Frustrated to tears

Have had Asthma for decades, bad knees for decades, and now high blood pressure. On meds for that, and been working with a personal trainer through work since January, have dropped 14 lbs or so. I have had so many firsts in that time. Was able to do a 100 situps, did 600 squats in one day, walking stairs. Monday I was actually able to jog for a full minute on the treadmill. (It's a huge accomplishment for me), last month I was able to show my show dog to a huge win.

The weight isn't coming off as fast (in fact went up a bit this summer) as the doctor wanted, so she prescribed an appetite suppressant. Then a work friend convinced me to try a boot camp with a Groupon.

First night I went was arms, and I got through the entire 45 mins without a problem, (On top of working out with the Personal Trainer earlier that day, so 90 mins of work-out). Yesterday was cardio, and I pushed myself. Was so pleased my bad knee wasn't bothering me, my bone spur that has hurt off and on ached, but wasn't bad. I had such pride and sense of accomplishment last night, that I actually did it, am doing it.

Until I got up this morning and can barely walk on that foot. SO damn frustrated I'm in tears ( well the pain doesn't help either). Makes me want to give up :(

And yeah, had shoes with cushion, they have worked out for the workout with my PT, but must not've been enough for the boot camp. :(


«1

Replies

  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    What is your calorie goal and how much are you eating everyday?
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    I have it set for 1500, and usually hit 1200-1500 a day.
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    I know a lot of the weight not going down is I have put on muscle, I am stronger now than I was,
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I am sorry that you are hurting.

    What is your main goal right now? It sounds like weight loss is a priority, but you have not mentioned diet. Instead, you are discussing exercise, which is not a bad thing but it will increase hunger for many.
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    80% food, 20% exercise.

    If you can't exercise don't push yourself to the point where you hurt yourself.

    Yea if you only focus on your food intake you will be losing weight 20% slower, but if you end up hurting yourself and get so frustrated that you don't even track your food what is the point??

    I lost the first 80 pounds I lost and did not do a minute of exercise. I am now adding exercise because I would like to be fitter. I too have horrible knees and foot issues that limit my exercise but I have been walking only for the last 3 weeks and lost 13 pounds. (I have a lot of weight to lose, to put this in perspective) I didn't do anything that has brought me pain and there is no need for that.

    Once again you can do it without exercise but if you insist on working out I think you can find a low key form of exercise without being detrimental to your health and obviously well-being.
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I am sorry that you are hurting.

    What is your main goal right now? It sounds like weight loss is a priority, but you have not mentioned diet. Instead, you are discussing exercise, which is not a bad thing but it will increase hunger for many.

    It's actually lessened my appetite, although it may be the meds.

    I'm having to force myself to eat dinner, as I am perfectly fine not eating right now.

    I need to lose weight, I want to be able to show my dogs more. And I need to for my health, spent this morning looking at shoes. The sketchers I had worked fine for the work with the PT, but the jumping, ladders, mountain climbers last night just screwed my foot up badly.
  • Crazedtroll
    Crazedtroll Posts: 9 Member
    I have bone spurs on my feet and plantar fasciitis. After spending a ton of money going to the doctor every 3 weeks, a friend convinced me to try essential oils. I apply at bedtime and first up in the morning. It has really helped. Spouse isn't into the oils, but applies icy hot or bengay at bedtime and in morning and has similar benefits. You might try one or the other. Especially if you're noticing soreness from exercise.
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    Spouse isn't into the oils, but applies icy hot or bengay at bedtime and in morning and has similar benefits. You might try one or the other. Especially if you're noticing soreness from exercise.

    wasn't sure if icy hot or bengay would work, but will try that tonight, right now icing it. It's just frustrating, sa I had so much fun.

  • riceflourde
    riceflourde Posts: 58 Member
    So sorry! I went to the YMCA once for a session with a PT. I told him I only wanted to do no weights or free weights. (I was 100 pounds overweight at that time, had severe hypothyroidism, hbp, and was sedentary.) He kept pressuring me non stop to use the machines. I couldn't work at all for 3 days (my wrists were on fire so no computer work) and no amount of ice and Advil would help the all the time aching pain.

    This is temporary! Rest Rest Rest and and then go back to what worked for you! Don't give up!!! Congratulations for your minute on the treadmill! :)
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I agree that this is temporary. Don't count out exercise altogether based on this one event. Rest, get better, and find something that works for you. The more you go, the more you'll learn about what you can do.
  • Goober1142
    Goober1142 Posts: 219 Member
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats? Check out the New Rules of Lifting book by Lol Schuler. My favorite workouts are in his Lean Muscle book. It's three workouts a week about 45 min each. You have to rest those muscles between workouts. Also are you eating enough protein? One gram per pound of body weight?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats? Check out the New Rules of Lifting book by Lol Schuler. My favorite workouts are in his Lean Muscle book. It's three workouts a week about 45 min each. You have to rest those muscles between workouts. Also are you eating enough protein? One gram per pound of body weight?

    I agree with this. 600 squats is excessive. Moderation is best even with fitness
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats?

