vitamin d deficient and stall?

noeasyweigh
noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi all! I have been working my tail off, excercising like crazy and logging everything sice July. I have not loss anything! Managed to gain a bit! I had become increasing sore in my bones, depressed, mean, experiencing night sweats, racing heart, fatigue like no other...just plain awful feeling. I was like how can I be getting in worse shape? I finally broke down and went to the dr last week and she did some blood work and it came back that my vitamin d wouldn't even measure a trace because it was so down. She said that would explain everything that I have been feeling. It was like when she told me that it was ok for every ache in my body to come out because the three days following that, I hurt like noone's business. I have to take 50,000 iu of vitamin d 2 x a week for 8 weeks. Then go back and retest.. I had almost lost hope of everything. Has anyone had any experience with this? I am wondering if I get my d levels back up if maybe then I will lose some weight? Also if you have been through this, how lond did it take to get back to feeling better? I took 5 days off from working out to try to rest my body and was back on the wagon this week, but I hope I am not rushing it? Any help or advice much appreciated!

Replies

  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    No answer for u but I'm on 100,000 ui of vitamin D a week, same as u, for the rest of this year. Doc said no running and he did say that once Vitamin D is up...I should start losing weight faster. Hope he's right about that... :)
  • agentventi
    agentventi Posts: 84 Member
    I had the same experience. Mine was pretty low but not quite as low as yours. I took my vit D, can't even remember how much I think it is 10,000 IU a day. When I went back in 6 weeks I was in the "normal" range and had managed to drop a few lbs. I am not sure if it is the Vit D that helped me lose the last few lbs or the fact that I felt better, more energy.
    I still take it but I have a feeling it might be getting low again with the weather change. I have been awfully tired and moody lately.
    Good luck:)
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    Yes! You are going to be amazed at how good you will feel when your D levels come up. I could not believe it myself and then i started talking to others about D deficiency. My muscles ached, I was depressed, tired, run down, felt like crap and I feel like a whole new person. Took me about 3 weeks to see a change but it has been unbelievable. Vitamin D also helps weight loss.
  • jessicahelene
    jessicahelene Posts: 77 Member
    A cursory look shows that in 2009 it was discovered that there was a link between the level of vitamin D in a person's system at the beginning of a weight loss program and their total loss over the course of the study:

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/153669.php

    Then in 2010 another study came out that showed that supplementing vitamin D is calorie restricted diets promoted greater weight loss:

    http://www.naturalnews.com/028051_Vitamin_D_weight_loss.html

    So I think it is reasonable to say that your negligible vitamin D levels may have contributed to your lack of weight loss, and supplementing it may have a positive impact on your loss.

    (notice all the "may" in there.. spoken like a true scientist, right?)
  • pinkpanthers1995
    pinkpanthers1995 Posts: 41 Member
    Had the same issue - and slowly started to lose again once my levels got back up. I am going to be scheduling a follow up soon and hopefully my levels are in the acceptable range (stopped moving again recently). Best of luck to you!
  • chelsifina
    chelsifina Posts: 346 Member
    I had many of your symptoms and also tested as vitamin D deficient. However, I was also deficient in magnesium and Bs, and further tests (not blood tests unfortunately) showed that I had parasites, a candida infection, and a bacterial infection, all of which were in my intestines. I'm taking supplements out the wazoo, including 10,000 whatevers of vitamin D per day and a twice weekly injection of all the B vitamins. I probably got the parasites on one of my trips to India, so I have likely had them interfering with my absorption of micronutrients for 2 to 4 years. After starting my (admittedly more complex) treatment I began to feel much better after a week. I am three weeks in (also a new diet to follow to help kill the Candida infection) and I feel about 90% better.
    Like you, I was running, pushing hard, very disciplined on my diet and lost no weight for 2 years. Now I've already lost 4 pounds in the past three weeks, and it feels like a solid loss. I am doing much more gentle workouts (no running for awhile) and doing alot of work towards stress reduction.
    I hope that helps. I know our situations differ, but if you have any questions or just want to vent about how much it sucks to try to do everything right and have your body not follow along, feel free to PM me!!
  • marz1pan
    marz1pan Posts: 80 Member
    I will note that I am not a doctor, but I have been battling an illness I couldn't place for months and though I am not at the bottom of it, dealing with my vitamin deficiencies has been very helpful.

    I didn't have the exact same symptoms, but I was experiencing extreme fatigue, with depressed feelings and pain in my muscles and bones and I was also told I was extremely low on vitamin D. It turns out what was really behind it was a lack of magnesium. Magnesium is essential to the processing of Vitamin D (and calcium, and sodium, and potassium and many other essential body functions), and it supports your energy metabolism and protein synthesis. These can both be reasons why losing weight (and perhaps building muscle?) would be difficult for you. If the Vitamin D does not help or if it does not relieve the symptoms completely, I would ask about a magnesium deficiency. It is unfortunately very hard to test for because it's so spread throughout your body. My doctor told me that in the U.S. magnesium deficiency is very common, if unknown by most people.

