How can I improve stamina?

[Quicksilvre]

Nineteen-year-old male here, about 5'10" and 150 lbs, and I have an issue. Well, I have a lot of issues with my health, really, but one issue that I specifically want to address here.

I'm a student, studying at a demanding university taking a demanding major (math) with a chronic illness to boot. My class load is not too bad; I go to 16 hours of class (third year math and physics) and I expect to do about 20-25 hours a homework a week. I'm sure most of you do more at your school/job than I do.

My problem is that I simply have no energy left after that. By the time I make it back to my room all I want to do is either watch TV or take a nap. I've tried going to bed earlier, but all I do is just lie there for a while or get up two hours before my alarm clock goes off. It's very hard to get up and go to the library or pick up a pencil and start working, much less socialize.

I do not get very much exercise. Mostly it's just walking to class or the dining halls, which totals about a mile and a half per day on average. Last year I would walk from campus to downtown, which was a more robust workout--almost two miles round-trip, with a twelve-story climb down and up the stairs leading to town. I think I had somewhat better energy then, but I did have better health as well. My diet is low residue (as little fiber/fried food as possible), but other than that, it's whatever the dining halls have. I average around 200 mg of caffeine a day. There is a full-fledged gym and swimming pool on campus, available to all students.

Is there anything in particular that I ought to be taking in, exercise- or diet-wise? I suspect this means more than just squats and deadlifts (right?).

[kerowo]

Don't try and change your sleeping habits in big chunks, work in quarter hour intervals until you get it to the place you think it should be at.

If you get tired and take a nap as soon as you get home go to the gym before you go back to your room.

[thirddan]

what is your diet like? making changes here could lead to a lot of changes in your energy...

not sure what you mean low residue and little fiber/fried food...not really sure how fiber and fried food got lumped together since one is good and the other is bad...

[kidcolin]

Diet is probably a major part of it. Plenty of people don't eat well in college. I didn't anyway.

fwiw, I had a slightly larger workload than you in college, and I utilized one tool more than any other: the nap.

[calmasahinducow]

What chronic illness?

[Quicksilvre]

[ QUOTE ]
What chronic illness?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ulcerative colitis. I've talked about it a little bit on the forums:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...ue#Post11454370
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...ue#Post11719868

This is where the no-fiber rule kicks in; any roughage will aggravate it.

[shemp]

Do you have access to a counselor? Someone who can refer you to a nutritionist or a shrink? TV is very relaxing, yet an obstacle to sleep-- maybe you can't coexist with one presently.