    It was a matter of seeing just how many I could do. Didn't do them all at once, was 25-50 interval :) We had a contest at work with teams, and each repetition counted for squats, pushups and stairs. My team won, as we stuck it out til the end lOL :)


  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    mielikkibz wrote: »
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats?

    It was a matter of seeing just how many I could do. Didn't do them all at once, was 25-50 interval :) We had a contest at work with teams, and each repetition counted for squats, pushups and stairs. My team won, as we stuck it out til the end lOL :)


    Regardless, it sounds like you are pushing yourself too hard too fast. You have knee problems and bone spurs. What kind of cardio were you doing? Was it something low impact for those areas?
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I am with everyone else--it's better to begin small and then SLOWLY ramp it up. I have a lady on my friends list, with alot to lose. She does the same as you, all gung ho and does too much, and then is out for at least a month at a time. This is counterproductive. Ramp that enthusiasum back--you'll get there. Concentrate on diet, with light exercise for now.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    First off, it definitely sounds like you're pushing your limits. I'd set a max of about 60-minutes of intense work outs per day. No more. Focus on what you're eating. Change up the macros a little, try something new. Focus on feeling better and getting your body healthy. Fitness is a journey. It takes patience, and dedication. It takes time.

    Secondly, I can completely relate to what you're feeling. I have Lupus and on top of that have a fully reconstructed left foot (that actually needs an additional surgical repair within the year). Most days, the Lupus doesn't do much but make me feel exhausted which I've learned to push through daily but the foot thing is where I begin to get frustrated. Some days are okay (mostly summertime) and I can do my regular routine, run without the implant popping out and only have a basic ache. Other days, I literally limp around the gym and have been known to throw weights because I get so annoyed that I can't do the same exact weight of a certain exercise (for example, this week I had to squat max at 160 lbs. even though I know I'm fully capable of doing 200 lbs.) Just breathe in. Breathe out. Relax.

    Wanna know what someone told me that helped?

    I was asked, "Would you rather push your body to the extreme today just to hit that new personal record and hurt yourself to the point of no return, or take it slightly easier today and be able to continue this fitness journey that you're so dedicated to?"
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    mielikkibz wrote: »
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats?

    It was a matter of seeing just how many I could do. Didn't do them all at once, was 25-50 interval :) We had a contest at work with teams, and each repetition counted for squats, pushups and stairs. My team won, as we stuck it out til the end lOL :)


    Regardless, it sounds like you are pushing yourself too hard too fast. You have knee problems and bone spurs. What kind of cardio were you doing? Was it something low impact for those areas?

    The PT doesn't really believe in cardio, thus why I went to the boot camp. Surprisingly, the knees are not bothering me at all (YEAH!), just the damn bone spur. Wed was jumping jacks, hurdles, stars (that was a new one for me), ladders, mountain climbers (as I can't do donkey kicks). And I did squats in place of burpees. I know what I can't handle with my knees.

    I am picking up new shoes, in case that was the problem. And am going to avoid cardio at boot camp, will do the other days (they rotate things, one day arms, one day legs, one day cardio, and not sure on the others)
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    It sounds to me like you are simply pushing too hard. Pushing to the point of injury or pain is counterproductive. Weight loss is about calories.

    yes, I understand that, but need muscle to replace some of this fat, in order to make myself healthier. I would like to get off the BP meds and hopefully lesson the asthma as well as strengthen my heart. You can lose weight and still not be healthy :p
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    Secondly, I can completely relate to what you're feeling. I have Lupus and on top of that have a fully reconstructed left foot (that actually needs an additional surgical repair within the year). Most days, the Lupus doesn't do much but make me feel exhausted which I've learned to push through daily but the foot thing is where I begin to get frustrated. Some days are okay (mostly summertime) and I can do my regular routine, run without the implant popping out and only have a basic ache. Other days, I literally limp around the gym and have been known to throw weights because I get so annoyed that I can't do the same exact weight of a certain exercise (for example, this week I had to squat max at 160 lbs. even though I know I'm fully capable of doing 200 lbs.) Just breathe in. Breathe out. Relax.

    Wanna know what someone told me that helped?

    I was asked, "Would you rather push your body to the extreme today just to hit that new personal record and hurt yourself to the point of no return, or take it slightly easier today and be able to continue this fitness journey that you're so dedicated to?"

    Thank you. I took yesterday off, from both the PT trainer and the boot camp. As my PT trainer told me, I push myself too hard, but that's how I am in life. I felt like such a bum for not working out at all yesterday. Funny, I went from hating the gym in January to feeling like a failure for not hitting it LOL

    Taking it easy til Monday, most exercise I will do this weekend is walking. Guess the big frustration is
    1) trying the diet route was not working well, I seemed to've been stuck at this weight for months.
    2) proof that i'm getting old and am broke, that i can't do everything i want to do.
    3) that I found the boot camp fun, but can't do part of it.

