

We do progressive overload with the move in the month and you're able to track your progress throughout the month as you do these workouts from week to week, so that you can make sure that you are implementing progressive overload into your workouts. And this might look like adding five more pounds to that specific lift or doing one extra rep with good form, or taking shorter rest intervals instead of that 30 second rest interval or 45 second rest interval, dropping it by five or 10 seconds, improving stability or adjusting the tempo. So counting one, two, three, four, five. Pause one, two, three, four, five down. Each of these tells your body exactly what it needs to adapt to. And when the training signal is clear and not confusing or excessive, recovery becomes more efficient. Your body knows what it's rebuilding, your hormones stay balanced, your inflammation stays in check, your nervous system stays sharp, your results compound.

13:51

So yes, lifting well, with enough intensity and enough intention, is a part of recovery. It's not just about grinding it out. It's about working with your body, not against it. Recovery doesn't start after your workout ends. It starts the moment that your workout begins, with how you structure it, how you challenge yourself and whether you're giving your body a reason to rebuild stronger. Train with purpose, recover with power. That's how you grow.

14:16

And last but not least, number four, make rest a non-negotiable. Rest is not lazy, it is an essential part of the training process. So during rest, your body repairs muscle damage, it balances those hormones, it restores those energy levels, it supports immune system. Without enough rest, your body accumulates fatigue instead of adapting to the training stimulus. If you're training six or seven days a week without structured rest, or if you're under eating and under sleeping, you are draining your recovery bank account. This can lead to overtraining, which shows up as chronic fatigue, poor sleep, mood swings, loss of strength, frequent illness or injury, and that's why rest days and deload weeks are critical. So rest days allow full repair from training. Deload weeks, however, are planned lower intensity periods to help your body clear accumulated fatigue. So recovery is not weakness, recovery is not wasted time. It is actually where the magic happens. It is what allows all of your hard work to actually turn into the results that you can feel and see. All right, that's all that I have for today's episode, but let's do a quick recap of the four recovery hacks to help you stop feeling tired all the time.

15:26

Number one prioritize sleep. So sleep is the foundation of recovery. Deep sleep boosts muscle repair, it balances hormones and it supports brain function. Without it, your body stays in a stressed state and struggles to recover. Number two fuel your body. Well, remember that recovery isn't just about rest. It's about what you're putting in. Protein helps to rebuild those muscles, carbs restore energy and healthy fat supports those hormones and fight inflammation. Underfueling will keep your body stuck in a breakdown mode. Number three lift with intention Quality matters more than quantity and fight inflammation. Underfueling will keep your body stuck in a breakdown mode. Number three lift with intention. Quality matters more than quantity. Training with the right intensity and progressive overload tells your body to adapt and grow. Random workouts or junk volume just wears you down. And last but not least, number four build in real rest. Rest days and deload are not a sign of weakness. They are where real progress happens. Your body needs time to repair, rebuild and recharge, and without it, you're just piling on stress.

16:21

Now, if you're listening to this and you're like, okay, I know I need to recover better, but how do I actually structure my workouts around that? That's exactly why I created my Moot with Julie app. Inside the app, you're not just getting random workouts. You're getting a strategic plan that helps you to build strength, support your recovery and also fits into your real life. Every single workout is designed with intention, built-in progression. You also have the ability to log and track your workouts so that you can make sure that you are implementing that progressive overload with enough recovery, so that you're not burning out or spinning the wheels.

16:51

We're not here to hustle harder. We're here to train smarter, and that means workouts that actually move the needle without draining your energy or pushing your body into exhaustion. Whether you're in a fat loss phase, you're in a maintenance phase, you're in a muscle building season, movement with Julie gives you a structure, support and flexibility to help you train in a way that honors your body and still gets the results so that you can finally build the body that you want. So if you're ready to stop overtraining and start actually seeing the progress that you've been working so hard for, head to SALE. That's S-A-L-Emovementwithjuliecom, or you can simply click the link in the show notes below to join us, because the way that you move matters and when you move with intention, your body responds.

17:32

And hey, if this episode helps you understand why you're feeling so tired, would you share it with a friend who needs to hear this as well? And if you haven't yet, I'd love for you to leave a review as well. It helps the podcast reach more women who need this message. If you love this episode, I know you'll also love episode 544, the Science of Recovery. I will also link that in the show notes that you can easily go check that out.

17:53

But that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much. I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it.

 
Julie Ledbetterembrace your real, q and a, workouts, scheduleComment