I have overtraining syndrome :(

Clarissa

Clarissa

Cathlete
Can anyone help me? I am suffering from overtraining. I never believed it could happen to me. I can totally recognize it. I have it quite bad. So bad that I could crawl up in fetal position right this minute and cry uncontrollably. I have no desire to do anything - even eat. Yet, I am still "obsessed" with exercise. I could literally fall asleep while walking, have no appetite (force myself to eat) and feel severely depressed and unmotivated, even to vacuum and I am a self-proclaimed vacuumaholic... My body aches and the list goes on. I am going to get blood work this week, if I can get in. Not sure if it will help, but I feel so weak I could collapse. I am a personal trainer as you all know so this is really really hard on me. Working 7 hours straight this morning nearly killed me. My workouts suck, and although I "obsess" about the exercise all day, I can hardly bring myself to do it. I get out of breath even doing dishes suddenly. Like my HR is elevated all the time (?) I am so serious. Can anyone relate? This can be very serious, I am aware. Any tips?

TIA,
Clarissa :(
 
Well first off I want to give you some hugs! ::hugs!!:: but secondly, I'm not sure what I can say to help you. But I do STRONGLY agree that you should go to your docs and DEF get your blood ran, see if there's something going on.

And maybe, you should take it easy on your training career, so that you can focus a bit more on healing yourself. Maybe a couselor/therapist might help here too?

I"m sorry if none of this helps, I do hope that you get better soon. I'm sending you good thoughts and vibes hun! Keep your head up!
 
Clarissa, go get a full work-out with a doctor and I would ask for a therapist recommendation. Ask around and see if there is anyone around that specifically deals with this type of thing. Think of it as something that you can eventually learn from and since you are a PT, help others with.

7 hours is too much to work out in one day, unless you are doing an ironman or something like that. So try to schedule rest just like you schedule work-out. Force yourself to do it. Maybe reward yourself with a movie, or something you have wanted, for adding rest.

Good luck and take care of yourself.
 
I can absolutely relate!!! I trained for and completed an Ironman in 2007. I was soooo overtrained!!! Get the blood work and don't forget to check for adrenal fatigue also. Get your rest, it can take up to a year to recover from this and if you're not careful,(like I wasn't) you could end up injuring yourself to where you won't be able to really do what you love again. As soon as the Ironman was over, I felt obsessed to not lose what I worked so hard to achieve, even though I had all the same signs as you. I signed up and started training for a marathon. I injured my ankle 6 weeks later and was just told last month (yes, I've been to specialists and PT all this time) that I'll ne vever do long distance again. All i want is to do one more Ironman, but was told that even with surgery my chances of doing anything would be 50/50. The injury forced me to take the rest I needed, yes, but at what cost. Make sure there isn't something else going on and if all your blood work comes back negative, take a long rest, or you may end up like me. The mind is willing, but the body is weak......
Take care Girl and let us know how it all goes for you!!
 
multisportgirl said:
I can absolutely relate!!! I trained for and completed an Ironman in 2007. I was soooo overtrained!!! Get the blood work and don't forget to check for adrenal fatigue also. Get your rest, it can take up to a year to recover from this and if you're not careful,(like I wasn't) you could end up injuring yourself to where you won't be able to really do what you love again. As soon as the Ironman was over, I felt obsessed to not lose what I worked so hard to achieve, even though I had all the same signs as you. I signed up and started training for a marathon. I injured my ankle 6 weeks later and was just told last month (yes, I've been to specialists and PT all this time) that I'll ne vever do long distance again. All i want is to do one more Ironman, but was told that even with surgery my chances of doing anything would be 50/50. The injury forced me to take the rest I needed, yes, but at what cost. Make sure there isn't something else going on and if all your blood work comes back negative, take a long rest, or you may end up like me. The mind is willing, but the body is weak......
Take care Girl and let us know how it all goes for you!!
Click to expand...

Thanks ladies...hey, I just wanted to be clear that I am referring to "working for 7 hours" as in personal training from 5-12 noon, not that I was personally exercising..I mean, I do engage w/ them a little but I certainly was NOT working out for 7 hours... :) Thanks,Clarissa
 
or maybe

You have a virus. I suggest taking 1-2 weeks off and only doing very light walking and yoga if at all. Please be kind to yourself. You sound like you might have adrenal fatigue. Hugs!!!!!
 
If I remember correctly, didn't you have a baby not too long ago? Maybe it's something to do with postpartem?? Don't know, just a guess. I've been feeling a lot like you lately. Can't workout, can't eat right. Very depressed. It's a horrible way to feel, so I really hope you feel better soon. Sounds like you really need a break from your busy schedule for a little bit. Anyway, I really hope the doc can help, and hope you're back to your old self again!:)

dani
 
food intake?

Hi,

Are you eating the right foods to fuel your body? As hard as it is for me to constantly fuel my body, I can really tell when I'm just not eating enough and I make it a point to eat. Sometimes I'm not even hungry, but if I look back over the day, I can pretty much tell whether I've eaten enough to keep myself on track. The one thing that motivates me to eat right is that I know my workout the next day will suffer if I don't:)

More exercise is not always better.

Tracy
 
Hey, Clarissa!!!

Let me be the one to gently remind you that you have a family you need to take care of as well. Perhaps thinking of that will encourage you to take the time you NEED so that you can still care for and interact with them.

HUGS!!!!

Gayle
 
From reading posts on this forum, I have a feeling there are quite a few people who are overtraining. It just hasn't hit them the way it's hit you yet.

Looking at the positive: at least you are recognizing what is happening so you can take steps to remedy the situation. As a personal trainer, you no doubt know the value of rest and recovery and balance (though often what we know 'in theory' is hard to put into practice).

