Help! Is my workout too much? Or good?

strifechick · April 2017

Ok this is a long post so please bear with me:

I have several chronic conditions which cause a lot of problems for me, throughout my treatments I have been put on a lot of medications and I have gained a lot of weight as side effects, and now that I am off nearly all of those ones I'd like to lose that weight and get back to my original size (or close to it).
I am currently unable to work a real job because of my health issues, so I have a lot of downtime. My issuess are somewhat intermittent so when I am having "good days" I tend to hit the gym, and pretty hard, and I am not sure if I am over working my body because the symptoms of overexertion that I read about that are pretty much exactly the same issues that I had to begin with.

In general I have been feeling better since I started I think. I lost 10lbs in a month and then just stopped losing weight and even gained a bit back (just like 1.5lbs so nothin major yet).

I limit my calories to around 1200 a day (I will sometimes go up to about 1500). I do have some issues eating many more calories (at least if I want to stay healthy, I'm sure I could eat candy bars, fast food, or other shady things if I wanted to doctor my numbers). I'm on a drug called topamax which has known appetite suppressing side effects (I'm not sure if this is a factor because I have been on the drug for years and never had appetite issues in the past, but figure it's worth mentioning just in case I devolved the side effect).

My typical gym work outs include:
- 30 minutes on elliptical
- 30 minutes on treadmill (alternating a few minutes of jogging then walking)
- 10 minutes on the stair stepper
- 30-45 minutes of weights
- 30 minutes on the stationary bike
- 30 more minutes on the elliptical
- Additonaly if it's nice out I will got for walks outside either on top of all this or sometimes replace some of the cardio.

It sounds like a lot when spelled out, but I am rarely sore/fatigued afterwards (no more than I would typically feel day to day with my normal conditions before started the gym).

I will do this regime everyday I feel well enough to go out, sometimes I will feel quite physically terrible but due to anxiety issues I need to get away and I don't have anywhere else to go but the gym. So the fequency can be as high as 7 days a week or as low as 3ish.

If you need my personal info it is:
Height: 5'2"
Current weight: 154.8
Starting weight: 163.8 (as of a month ago when I joined)
Lowest since starting: 153
Goal: 120

Just for the record the main medical issues that cause my problems are:
* Chronic migraines (which is what prevents me from working a normal job and doing a lot in the world)
* Insomnia
* Fibromyalgia
* Depression/Anxiey
* Chronic Pain (back issues and some nerve problems)
* Asthma
* RLS/PLMD
* IBS/Reflux

I started working out because I was told exercise would help my pain issues/fibromyalgia, insomnia, and for some people can help with migraines (though it's a trigger for others), plus it can lower depression and anxiety symptoms.

Tania_181 · April 2017

Are you doing 2-3hours in one session? And then doing that most days a week? If so, that seems more than excessive to me. I would guess as well that you need to be eating more to fuel those long workouts. It's good to workout and yes it can help with health and mental health but I worry you might be taking it to the extreme. In my mind 3-4 workouts a week that include lifting and some cardio is good enough, but everyone has different approaches.

Makeitso39 · April 2017

Seems excessive to me. I'd speak to one of the trainers at the gym to devise a lifting program and then add cardio if you'd like to.

strifechick · April 2017

Tania_181 wrote: »

Are you doing 2-3hours in one session? And then doing that most days a week? If so, that seems more than excessive to me. I would guess as well that you need to be eating more to fuel those long workouts. It's good to workout and yes it can help with health and mental health but I worry you might be taking it to the extreme. In my mind 3-4 workouts a week that include lifting and some cardio is good enough, but everyone has different approaches.

If I do both cardio and my weights (they aren't much just some of the pieces of equipment that works my arms/upper body) in one day I will typically be there for about 3 hours (I do take a bit of rest between each bit of cardio and stuff so I'm not working out the whole time I'm there ).

And it can vary week to week. Some weeks I will be there 2 or 3 times. Other weeks I will be there pretty much all 7 days, unless I decide to do on a long walk (5+ miles), it's been raining a ton here so haven't done that in a bit. But other days I will do all the gym work then walk after anyway.

The number of trips is determined on whether or not I have a migraine and how severe it is. If it's a good day or I don't feel 100000% awful I will still typically go, but if have a migraine I'm doing nothing till it's done.

strifechick · April 2017

Makeitso39 wrote: »

Seems excessive to me. I'd speak to one of the trainers at the gym to devise a lifting program and then add cardio if you'd like to.

