Ugh nauseous while weight training

llmichalek

Hi all, I just started weight training a few weeks ago. I do about 45 minutes of free weights and some toning every other day. I was running up to now. I never had a problem feeling sick with cardio, but I am having a really hard time getting through 3 sets of circuit training without feeling really sick. Tonight, I upped my dead lift weight by 20 lbs and I had to stop 2 and 1/2 sets in to my circuit training because I felt nauseous and faint. I ate dinner about an hour before, so I was not working on an empty stomach, and I did not exercise too soon. Any thoughts?

dad106

Were you drinking enough water/too much water?

I know that if I drink too much I get nauseous.. but if I don't drink enough then I feel light headed.

llmichalek

Don't eat before your lift.

I have a one year old, so I do not have time to work out until the evenings. When you say, don't eat before you lift, are you saying I should do it first thing in the morning before I eat? Or can I lift a few hours after eating? 2 hours?

llmichalek

Were you drinking enough water/too much water?

I know that if I drink too much I get nauseous.. but if I don't drink enough then I feel light headed.

I don't think I drank too much/too little water. I didn't really feel light headed, I felt sick, my heart was beating through my chest, and I felt exhausted. Now I'm fighting to stay awake. By the way, you look amazing. I would kill for your stomach.

astrampe

Maybe wait longer after you ate...I will literally puke if I lift too soon after eating.....

jppd47

If you ate an hour before, try 1.5 to 2 hours next time. How is your water intake through out the week?

Debbe2

When I lift I generally have a protein shake but not much more before.

debussyschild

It also depends on what you eat. If you're eating a full dinner before lifting, I'd give it at least 2 hours. If you're just have a pre-workout meal like 1/2 C ground oats with a scoop of protein powder, you should be good to go in less than an hour, maybe a little longer if you've still got that full feeling. I'd save the bonafide meal for post-workout when you'll want to eat more anyways. Eating too far in advance of lifting can mess you up, too. Hearing your stomach growl while you're trying to do squats is not fun at all! :sad:

Barbellsandthimbles

If I am lifting heavy, I make sure I eat 2+ hours before hand. I tend to get sick to my stomach otherwise, especially if it was a large meal.

MinMin97

I looked at your diary (thanks for the open diary:)) and do you log everything? On the days you logged you ate very low in calories. Maybe you are not fueling yourself enough for your body's basic metabolic needs, plus the exercise you are doing.

that's great you are lifing, and you need to eat about 1gram protein for each pound of your body's lean body mass. You can calculate your calorie needs on this site and freedieting.com

You should make sure you have all that stuff figured out...we all learn as we go! But it is best to establish a plan. A plan for how much you need to consume, and how much you need to exercise.

DavPul

Many people don't breathe properly while lifting, especially when going heavier than usual. Make sure you aren't holding your breath during sets. If you're not sure, tell your partner to keep an eye out for you and yell "BREATHE" if they catch you holding.

spoonful

You're sending all the blood and oxygen to your muscles. Digesting food also requires it. If there is none to spare and your muscles need more, the body will get rid of the food in your stomach to free some up. It's the same with the fight or flee response. I'm pretty certain that's how it works.

If you're gonna work out real hard then it's best to have very little or nothing in your stomach to digest.

llmichalek

Ok so yes, I do log everything I eat on the days I log. I know I don't eat much. Mostly simply because I don't have the time, chasing a toddler around all day. Bad, I know. I start out with the best intentions each day. I did go out to eat tonight, and although I didn't eat much, it was super oily and maybe it was simply that that made me sick. I try to drink my 8 glasses of water a day, sometimes I only get about 4 or so. I do think I'm breathing properly. I try to count out loud as I'm breathing out to keep myself in check and ensure I breathe with every lift. A shame, the only meal I get to sit down and eat is dinner, after the little one goes to bed. Looks like I'll have to push that back to later also so I have time to train first!

