WTF? So discouraged.

dottheallison

Okay. I joined this thing on the 4th of July. I've actually lost a good 7 lbs. My goal is to lose 40 more.

I started exercising 5 times a week (moderate/fast walking) then started getting into running and lifting/strength training a little bit.
My knees started to hurt, so I toned down the running to only once a week and that worked.
And now that I'm back to mostly walking my feet hurt all of a sudden! The arches of my feet on top and underneath, especially my right foot. I persevered through a couple of workouts thinking it was just tightness and soreness that could be "walked off" - but had to stop in the middle of my evening walk tonight because it was just too painful.
I stand all day at work (50 hours/wk, pharmacy tech at an independent pharmacy where there are not really any "sit down" breaks, I eat my lunch standing, etc. Plus one day a week at another pharmacy) in between these workouts.
So I'm just wondering.... What am I doing wrong? Pushing too hard too fast? Should I see a doctor about my feet? Why am I not losing more weight? I'm netting less than 1200 most days - but its because I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and I'm not a big person.... And NOW I have to stop working out for a few days and see if this pain clears up or what. Because I can't afford to take time off of work... And I do have a couple of pairs of good shoes that are only 2 months old.
I'm just super discouraged right now. Any suggestions would be welcome, except I really don't know how I could eat MORE.

dinoskycm

What kind of shoes do you wear? Like, what brand and are they suited for walking or running? If you are running, you should have a shoe that properly supports your arch but that it is also lightweight. Heavy shoes can cause issues. So that would be my first concern.

Second, where are you running/walking? Is it on a treadmill? I once pulled a muscle in my right foot because I was walking, and the belt on the treadmill felt like it slipped and I had to regain my balance. It hurt for like 2 weeks. That was last year.

Then, a few weeks ago, i twisted my knee while running on a trail. I caught uneven ground and twisted it. My meniscus became inflamed, and I'm just now getting back to normal. It's been like three weeks. I was doing too much too quickly.

My point is that it could be because of a lot of reasons. I personally, would try the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) and if it doesn't seem to get better, go to a doctor. I ended up doing too much too quickly, and your body will talk to you. Maybe even cut back to exercising two or three times a week until it gets better. I also work on my feet all day, and if you are standing in a limited area for an extended amount of time, that can also contribute to it because there is pressure on weak spot so it will hurt until it can get better.

Just listen to your body. When I twisted my knee, (before I went to the doctor) my best friend was like, oh its just tendonitis and you need to walk it off. Another friend said the same thing. It ended up being something more serious than that, so I'm glad I didn't listen to them. Only you know what it feels like, and if you feel like you can walk or exercise, awesome! If not, it's okay. Let it rest and try it again the next day or the day after. I would definitely recommend going to a doctor though so they can tell you exactly what to do.

dottheallison

THANK YOU. It is so nice to hear that "walk it off" is not always the solution. Lol.

I have a treadmill at home. Due to my schedule it's usually very early or late that I work out and I don't feel safe doing that out of doors at that time, besides which the sidewalks AND streets are both in pretty unfortunate condition. I usually walk once a day for 45 minutes to an hour. Or twice a day for 1/2 hour, mostly depending on how well I sleep the night before.
I have 2 pair of shoes, both are runners. One is New Balance 360. And the other is Reebok YourFlex. I LOVE the Reeboks, they make it feel like I'm walking on marshmallows. My suspicion is that the padding in the NB's is starting to wear already, everywhere except the arch (I have high arches) which is causing undo pressure on the arch from underneath. Also, I had a cast on my right foot once during a growth spurt and that foot has never quite caught up size-wise, so I usually tie that shoe tighter...
So the combination of all that I think just strained the crap out of my foot during my Sunday/Monday morning workouts - which resulted in super-soreness yesterday. It does feel substantially better today. Although not completely yet - so I'm still afraid to walk yet. Especially after standing for the last 9 hours - and looking forward to a 10 hour day tomorrow... Hopefully one more day of "resting" it should take care of it enough for me to start again.

Silver Lining:
I was talking to my Dad last night about all of this frustration (he is also overweight, and pre-diabetic last I heard) and how I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. And he gave me some tips from a nutritionist he saw a few months ago, at which time he lost a lot of weight, but has since fallen off the wagon due to some very serious and valid external stressors (food addiction, especially for comfort, is apparently hereditary, lol). And long story short, he's decided to get back on the wagon himself, so now we have each other to be accountable to and encourage.
It's really an answer to prayer, I have been increasingly worried about him as he has gained the weight back pretty quickly but - as someone who's been there - when you're overweight, you know it, you don't need someone to tell you to do something about it or how.... So yeah. Yay.

kellya009

In the morning before you get out of bed, stretch out your arches. You can also freeze a water bottle or golf ball and roll your foot on it for 10-15 minutes at the end of the day when you get home. This might help with the pain. If it doesn't get better I'd see a doctor, it might be plantar faciitis.