The only problem I have with that it costs like $50 or something along those lines for an appointment with the trainer (and he doesn't just hang out there so I can't even just flag him down to ask any quick questions)

Due to the migraines I get I haven't been able to hold down a job so I can barely afford my gym membership so I really don't think I can afford a trainer, which is why I'm hoping someone in this group has enough knowledge to help out.
P
I don't even know how to tell if I am overexerting myself because all the symptoms I could find online are things that I have had issues with for a couple years all the way up to before joining the gym.

So am I pushing my body too hard and it's pushing back or is it one/a combo of my preexisting problems ?

Makeitso39 · April 2017

There's a thread somewhere on here about good lifting programs for beginners. Someone more knowledgeable than me can probably recommend but includes things like Stronglifts, Stronger curves etc
In the U.K. the gym induction used to involve devising a beginners program. Everyone wants £ nowadays!
Even so, seems like a lot of exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise at all, exercise is for fitness and fun and allows you to eat more.

strifechick · April 2017

Makeitso39 wrote: »

There's a thread somewhere on here about good lifting programs for beginners. Someone more knowledgeable than me can probably recommend but includes things like Stronglifts, Stronger curves etc
In the U.K. the gym induction used to involve devising a beginners program. Everyone wants £ nowadays!
Even so, seems like a lot of exercise. You can lose weight without any exercise at all, exercise is for fitness and fun and allows you to eat more.

Yeah I really do use the gym as a bit of an escape which is part of the reason I'm there so long. I get anxiety attacks at home a lot and I just get this panic that tells me I need to leave my house asap and o will just freak out if I don't (even though I know nothing is wrong) but now I can go to the gym instead of just driving around in my car.

StealthHealth · April 2017

IMHO you're doing way too much in the gym. I realise that this is, in part, an escape mechanism for you but can't help feeling that long term this level of gym work will do more harm than good.

I would suggest that you drop your gym time to about an hour for 4 or 5 sessions per week and take up a hobby which gets you out of the house (cycling, walking,hiking??) to be used for those times when you need to get out.

best wishes

WombatHat42 · April 2017

It may be a bit excessive but it also depends on how intense you are going and how long youve been doing it this way. For example if youve been going for 2 months doing it this way but are only doing an intensity of 2 or 3 of 10 it probably isnt too bad although Id change up the speeds/inclines/durations/etc every 4 to 6 weeks to prevent your body from adapting. However, if youve only been going for 2 or 3 weeks and or are going at a 6+ of 10 then that might be too much too fast.

I used to train 2-3 hours a day 4-5/week when I still played sports and was going at about an 8+ intensity and ended up having issues because of that after a while. Later I kept the frequency duration the same but just toned down the intensity or vice versa. The human body isnt meant to go 100% for long durations so be careful! Also there are some 24/7 fitness centers that offer free personal trainer consultations for members. Maybe look into one of those gyms

middlehaitch · April 2017

Can you talk to your care team about your anxiety etc?
I think this would be the best thing to do.

You are doing all this exercise to leave the house. Why not go to the library for a couple of hours a day. Find an author and read a set of books, or find a subject you would like to know more about and research it.

You could also see if there are any free community courses you could take, or get involved in a community garden.

I am not sure if any of these suggestions would provide you with a safe place with little anxiety, but I do think you may have to find somewhere else to go as an alternative to the gym.

If you do continue with all the hours at the gym make sure you are eating enough and keeping well hydrated.

Cheers, h.

crb426 · April 2017

I agree with hawk057. If you're doing all those things, but keeping the intensity pretty low then it seems like it would be quite helpful. If you're walking on the treadmill and peddling slowly on the bike, then it seems like a great way to handle your body issues to build strength and endurance.

If, however, you are really pushing hard on all of those machines, then you could be doing WAY too much.

strifechick · April 2017

@hawk057 and @crb426

I usually keep the intensity down pretty low on the bike I'm on the lowest, the elliptical I usually don't go higher than it's level 4 setting, and on the treadmill I will alternate from jogging/light running for a minute or two followed by walking for about the same and back and forth. When I lift weights I also don't lift super heavy.

The amounts of the work outs don't seem to affect me negatively (at least so far) but if I do high intensity/super heavy weights it will give me a migraine.

My gym doesn't offer any free training services, it cost like $50 to get a 2 session meeting with the trainer, and he isn't like a full time member there so I can't just like go up to him and ask him questions and hope he'll help. It's a pretty small gym I think all the ones in the chain are but there aren't really any others nearby so I couldn't change even if I wanted to.

@middlehaitch
My doctors are aware of my anxiety issues I stopped taking the meds I was on because they really didn't help any and I was just getting bad side effects, they are aware that.

There isn't much in my area that I can do, I don't really have much money and with my other health issue it makes a lot actives tricky.

