Fatigue

B

becky2500

Cathlete
I consider myself an intermediate to an advanced person when it comes to working out. I've done the FIRM for 2 years and Cathe for almost 8 months now. Here's my problem: I seem to suffer from bouts of huge fatigue. Weeks can go by where I look forward AND love Cathe's workouts and push myself to lift heavier and often do. Then I have bouts of fatigue for 3-4 days where I have to force myself to workout, I don't enjoy it, I can't lift heavy at all and I keep thinking, "when will this end?". I have just started watching more closely what I eat. I admit, I don't eat clean all of the time...but I know some athletes who eat whatever and don't suffer like I do. I just don't believe that my diet is what does this to me. I just had a physicial and I had a lot of bloodwork done as I talked to my doctor about this (a CBC, Liver functions, TSH (thyroid). You name it, I had it, and they all came back normal. I am really sick of this cycle thing and I need help to find out what is causing this! Any ideas/suggestions? If you do think it's my diet, give me some references so I can investigate more, maybe books, websites, etc. Thanks!

Becky
 
I usually do 2-3 days on, one day off. I always rotate, and NEVER work same body parts two days in a row. In October this is a sample week(s) for me:

Monday: Step Jump @ Pump
Tuesday: UCB (The FIRM's Ultimate Calorie Blaster)
Wednesday: Step Blast
Thursday:push/Pull
Friday: off
Saturday: Yoga & Ab sculpt
Sunday: The FIRM Aerobic Body Shaping


Monday: Core Max
Tues: off
Wed: Off
Thurs: The Firm's Aerobic Body Shaping
Friday: Low Max
Saturday: The Firm's Ultimate Calorie Blaster
Sunday: The Firm's Total Body Sculpt
 
I should probably add after thinking about the overtraining thing is that I am a nurse who works approx 3 nights per week. Just so you all are aware. Oh, and I do take a multivitamin daily.

Thanks!
Becky
 
Becky-
If memory serves me FIRMs are mainly circuity???
If so It really may be too much cardio... I was experiencing the same type of fatigue and when I lowered cardio (including circuits which I LOVE) to 3 days a week w/ 3 wt training my fatigue lifted and hasnt returned. Just my thoughts since Dr checked you out as OK
 
>Then I have bouts of fatigue for 3-4
>days where I have to force myself to workout, I don't enjoy
>it, I can't lift heavy at all and I keep thinking, "when will
>this end?".

I am currently going through this as well. In fact, I have EXACTLY what you describe. I have taken the past 3 days off and plan to take the rest of the week off. For some reason, I just feel like I've been run over!

Overtraining has been suggested to me as well, but I don't understand how that could be it when I see so many other women working out harder or just as hard as I do. Maybe I'm just pushing too hard too fast.

I'll let you know if this rest helps at all.:D
 
MuffinTop: See that's just it for me too. Sometimes those 3-4 days off revive me, but most of the time, I'm still not ready to work out and am still very fatigued. I just finished a 3 day stretch of extreme fatigue, telling myself to take a rest and I'll feel better. I'm still not 100%. The only other thing I can remotely think of is that I live in the Midwest. We've had very little sunshine and it's cold (high today of 50 degrees). I do have a history of depression and I'm ready to run out and buy a light box. You know, a light you sit under for 1/2 hour daily to get your circadian rhythm back and decrease on the fatigued feeling..maybe I have Seasonal Affective Disorder? Anyone try this?

HELP!!!!!!

Becky
 
Traci, you are correct. Most of the FIRM's are "circuity". Would you mind posting a typical rotation for you, so I have something to go on? Thanks,

Becky
 
I'm in ND and know what you mean about the no sun thing! Usually, I will close my shades and turn on all the lights in the workout area to get past that, but lately there's actual physical pain accompanying the tired feeling. I happen to be going to the Dr. for something else tomorrow and am going to ask about the pain. The change of seasons probably could have something to do with it...BUT we do get an extra hour of sleep this weekend.
Hang in there!
 
Just a quick thought.

I am in nursing school and also work as a nurse assistant on a Med/Surg floor. You work your butt off as a nurse! You're constantly on your feet, you're mentally taxed/stressed, and you're working nights! Seems to me that all the extraneous things in your life combined with a more rigous workout schedule could zap your extra energy!