    I want to be able to show my own dogs again, can't do it if i'm broke :P

    Hopefully the new shoes will help. I know things could be worse. At least the knees are not hurting, which is a biggie for me :)
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats? Check out the New Rules of Lifting book by Lol Schuler. My favorite workouts are in his Lean Muscle book. It's three workouts a week about 45 min each. You have to rest those muscles between workouts. Also are you eating enough protein? One gram per pound of body weight?

    I agree with this. 600 squats is excessive. Moderation is best even with fitness

    600 squats is a warm up surely?!?!
  • tiny_clanger
    tiny_clanger Posts: 301 Member
    It sounds to me like you would benefit from being a little kinder to yourself. You can do exercise but it's not worth wiping yourself out over. If you like boot camp, go do boot camp. Just give yourself permission to ease off and modify.

    I have moderate asthma and used to do Insanity classes. There were a couple of moves I could just not do, I got too breathless and uncomfortable. So I took the modifier, slowed it down, concentrated on breathing. The calories still get burned, the muscles still get exerted.

    You can do what you want to do, but you have to build up to it :)
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Were you wearing running shoes or specifically cross trainers? It's important to wear the right kind of shoe, not just that they are cushioned.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Clearly you did too much, but sometimes we learn that only the hard way. :s I have also learned that, with pain, what works one day might not work the next. I understand that it can be very frustrating, we just have to trial and error with our (finicky) bods!
  • nsanati19
    nsanati19 Posts: 1 Member
    Thanks for sharing that! I appreciate your honesty... I think an important part of any exercise program is doing as much as possible without over-doing it, so that you stick with it... Long-term dedication and compliance with an exercise program is what we are ultimately looking for, so balance is very important. Also keep in mind that "plateauing" when trying to lose weight is very common, so just don't give up!
  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
    mielikkibz wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    mielikkibz wrote: »
    Goober1142 wrote: »
    Sounds like you're pushing way too hard and you're going to hurt yourself more. 600 squats?

    It was a matter of seeing just how many I could do. Didn't do them all at once, was 25-50 interval :) We had a contest at work with teams, and each repetition counted for squats, pushups and stairs. My team won, as we stuck it out til the end lOL :)


    Regardless, it sounds like you are pushing yourself too hard too fast. You have knee problems and bone spurs. What kind of cardio were you doing? Was it something low impact for those areas?

    The PT doesn't really believe in cardio, thus why I went to the boot camp. Surprisingly, the knees are not bothering me at all (YEAH!), just the damn bone spur. Wed was jumping jacks, hurdles, stars (that was a new one for me), ladders, mountain climbers (as I can't do donkey kicks). And I did squats in place of burpees. I know what I can't handle with my knees.

    I am picking up new shoes, in case that was the problem. And am going to avoid cardio at boot camp, will do the other days (they rotate things, one day arms, one day legs, one day cardio, and not sure on the others)

    I've been battling posterior tibial tendonitis in my left foot for about a year. Some times it hurts so bad I would yelp in pain getting up from a chair. I had to stop running the short distances we do in Crossfit, mostly only 250-400 meters. I've had plantar fasciitis in the past from kickboxing and that flared up as well. There could be some little adjustments that might help. One thing I've been doing is carrying a backpack instead of a purse. I got this injury from moving to a city and going from driving everywhere to walking 5 miles or more on a daily basis, dragging my fat *kitten* around, leaning to one side with a purse. I've noticed that evening out my body weight with a backpack helps so I would recommend addressing any body gate imbalances if you can. I've also started taking some high potency turmeric supplements that contain black pepper and ginger extracts for higher bioavailability. Great for inflammation! I still have days when it really feels painful but no more extreme pain or shuffling around. I've been able to do the short runs again. I totally feel your pain because dealing with something chronic like this really eats away at your mental state. Good luck!
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    mielikkibz wrote: »
    I had such pride and sense of accomplishment last night, that I actually did it, am doing it.

    haven't read the replies so i may be redundant. but i just wanted to say that you did do it and you are doing it. running into things that show you should maybe adjust or modify doesn't negate that.

    you're still doing it.

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    hope516 wrote: »
    80% food, 20% exercise.

    Nope! It's 100% calorie deficit. One does not need to do any exercise or movement and can still lose weight.

    Obviously if you can exercise, it's a bonus.

    Agreed with this right here. I have lost weight without exercise (after I messed up my foot running).

    If the 'diet' wasn't working out, perhaps you need to reevaluate it? If one is in a calorie deficit, they will lose weight without exercise.

    Get a digital food scale and start weighing everything that isn't a pure liquid, and by everything, I mean cooking oils, recipe/salad/sandwich components, prepackaged items (can be off by about 20%), butters and salad dressings, fruits and veg....everything that cannot be poured such as booze, stock, juice, soda.... Log food and beverages accurately and consistently (double check nutrition information in the mfp food database with your food packaging.) Do this without missing a day for the next month or so. For calories, set your mfp diet profile to sedentary. If you have over 50lbs to lose, set to lose 2lbs per week, if you have less than 50lbs to lose, aim for a 1lb per week loss. 30lbs or less go for half a pound loss per week.

    You've got this..