WHen i began to lose weight (and i suspect fat) through a combination of the paleo diet and strength training, i was way energized. It could be that the burning fat gave me a big energy boost. I have read the same thing from other people, i suspect that certain people are efficient (maybe too efficient) at storing body fat, and when they burn the body fat, their appetite decreases yet they feel very energized. We must have descended from some kind of feast or famine culture, because the constant presence of food is my downfall, but i am able to subsist on very little for quite a while if i get in the zone. Being hungry is actually energizing both physically and mentally.

The two keys for me were the paleo diet, specifically the absence of grains and sugars, and the strength training. One or the other were not effective by themselves.

I've lost over 10 pounds in two weeks by doing a Whole30, and it was the easiest weight I've ever lost. If you are only 10lb overweight, though, I don't think you would lose as much as fast. I've got (well.. I had!) about 50 to shed.

If you want fast and unpleasant (sounds like you don't), the bodybuilders' Velocity Diet is probably the most effective, but it's not a healthy thing to put your body through.

It sounds like you may have nutrient deficiencies such that you run on empty when you're eating less food. You could try getting a nutrient blood panel done to see what you're low in. I especially recommend testing for B12 (but read Chris Kresser's article about it first so you can make sure your doctor uses the right tests).

Alternatively, you could try supplementing with different things to see if any make a difference, giving each about a week or two. I've had energy improvements with vitamin D, selenium, magnesium, iodine (only after making sure I have enough selenium), methyl-B12, folate, other B vitamins (e.g. P-5-P), increasing my salt, and vitamin C.

Or you could try covering your bases and getting a general purpose multivitamin, but I haven't personally found that to be as effective.

Normally, I think people don't need supplementation on the paleo diet because it's a very nutrient dense way of eating. But if you're cutting food to lose weight and/or you have some health reason to be deficient (e.g. celiac disease), then I think it can be useful to supplement.

I think probably nutrient dense foods with sensible portion sizes is probably the way to go. Make sure to take a nice walk every day in addition to any other strength training or other exercise. Make the walk somewhat long but not fast or strenuous and if possible do it out in the sun or somewhere with natural things to look at. Exercise like this can be energizing if it isn't too demanding.

You could try intermittent fasting, just by skipping breakfast and eating your regular foods for lunch and dinner. It is one of the many techniques I've used in conjunction with other methods such as low carb paleo and hcg this year to lose 64 pounds since January.

A healthy weight loss plan will ensure that you feel full and active throughout the day. That’s the entire point of a diet! It’s not supposed to make you feel drained and weak. It’s supposed to make you feel energized. I can say that with confidence because I went on the Dukan diet 4 months ago with the intention of dropping 34 pounds. Well, I did it. I didn’t think I could initially but I did. I NEVER felt dull or depressed. Never felt the urge to snack because I was full all the time. Find a diet that is manageable. If it’s too restricting, you’ll never be able to see it through.

There's nothing special about your hyperpalatable diet that you're missing. It's just that in general low palatable food is lower in refined carbohydrates which are easy to turn into quick energy. The real solution is to convert to a diet low in refined carbs and higher in fats. This necessarily will require a bit of time while your body becomes fat adapted, so you will have a bit of low energy (for me is was about two weeks, some people it's only like 3-4 days). You may just have to suck it up and deal with it until your body adapts. Easy-to-burn fats, like coconut oil and coconut butter can help with the transition, but you need to change your biochemistry, and without some stressor (low refined carbs) there's no incentive for your body to rewire it's energy burning mechanisms.

Practically, I suggest the Whole30. They have a full 30-day prescription to get you into fat burning mode and help with dealing with the transition. Don't give up when it gets hard, just fight through the low energy (maybe that means not working out, it's not going to kill you to take some days off!) and get your body to adjust. Why put off being set up for the rest of your life because you don't want a few days/weeks of feeling low energy during the transition.