Incredibly fatigued.. Rest or keep going?

Addiewe
Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all. :-) So I am into week 6 and down 8 lbs. I am 34 yr old female, 5'4" and 151 lbs. Goal weight is 125. For the first one or two weeks I was sedentary. I then began a walking routine 5-6 days a week, including some hills. I started at 1 mile, then three, then this last week went up to 5. Up until recently I felt good (aside from early shin splints that good shoes corrected). The past few days my weight has been up a couple pounds and I am just so so fatigued when on my walks. My calorie goal is 1792 which is TDEE-20%. I weigh all foods and rarely undereat. I was losing steadily at 1-1.5 lbs a week. Due to being so fatigued, I ate at maintenance the past couple days. Today my legs felt like lead and I barely made it 3 miles. I had a regular on my route comment that I appeared "out of gas". Thats truly how I feel. Eating at maintenance hasnt seemed to help.

My question is, do I just push through it? Do I continue eating at a deficit and maintaining my daily walks? Or do I need to eat at maintenance and take a fitness break? I feel quite a bit frustrated. This is the point where in the past I have fallen off the wagon. Any ideas?

Replies

  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    Take a few days off the walking and see if you feel better. I used to train monday to friday, and mondays were always my best training days because of the rest over the weekend.

    It probably wouldn't hurt to stay at maintenance for a while if 2-3 days of rest doesn't resolve your fatigue. You can always start again when you feel better, maybe with with a smaller deficit.

    If you are still fatigued after a week or so at maintenance and without exercise, you might want to see a doctor, just in case.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Maybe you're coming down with something? Or starting your period?
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Maybe you're coming down with something? Or starting your period?

    Not near my period, but did wonder about illness. Doubt it though.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Addiewe wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Maybe you're coming down with something? Or starting your period?

    Not near my period, but did wonder about illness. Doubt it though.

    How are your macros and micros?
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Addiewe wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Maybe you're coming down with something? Or starting your period?

    Not near my period, but did wonder about illness. Doubt it though.

    How are your macros and micros?

    Pretty balanced but I do struggle with protein. Working on that.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Hmm. Wonder what's making you tired, that's all. You exercise isn't so so taxing, especially with the calorie goal you have. I don't know what advice to give you as far as exercise/maintenance though. I try to work through it all when I'm tired but we're all different and I don't know exactly how you feel.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Hmm. Wonder what's making you tired, that's all. You exercise isn't so so taxing, especially with the calorie goal you have. I don't know what advice to give you as far as exercise/maintenance though. I try to work through it all when I'm tired but we're all different and I don't know exactly how you feel.

    Thank you!

  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Are you logging your walking at all? You very well could be simply not eating enough. What you describe is how I feel when I don't get enough food. If you are walking 5 miles on a daily basis it could be that you need to adjust your activity level. Consider getting a fitbit to track you actual activity. It will give you a better idea of what you need to be eating on a given day.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    Are you logging your walking at all? You very well could be simply not eating enough. What you describe is how I feel when I don't get enough food. If you are walking 5 miles on a daily basis it could be that you need to adjust your activity level. Consider getting a fitbit to track you actual activity. It will give you a better idea of what you need to be eating on a given day.

    I don't know, for a sedentary person who takes a few mile walks, at 5'4" and 150 lbs...1700 ish calories seems fine. Maybe I'm missing something though.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    edited May 2015
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    Are you logging your walking at all? You very well could be simply not eating enough. What you describe is how I feel when I don't get enough food. If you are walking 5 miles on a daily basis it could be that you need to adjust your activity level. Consider getting a fitbit to track you actual activity. It will give you a better idea of what you need to be eating on a given day.

    My walks are figured into my TDEE calculations so I dont log them as most do on MFP. Instead I log them as 1 cal so I can track the duration. And yes, a fit bit is definitely on my wish list.

  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    edited May 2015
    Double post
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    I don't know half enough about TDEE to know if your calorie goal is good but it looks like it. Have you recalculated recently to make sure it's still right?

    How's your sleeping lately? Are you more restless than usual or waking up more often? Any changes to your diet?

    If nothing has changed, I would think you're looking at an illness creeping up on you. Take a day or two off from the long walks, especially if you do them all in one go. Maybe try to still get a mile in throughout the day but that's it.

    If you still feel worn down and there's no other signs of illness, a doctor visit might be in order.

    ~Lyssa
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Maybe it is something you should see the dr about bc maybe a underlying heart problem.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    macgurlnet wrote: »
    I don't know half enough about TDEE to know if your calorie goal is good but it looks like it. Have you recalculated recently to make sure it's still right?

    How's your sleeping lately? Are you more restless than usual or waking up more often? Any changes to your diet?

    If nothing has changed, I would think you're looking at an illness creeping up on you. Take a day or two off from the long walks, especially if you do them all in one go. Maybe try to still get a mile in throughout the day but that's it.

    If you still feel worn down and there's no other signs of illness, a doctor visit might be in order.

    ~Lyssa

    I recalculate TDEE every few pounds or with change of activity. This isnt my first go at this so I have a pretty good grasp on it. It recently went up when I upped my miles to 5. I don't think the problem is my calories because I am losing slowly and steadily. I don't feel hungry often and when I do, I will eat a little over. It all evens out in the end.

    I'm sleeping great and haven't noticed myself waking more than often. I don't feel sleepy. No changes in diet. I eat pretty balanced, some processed mostly fresh, no restrictions other than cutting back on soda.