MinMin97

I can totally relate...I have 5 children! My youngest is now 4yrs old this month. You are doing an awesome job to develop your fitness! Its a really great habit. So I have learned that eating 5 small meals/day (you can check out my diary) makes it so much easier to digest, etc. Also, If you develop an early bedtime (actually going to sleep early) then you will be able to get up early before the children and have a early morning workout and breakfast....always so nice to have a relaxing meal, isn't it? Your other meals can be small and satisfying. But you should eat. I know it's very demanding with little ones!
You may be experiencing dehydration and it's symptoms...I have been dehydrated so much, 'cause it seems like the busyness of caring for small ones makes me not drink enough. A cup on the counter on top of a piece of paper works...make tally mark everytime you empty the cup. Works for me. Do you have a protein drink? It is a great quick "meal" :)MinMin

llmichalek

I can totally relate...I have 5 children! My youngest is now 4yrs old this month. You are doing an awesome job to develop your fitness! Its a really great habit. So I have learned that eating 5 small meals/day (you can check out my diary) makes it so much easier to digest, etc. Also, If you develop an early bedtime (actually going to sleep early) then you will be able to get up early before the children and have a early morning workout and breakfast....always so nice to have a relaxing meal, isn't it? Your other meals can be small and satisfying. But you should eat. I know it's very demanding with little ones!
You may be experiencing dehydration and it's symptoms...I have been dehydrated so much, 'cause it seems like the busyness of caring for small ones makes me not drink enough. A cup on the counter on top of a piece of paper works...make tally mark everytime you empty the cup. Works for me. Do you have a protein drink? It is a great quick "meal" :)MinMin

Thanks! Great advice from a fellow mom! She gets up at 5:30, and my natural internal clock is actually a night person so some nights I don't fall asleep until 1, despite trying my hardest. I'm not sure I could function at 4:30 am I also have a 13 year old, and picking her up from the mall at 10 pm also cuts into my sleeping time! The only realistic time I can train is the evening. But I do like the idea of smaller meals, and my friend who is helping me out with the training told me the same thing when I asked him last night, so that's great advice! I have a 16 oz. bottle that I refill throughout the day to keep track. But some days I look over at it at 7 pm and think, "I only refilled you once today, didn't I?"

DaveRCF

Hi all, I just started weight training a few weeks ago. I do about 45 minutes of free weights and some toning every other day. I was running up to now. I never had a problem feeling sick with cardio, but I am having a really hard time getting through 3 sets of circuit training without feeling really sick. Tonight, I upped my dead lift weight by 20 lbs and I had to stop 2 and 1/2 sets in to my circuit training because I felt nauseous and faint. I ate dinner about an hour before, so I was not working on an empty stomach, and I did not exercise too soon. Any thoughts?

Has the nausea occurred on more than one occasion or is this an isolated instance? We all have our off days. I work out in the evenings after dinner and often only leave 90 minutes between finishing dinner and starting training, which starts with heavy back squats. Never a problem.

Also, as a mom it is tough to get enough sleep. If you read up on lifting, getting a good night's sleep is quite important. That may or may not be a contributing factor. Just trying to throw out some things that have not been covered by other posters.

llmichalek

Hi all, I just started weight training a few weeks ago. I do about 45 minutes of free weights and some toning every other day. I was running up to now. I never had a problem feeling sick with cardio, but I am having a really hard time getting through 3 sets of circuit training without feeling really sick. Tonight, I upped my dead lift weight by 20 lbs and I had to stop 2 and 1/2 sets in to my circuit training because I felt nauseous and faint. I ate dinner about an hour before, so I was not working on an empty stomach, and I did not exercise too soon. Any thoughts?

Has the nausea occurred on more than one occasion or is this an isolated instance? We all have our off days. I work out in the evenings after dinner and often only leave 90 minutes between finishing dinner and starting training, which starts with heavy back squats. Never a problem.

Also, as a mom it is tough to get enough sleep. If you read up on lifting, getting a good night's sleep is quite important. That may or may not be a contributing factor. Just trying to throw out some things that have not been covered by other posters.

It was the first time, and I took yesterday off. We'll see how it goes tonight!