    A few foods high in magnesium they suggested I work into my diet:
    Halibut
    Spinach
    Squash
    Seeds, especially pumpkin
    Beans, especially pinto and black
    Plantain, raw
    Nuts, especially Brazil nuts, almonds, peanuts

    I wouldn't take supplements for it unless directed, but you can help your body better process all the extra vitamin D by taking on some magnesium rich foods whether you have a deficiency or not.
  • mcpjan
    mcpjan Posts: 76 Member
    I am also on 50,000 units x 2 weeks. I have been on that for almost a year now. Once you level gets closer to normal you will have more energy. I have a thyroid problem that is causing my issue but once my vitamin D level is closer to normal I am able to loss some weight. I have lots more energy. Please fell free to add me as a friend if you like.
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    wow, I can't believe it! I thought I was going nuts!! or menopausal! LOL! I can't wait to feel better! I would literally go into the bathroom at work to go pee, and fall asleep there.. I just couldn't stay alert!

    rm830-no running> I wonder if I will mess myself up if I am running?

    jessicahelene- a true scientist... thanks for the links I will have to check them out!

    lambertj- you look great! thanks for the kind words!

    agentventi--i definitely go get those levels checked. Are you taking any supplemental d since then? I think I will once I am hopefully back to normal again. If that prescription dose of d doesn't work for me hopefully I will get plenty of d in two weeks when I take my mom and I on our mother daughter trip to Florida!
  • petechiae
    petechiae Posts: 147 Member
    I have heard somewhere that everyone is vitamin D deficient. Of course, some cases are more serious than others, but everyone is supposed to take vitamin D supplements. If you don't spend enough time in the sun, don't eat a lot of fortified foods or fish, have a mal-absorption issue, take certain drugs, are over 60, a child, pregnant, lactating, overweight, have dark skin, you could possibly have a vitamin D deficiency.

    Treating this deficiency could very possibly aid you in your weight loss. It is said that the vitamin D is needed by receptors in your brain to keep hunger and cravings in check, as well as to pump up levels of the mood-elevating chemical serotonin. It also optimizes your body's ability to absorb other important weight-loss nutrients, especially calcium. When your body lacks calcium, it can experience up to a fivefold increase in the fatty acid synthase, an enzyme that converts calories into fat. By fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to get out of a fat-storage state and into a fat-burning one, you could potentially speed weight loss by up to 70 percent!

    Check out the following links for more information :

    http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/health/ages/why-everyone-needs-a-little-more-vitamin-d/article_c08d91f4-3ff9-11e1-805a-0019bb2963f4.html

    http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/vitamin-d-weight-loss
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    chelsifina- the yeast thing has me thinking? I had a weird rash on my shoulders and arms and she said it was a yeast infection from working out. I thought that was weird, since the first thing I do after working out is hit the showers! I have a cream for that!

    marz1pan, I was reading a bit about the vitamin b deficiency and a common word I kept hearing was magnesium. So I went out and bought a supplement because I also read that magnesium deficiency can cause restless legs, and i have that like crazy! sometimes I have to sleep on the couch so that I can stuff my feet in the cushions to keep from moving them all over the place! Any reason you suggest not to supplement?

    mcpjan- I originall thoght it was my thyroid too, but they said those levels look ok.. but I have read that sometimes what drs think are ok levels really aren't? like if one # is in this range and the other is in that range, it isn't so good?

    I also decided to take a b-6 supplement.
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    Check out the following links for more information :

    http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/health/ages/why-everyone-needs-a-little-more-vitamin-d/article_c08d91f4-3ff9-11e1-805a-0019bb2963f4.html

    http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/vitamin-d-weight-loss

    thanks for the links petechiae..i copied them and added to my favorites to check out!

    Thanks to everyone who has responded! IT HELPS TO NOT FEEL SO ALONE and have someone that undestands!~
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    wow, I can't believe it! I thought I was going nuts!! or menopausal! LOL! I can't wait to feel better! I would literally go into the bathroom at work to go pee, and fall asleep there.. I just couldn't stay alert!

    rm830-no running> I wonder if I will mess myself up if I am running?

    Eh...he told me no running because my ankles and knees were hurting...he said it's cuz of Vitamin D deficiency so that's why no running for me. He told me to do more low impact stuff.
  • satishchannar
    satishchannar Posts: 5 Member
    I used to have racing heart too, I could not sleep in the night because of racing heart problem. I could feel my heartbeat near my neck which was very uncomfortable. I was not sure if it was related to Vitamin D, I thought it was due to Electolytes and started drinking Gatorade after every workout. I think after about 2 weeks the symptoms vanished by itself. Later my blood work report said I am vitamin D deficient . I am not sure if the symptoms were related to Vitamin D , however I am currently taking 2 tablets of 400 IU with Calcium.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    We've created quite an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in this country.