@StealthHealth
I do a lot of walking when I can, it's just now starting to get warmer around here to the point where I can start doing that again. I think if I start walking more I will be able to reduce what time I spend at the gym, I just need to find places to walk around.

TheCupcakeCounter · April 2017

As long as you keep the intensity level low the amount of time you are spending there probably isn't an issue especially if it is helping your mental health. Unless your body is screaming at you to rest at which point then it is too much but it doesn't sound as though that is the case.
The main problem I see from this and one of your other questions is that you need to up your calories to compensate. At minimum I would find a protein powder that you like and mix it with water to get some calories and protein and I would attempt to eat back at least half your calorie burn. Look into things like drinkable yogurts, protein shakes, and smoothies (either pre-made or ones you make yourself) as they should be easier to deal with due to your low appetite.

fbchick51 · April 2017

hawk057 wrote: »

It may be a bit excessive but it also depends on how intense you are going and how long youve been doing it this way.

This. Too be honest, I'm not that concerned because you state that you actually feel a bit better AND it's not a consistent 6-7 days a week, every week. But if you are still concerned, rather then talk to a trainer who will have NO clue and NO training in dealing with your medical issues... I would talk with your Doctor. If he has some concerns, I would discuss adding a physical therapist to you medical team and work with someone better trained and paid to do the research to help you develop a plan that suits your medical needs.

But at my gym (YMCA), I watch 50, 60 and 70 year old women who hang out at the gym doing 2 or 3 exercise classes (50 mins each) and then hit the weight room. They do this 5 days a week.

strifechick · April 2017

@TheCupcakeCounter
I have been considering adding some kind of protein powder or getting one of those meal replacement shakes and having that as a snack during the day. The only reason I haven't yet is that I don't seem to be losing very much in the way of weight so I don't know if I should be concerned or not. I do a decent amount of activity when I'm at the gym but other than that I do basically nothing the rest of the day so I'm not sure if I am too low on calories or if I am at kind of a sweet spot.

@fbchick51
I've only avoided PT because I have done it twice in the past and both times they have made me way worse off than when I started. I seem to do better when I guide myself into activities I know I can handle.

I know I probably should see a professional just the ones I have seen in the past have left a bad impression. And the doctor that I do see for regular treatment is a neurologist I'm not sure this kind of stuff would really be in her wheelhouse but I will bring it up for sure at my next appointment, which is next week I believe, at the very least she might be able to direct me to where I can get some better info.

I do see people who will be at the gym before I get there and be there after I leave and no matter what day I'm there so are they and they seem pretty healthy hahahah

WombatHat42 · April 2017

Depending on where you live some grocery stores w/ pharmacys staff nutritionists. There is a midwest chain Hyvee does. Some CVS/Walgreens do too I believe. not sure about Walmart/Target. But they are generally inexpensive and will help you meet your goal, showing you smart choices etc.

In terms of PT, again I dont know how big of city you live in but you could have gotten a couple of bad PT. There are sadly some just in it for the money(similar to chiropractors). But having done PT many times, things got "worse" before getting better and thats bc PT is to develop/strengthen areas so it causes muscles, that aren't used to doing that task, to work even harder. Also bc its usually an injured area that is being worked so inflammation kicks in even more until those muscles are able to compensate and the injury is able to recover. Sometimes for me it was months before things got better. though in my backs case it hasnt gotten better but that is due to the severity and my weight gain.

As for protein powders, they can be a very helpful tool or an expensive waste. I'd recommend researching them and how best to use them first. And if you do see a nutritionist etc they can help. But most protein can be gotten from normal diet it is just a matter of finding ones that have higher proteins w/o increasing in areas you dont want. Example 6oz turkey breast has more protein, less fat and about the same calories as 6oz chicken breast but 6oz lean ground beef has more protein but tons more calories and fat. However if you do end up getting PP, I'd say mix it w a fruit smoothie bc personally I cant stand the taste or texture. i use a combo of banana with strawberry/blueberry and 4oz skim milk and count that as a meal(300-400calories).

Last thing because this is already way longer than i intended. You said you lost 10lbs in one month then 0 the next. THis might suggest youve hit a plateau. when you go to the gym, do you do the same things everytime? have you changed the resistance/speed/incline/length? If you want that 2-3 hour mark i would split your 4 cardio options into pairs and do 2 MWF the other 2 TThS at "X" speed "Y" resistance/incline then in 3-4 weeks mix them up and increase the either X or Y then in another 3-4weeks increase the other(if that makes sense). Prevent your body from catching on to what you are doing.