I don't know what your personal life looks like, but if it is busy/physical/hectic, that could be one reason.

In the summer I am able to workout five or six days per week with no problem. Once school starts, I have to be more flexible with my w/o schedule or else I would fall over from fatigue.

In the perfect world, life would be condusive to our rigorous w/o schedules and aspirations, but that is not realistic and certainly NOT the way life is!

Just a thought, don't know if it's accurate!
 
Don't know if this will help, but in my experience I am going through the same sort of cycle..

Mine I am attributing to getting my monthly cycle again - ( I was on the shot - Depo - for about seven years ) - I decided I needed my body to function naturally so I got off.....but now it seems that right around that time - about three days before - I get exhausted! Just mentally and physically do NOT want to do much - - when it (Aunt Flow) comes, then I am ok again........but I take it VERY easy those days - mainly just walking the dog now and doing stretching - - I was trying to push through it and I ended up getting completely run down with a cold - so that didn't work for me.....

I also live in the Midwest and always see a slight decrease in energy level during the months when the sun goes under by 6PM!!! DRIVES ME NUTS!!! But I love my four seasons too :)

I do the same thing as another poster - I crank up the lights and try to get to bed earlier in the winter months.......so maybe get some more sleep and after three weeks of a hard workouts, give your body a break and do lowimpact and yoga for a week :) Variety is the spice of life - - -
 
Goldenrun: I have a 3yr old DS and a school aged 6yr old DD. It is a bit hectic in my life that's for sure. You are right also in that I run around and HAVE to be fit for my job. But I don't work full time, that's what I keep thinking. I know there are many women out there who do more then me. Maybe it is just my life and me and I'll have to live with it. It's just hard to accept that's all.

Thanks for your input, you may be on to something.

Becky
 
This is the additional info I was waiting for. The fact that in your first post you mentioned that this is a cycle and here you state that you have a history of depression tells a story. My energy levels also cycle up and down in rhythms and I too have a history of depression and mood disorders. Any depression/mood disorder will have accompanying physiological symptoms, and fatigue is a classic. I think that a light box is a useful and practical approach. Start with that. Then approach your physical body with this understanding that our bodies do function according to rhythms and it is unnatural of us to impose a 24 hour clock and other systems, such as the persistence of daylight afforded by the light bulb, upon them. Rather than try to change your body and insist that it re-arrange itself to an imposed order, which may not work at all, it may be more productive and promote greater health to respect its natural tendencies and rhythms. If you can work out hard for weeks, then believe me, you are actuially so lucky. I can't do this yet. I am battling daily and constant fatigue. So, if you then have to take a few days rest, is it really so bad? Yes, it is frustrating to the extent that your mind wishes to control and dictate terms to your body and cannot. But taking a few days rest will not at all prove detrimental to your fitness levels or training program. In fact the opposite can be true.

Clare
 
"In the perfect world, life would be condusive to our rigorous w/o schedules and aspirations, but that is not realistic and certainly NOT the way life is!"

I agree with this completely. And also, Becky, you made an important point when you said: "I know there are many women out there who do more then me." I agree with you. I wish I also had the energy levels other women do. But I don't, and neither do you, and the trick for peace lies in accepting this. Modern life is often actually not all that healthy: the push to do, do, do, keep doing more, multi-task whereever possible....etc. It creates ill-health because we disregard our own body's personal needs and never achieve true peace and presence of mind. It's all very well to do yoga til the cows come home, but I prefer to think that actually doing one thing at a time and doing it well, then moving onto the next, rather than multi-tasking, creates better presence of mind. For me, at least, it does. And if your body demands rest, then that's what it needs and to push further makes you unhappy and eventually sick.

Clare
 
Clare-
I think you make many important points. (also, send me an email, if you want. I think we actually live hear each other!!)


It's important that all of us learn to listen to our bodies -- and one person's light day is another person's heavy day in terms of exercise.

I find that it's confusing to read my body--sometimes when I am fatigued, the best thing for me is some cardio or exercise. Other times, the best thing is rest. It's hard to know. I keep an exercise log and sometimes reading what I have been up to helps me figure out which to choose: rest or light cardio or pushing myself a bit.

I don't think there are any easy answers to this.

Becky -- know you are not alone in this and keep working at finding out what works best for you.

-Barb
:) :)
 
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