    I was "unmeasurable" too.
    I'm now holding steady in the "good range".
    I didn't notice any changes.

    My sister did. She has fibro and has noticed an improvement in her energy and pain levels, and the weight is slowly coming off for her.

    I wasn't having restless leg, but was having foot cramps. Like the ball of my foot. I added magnesium and they have disappeared (and I'm regular! Bonus!!).
  • RubyWare
    RubyWare Posts: 51 Member
    Your story sounds just like mine. Also had a very low thyroid. I started my supplements about 2 weeks ago. Am I feeling better? Hmmmm I think so ... bones/joints don't hurt quite as bad. Energy is getting better. I added a fan to my side of the bed which has helped with the night sweats and my heart doesn't race all the time now. I've found that tons of water keep my headaches away for the most part. I'll keep checking back on this string to see what others have to say.
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    I used to have racing heart too, I could not sleep in the night because of racing heart problem. I could feel my heartbeat near my neck which was very uncomfortable. I was not sure if it was related to Vitamin D, I thought it was due to Electolytes and started drinking Gatorade after every workout. I think after about 2 weeks the symptoms vanished by itself. Later my blood work report said I am vitamin D deficient . I am not sure if the symptoms were related to Vitamin D , however I am currently taking 2 tablets of 400 IU with Calcium.

    I totally know that heartbeat in the neck feeling! YUCK!
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    We've created quite an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in this country.

    I was "unmeasurable" too.
    I'm now holding steady in the "good range".
    I didn't notice any changes.

    My sister did. She has fibro and has noticed an improvement in her energy and pain levels, and the weight is slowly coming off for her.

    I wasn't having restless leg, but was having foot cramps. Like the ball of my foot. I added magnesium and they have disappeared (and I'm regular! Bonus!!).
    I have that pain in the botttom of my left foot near the ball. I thought I hurt it doing the pylo in my exercise video. I also was having to biofreeze up myself before doing my workout... WTH seemed right about that in retrospect!!
  • amydee714
    amydee714 Posts: 232 Member
    My doctor found my Vitamin D was low a year ago. So low that he put me on a prescription Vitamin D for 2 months and then on an over the counter Daily Vitamin D supplement. When he checked me about 6 months ago it had doubled, but was still too low so I still take 2000iu every day. Just did my bloodwork this past Monday and will find out next week if it is back to normal. Apparently it is fairly common in Vegas because the sun is so hot alot of us avoid it. :)

    Since starting it I do feel so much better. I dont know if it helped my weight loss or not, but feeling better certainly helped my attitude about exercising!
  • noeasyweigh
    noeasyweigh Posts: 107 Member
    Amazing. I wanted to add a few of my symptoms. I was anxious, light headed and dizzy, nauseous, weepy, had headaches, tired, unable to sleep, hated everyone, bones hurt, racing heart, unable to focus, unable to lose weight. anyone care to add anything? As I said earlier, even though I was working out religously every night, I felt like I was backtracking on my reps, runs, ect. I felt like I was getting weaker, not stronger. Then the last few weeks I was having to put on biofreeze before my workouts everywhere...even my knuckles hurt! WTH seemed right about that> LOL! I guess I am nothing if not dedicated!
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    Amazing. I wanted to add a few of my symptoms. I was anxious, light headed and dizzy, nauseous, weepy, had headaches, tired, unable to sleep, hated everyone, bones hurt, racing heart, unable to focus, unable to lose weight. anyone care to add anything? As I said earlier, even though I was working out religously every night, I felt like I was backtracking on my reps, runs, ect. I felt like I was getting weaker, not stronger. Then the last few weeks I was having to put on biofreeze before my workouts everywhere...even my knuckles hurt! WTH seemed right about that> LOL! I guess I am nothing if not dedicated!

    I think you covered it...and definitely weepy...and angry, for no reason. I'm 4 weeks in and still dizzy and weepy, headaches have reduced, but still very tired and not lifting as heavy as before...backtrack feeling. Almost feeling discouraged with my workouts
  • marz1pan
    marz1pan Posts: 80 Member
    marz1pan, I was reading a bit about the vitamin b deficiency and a common word I kept hearing was magnesium. So I went out and bought a supplement because I also read that magnesium deficiency can cause restless legs, and i have that like crazy! sometimes I have to sleep on the couch so that I can stuff my feet in the cushions to keep from moving them all over the place! Any reason you suggest not to supplement?

    I only say you might want to ask your doctor first because if you have any kidney problems, extra magnesium can be an issue for your kidney health, and I don't want to run around telling people they need to take supplements they might not need! I know it's considered safe for most people to take supplements.

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