    Due to the fact that I have "gained" a couple pounds over the past few days (I weigh daily), and the fact that my leg muscles feel so fatigued I suspect that upping my miles to 5 did a little damage to my preciously very sedentary muscles.

    Either that or I am coming down with something.

    Thanks for your time!

  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    I'd see a doctor if it persists. If it's just a fluke, you may want to change up your workout to a 10 to 15-minute full body workout four days a week. The shorter workouts can give you more of a challenge and keep it interesting. So, if you are capable, try performing more challenging workouts. Walking is okay but unless you are pushing to walk faster or are adding weights you are just getting better at it.--I read that your metabolism can become more efficient and you will burn less calories
  • DesertGunR
    DesertGunR Posts: 187 Member
    rileyes wrote: »
    I'd see a doctor if it persists. If it's just a fluke, you may want to change up your workout to a 10 to 15-minute full body workout four days a week. The shorter workouts can give you more of a challenge and keep it interesting. So, if you are capable, try performing more challenging workouts. Walking is okay but unless you are pushing to walk faster or are adding weights you are just getting better at it.--I read that your metabolism can become more efficient and you will burn less calories

    Definitely agree. See a Doctor if you are feeling fatigued despite backing down and doing a couple rest days. If you want swap out the type of exercise as your recover just to give yourself something to do. Walking involves one of the largest set of muscle groups the body has. As it, or the whole body does, gets fit the use of Lean Muscle Mass will burn calories more efficiently even while at rest. As you exercise more, lose body fat, gain/use more lean muscle and change your diet you will affect your metabolism in a positive way. How quickly and how much that change will vary greatly from person to person. With a few medical issues and medications that can effect a person regardless.
  • doktorglass
    doktorglass Posts: 91 Member
    edited May 2015
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Rest, take a day or two off. Your body needs rest to get stronger. You will bounce right back on track after a day or so.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. :-) So I am 99% sure that I know what is wrong with me. Today I walked to the post office which is about 3 miles away. I didn't feel fatigued but after a short while my right shin bone started to really hurt. Felt like electricity with every step. This is the same pain that I had a few weeks ago when I first started walking. I'm pretty sure I injured my shinbone when I first started walking because we live halfway up a mountain and it is a steep trek up and down. Maybe I have weak bones. I do have frequent RLS so maybe a deficiency. We are new to the state of North Carolina do not have insurance yet. Until then I will get some supplements. Any suggestions?
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    edited May 2015
    My suggestion is still to take a day or two of rest. That costs nothing and if it doesn’t fix the problem then you can look for more complex causes and solutions.

    My recent experience: I started a running program in Feb and was up to running a lot every day, about 18 miles a day between walking and running. I initially lost 25 pounds then in the past month weight loss stalled. Then last week I was feeling really tired and got a minor sinus and chest infection. So I rested a day then cut my exercise amount in half for a week. The result is that I am not tired now, the sickness healed, and weight dropped 6 pounds as of today.

    Somene else might say you were not doing enough to get to that point of that walking isn’t stressful. But anything you begin after not doing before is stressful to your body and you were doing a lot in comparison to before with little rest and with the added stress of dieting.

    Let your body adapt to its new activity level and soon this amount won’t be stressful at all. Maybe you are just not at that point yet.
  • Addiewe
    Addiewe Posts: 65 Member
    scottb81 wrote: »
    My suggestion is still to take a day or two of rest. That costs nothing and if it doesn’t fix the problem then you can look for more complex causes and solutions.

    My recent experience: I started a running program in Feb and was up to running a lot every day, about 18 miles a day between walking and running. I initially lost 25 pounds then in the past month weight loss stalled. Then last week I was feeling really tired and got a minor sinus and chest infection. So I rested a day then cut my exercise amount in half for a week. The result is that I am not tired now, the sickness healed, and weight dropped 6 pounds as of today.

    Somene else might say you were not doing enough to get to that point of that walking isn’t stressful. But anything you begin after not doing before is stressful to your body and you were doing a lot in comparison to before with little rest and with the added stress of dieting.

    Let your body adapt to its new activity level and soon this amount won’t be stressful at all. Maybe you are just not at that point yet.

    Thank you. I think I may do just that.
  • novasunflower
    novasunflower Posts: 29 Member
    Make sure you're stretching, and eat a banana or two about 20 minutes before you start. Micros can have a big effect on your workouts--pay attention to iron, potassium and sodium.

    Rest is good too...it allows your body a chance to build itself. I like to just cut my workouts down big time if I'm feeling burnt out. That way I'm still keeping the habit of doing it but not pushing myself to the point of injury....but it is highly advisable to take a few days off for sleep and hydration on occasion. A couple of days eating at maintenance won't set you back in a noticeable way.



  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Something similar happened to me during my last cut. My guess is that you introduced too much exercise too quickly. Going from sedentary to walking longish distances 5-6 times a week is quite an adjustment for your body. What I did was increased my cardio and introducing two-a-days. I felt like absolute death, I had no energy, and my digestive system still hasn't recovered from it even weeks later. I ended up cutting out the extra cardio, finishing my cut, and returning to maintenance. That did the trick and I feel much more energized now. I'd say scale back on the exercise and then, once you start feeling better, slowly add more until you get back up to 5-6 if that's what you want.

    As for the weight gain, it's likely water. Again, same thing happened to me. I was eating at a deficit and not losing hardly anything, but then I suddenly got a "woosh" the week I cut out the extra cardio. Your body can hold onto water when you increase your cardio drastically, especially if you dropped your calorie intake around the same time. Take a couple of rest days, drink plenty of water, and re-weigh yourself.
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