You might want to ask yourself what you get out of (over)training, what need it fulfills, and whether that need can be filled by something else. If it's for health and fitness, realize that continuing to push yourself is having the opposite effect.

I'd suggest cutting back severely on your workouts for a time. Nourish your adrenals with superior nutrition (maca is a good whole-food supplement that is beneficial to the adrenals). Brendan Brazier's "Thrive" gives some good nutritional advice for dealing with training (and other) stress.

Maybe treat yourself to some acupuncture treatments that can help restore your vital energy (I felt very much the way you did after I was on a course of Prednisone for poison ivy--a medication I will NEVER take again! as it is very rough on the adrenals--and combining some nutritional strategies (including maca) and 2 acupuncture treatments a week for a short time got me back on track.
 
awwww clarrisa, sorry you feel so bad.:( i kinda know how you feel about being obsessed about working out. i am bad about it myself. i just took the whole last week off after meso 2, cuz i was absolutely worn out. i go and go til i feel like i'm gonna die and then i have to make myself take time off. i feel like a sloth when i'm not working out. i am also 54 and i just can't go like i used to. it really stinks, but unfortunately , that is life. there are days when my body just shuts down and says "nope" not gonna do it. and, i just have to rest, cuz i can't do anything else. i dont' like it , but that is how it is.

kathryn, i think you may be right about people overtraining here. all of these workouts are so hard and i really dn't know how people do a complete cathe rotation. they are just way too advanced for me. i have to sub workouts and there are alot of times that i only workout 5 days a week. sometimes i can do 6, but mostly 5. if i kept up w/cathe i would not just overtrain, i would DIE!!!! i do not know how she does it.
 
Thanks everyone. I really don't know why I have these symptoms. I do, in fact, have a very busy schedule, but not one that would elicit such symptoms. I am currently doing STS too - starting Meso 3 tomorrow (maybe!) And on the in-between days I am just doing some cardio, which quite honestly is usually 20 minutes of HIIT and some ab work. So, that's it. I think it is my demanding PT schedule as well as the 3 kids (yes one is a little 5 mo old baby!) I dunno, I sure am down though. I did do a steady 3 mile run on the TM today, nice and easy 10 min miles, and I feel "good" for now. I will still call the Dr. tomorrow for some blood as I do not like feeling so tired all the time. thanks...
Clarissa
 
Clarissa

This is the strangest thing for me to come across this post.
Two weeks ago I had the exact same symptoms. Sorry for TMI but even diarrhea, which I never have. The loss of appetite was something I never have either, but the thought of food made me want to throw up. Every symptom I had were the same that I found on a web site about over training. It was so depressing. The crazy thing was that I know I have worked longer hrs and worked out harder in the past but I think the combination of the stress with my job and the workouts that I was doing was just too much. On my one day off last Sunday, I slept until 1pm in the afternoon. I never do that. I am normally up on my off days by 6am. I took about 5 days off from working out and did yoga in its place (so I would not feel like I was slouching) and after that I felt back to normal. I know how you feel though. It was not like I was working out 5 hrs a day or anything. I have never felt like that before though and it was absolutely horrible. My best advice to you is make yourself eat! I think that is what got me out of it. I think if I had just given in to the nausea and not eaten anything like I wanted then I would not have come out of it so quickly. Eat even if you have to eat something that is not good for you. Anything you can get in is better than nothing. Give yourself a break, trust me.

I hope you come out of this because I know how horrible it feels!

Rachel
 
ok, there ya go, THREE KIDS????? that could be it. LOL! i have 3 grandkids and they keep my dil quite busy. how on earth do you do all that stuff and take care of 3 kids? that is unbelievable. hmmmmm, wonder why you are tired??????? 10m mile is nice and easy? well, if you say so. :)
i think you are expectiong a bit too much from yourself. i thought i was an over-achiever. LOL! you got me beat! , but that is only cuz i'm so old now that i just can't do it all anymore.
and , on top of it all you are doing STS. well, i think you deserve to be tired. and , i started meso 3 today! did you get started? i did the plyo legs, cuz i needed a short one. it was TOUGH!. i thought i was gonna die.
rachel, i have days like that at least once a month now that i am in my 50's. i have thought about going to a specialist. my regular dr. can't find anything wrong with me. so, not sure what i should do. what do ya'll think? are any of you my age?
 
Clarissa! You have to pick up the newest oxygen. They have a long article in there about overtraining. Very interesting! Thought of you last night when I read it.

Laura :)
 
I DID do Meso 3 this am Cathy. Did the chest and back ...it was very heavy. But doable!

Nervous about Wed when I do PLYO LEGS!!!! Wish me luck!!!

I was "ok" today...feeling better after my rest week last week!

Clarissa ;)
 
Right on, Kathryn!

"From reading posts on this forum, I have a feeling there are quite a few people who are overtraining. It just hasn't hit them the way it's hit you yet."

I absolutley agree with your observation on the overtraining. All too often rather than adjusting their diets, many will overexercise. If they aren't losing weight, they think they have to exercise more.

Working smarter, not harder really produces the best results.
 
Please read Dirt Diva's post "Comfortable in your own skin"- but I agree 100% with Kathryn. There are a whole lotta gals/guys here that suffer from the same "addiction" and as awful as the word addiction may sound it starts to become one when it starts to affect you badly in the mental and physical sense. It will start to consume you and affect you and your family. You need to get help and see a Dr. I don't want to sound like a Dr. or anything but I can speak from experience. I've been down that dark road and it was not a healthy one for me. To me the word "diet" is one of the foulest words in the english language. I exersize for fun, . .mountain biking is fun, running is fun, . . and working out with Cathe is fun. Hang in there, . . .there is help and we're all here for you.
 
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