Again sorry for the long response lol

azulvioleta6 · April 2017

This is where tracking can be a powerful tool. Look at how long you are exercising and at high vs. low impact and where that correlates to flares.

I also have fibro and a host of other injuries and serious health issues. I've been tracking here for two years and tracked for about three years on SparkPeople before that. Here's what I have learned:

1. I cannot exercise for more than 3 hours per day, total, or I will almost always have a flare. By total I mean that I include walking and fairly low intensity activities like social dancing and gardening. So, I can go to the gym for an hour and then dance for two hours, but I cannot do three hours of heavy gardening and then go out dancing for four hours. Sometimes I want to do this sort of thing because I love to move, but my body just cannot handle it.
2. I don't like to take rest days, but if I do something very high impact, I must follow it with something that is not weight-bearing, such as swimming. I never combine two higher-impact activities on the same day.
3. Stress makes everything worse.
4. Meal timing and hydration matter a lot.
5. Extreme heat and cold can hasten a flare. I try to exercise out of these conditions and to avoid them at home.

You might want to start a thread just about migraines...there is a lot to say just about those.

LessCookiess · April 2017

How many days a week are you doing your workout routine? Also do you eat back any of the calories you burned off? Also the 10 pound less in a month is really excessive. I am close to your weight and I have my goal set to 0.5 pounds since I don't have a ton of weight to lose.

veganbaum · April 2017

This does not answer your question OP, but I think you have received some good information.

In regards to the migraines, I also suffer from them. Thankfully, while they can interfere with my life at times, and at one point in time I was getting unbelievably horrendous ones regularly and, therefore, my life was interfered with regularly, they have decreased now. Only another sufferer can truly understand what a migraine can do to a person. I was just wondering if you have had your vitamin D levels checked and also if you have ever tried regularly supplementing magnesium in your diet?

Anyone who knows anything about migraines knows that just as triggers vary from person to person, so do treatments. However, from the research I have read, a lot of people who suffer from migraines are low in magnesium. I've known people who can take magnesium when they are getting a migraine, and the magnesium prevents it. Sometimes that works for me, sometimes it doesn't. But, I have found that now that I am being very consistent with my magnesium, my migraines have lessened. I use Natural Calm, which dissolves in water. Just wanted to throw that out there in case you haven't tried it. I've also heard that those low in vitamin D who have then supplemented have had migraine improve. Even though you are seeing a neurologist, there is still a lot that is not understood about migraines, so I think it's good when we share with each other what's helped us.

Good luck with everything!

quintessential1 · April 2017

Being able to come of the meds or at least some of them is great. It would allow you body to do what it needs to do naturally. Not sure of your age however it is huge as far as weight loss. Your regime sounds like a lot. I am not a trainer or anything, but I would suggest doing all what you have written every other day.

strifechick · April 2017

@hawk057
When I talk about PT making things worse I don't mean the normal process I understand that I mean they actually caused more major problems with my back. As in I'm positive the bulging of my one disc came from PT (I didn't have issues with it prior had severe pain from PT then suddenly I had issues with that disc).

@azulvioleta6
My fibro triggers seem to be pretty similar to my migraines. Except I do have major issues with temperature changes/extremes.

I also found out that I seems to do better if I do something everyday. If I am feeling healthy and I skip a day I end up just kinda losing all motivation and end up short on energy. But with all my issues it's impossible for me to keep going all the time so the off and on of things kinda throws me.

@xchocolategirl
It varies week to week. It all just depends on how many days I have migraines that force me to be bed ridden. I work out on every day that I am able to get up and get moving (if I just have minor it dealable headache other pain)

@veganbaum
I take both a magnesium and vitamin d supplement on top of a daily multivitamin. A few years back I was critically low on vitamin d (on if the lowest the doctor had seen) but taking supplements daily since then has taken care of it. My blood was last checked a few months prior and all levels were good.

I have been on dozens of different treatments for the migraines including tons of supplements/vitamins, prescriptions, chiropractor, even trying to change my whole lifestyle multiple times.

Nothing has ever helped me and my neurologist and I have researched a ton of stuff but I am always open for suggestions. Like I'm gonna go get a daith piercing in a week or two just because some people say that has helped somewhat.

witchywoman167 · April 2017

I'm not sure where you are, but if you're here in the US, and receive a disability check, you're eligible for medicare no matter what your age. If you're on Medicare, check with your insurance company. Most plans have a free gym membership attached and that would free up the money for your membership to pay for sessions with the trainer.
Some non-medicare plans also have a free membership.

strifechick · April 2017

@witchywoman167
I don't get disability (still in the application process) but I had Medicaid. They won't pay for my membership I get like $5 off a month.

Help! Is my workout too much? Or good?

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