Feeling Worse After Losing Weight.

withwolvesteeth
withwolvesteeth Posts: 13 Member
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I need some opinions or stories or whatever, please!

I started eating better/exercising last summer. Ate 1200 calories for a long time, am halfway through my weight goal. Saw a dietitian at the college I go to for a school project and she calculated that I needed to eat 1500 calories now. Been doing that, logging off and on, ran a 5k last weekend, and am running 3x a week now because I want this subcutaneous fat GONE!

My problem is that despite the fact that I am halfway to my goal weight, I am feeling WORSE. I am tired 24/7, my anxiety/depression problems that disappeared are back (and intense/worse), low to non-existent libido, I'm having a hard time focusing on my studies (when I read, I can't focus on words and my eyes are jumping all over the place), and I just feel like crap about myself. I haven't weighed myself since my visit to the dietitian a couple of months ago. I don't log on here every day, but since starting I have a very good general idea of what to eat and what not to eat. It's really bumming me out that I'm not "feeling better" like everyone said I would. I feel sluggish, depressed, and like a pile of crap all the time. I am in counseling doing CBT and don't take antidepressants.

Should I be seeing my doctor? (I do have health insurance so I can.) Or is this normal to feel this way halfway through your goal? Any help is appreciated! (I know you guys aren't medical professionals, but I am concerned that despite my 25 lb weight loss, I am feeling the opposite of what science/medicine/common knowledge says I should be feeling.)
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Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    I need some opinions or stories or whatever, please!

    I started eating better/exercising last summer. Ate 1200 calories for a long time, am halfway through my weight goal. Saw a dietitian at the college I go to for a school project and she calculated that I needed to eat 1500 calories now. Been doing that, logging off and on, ran a 5k last weekend, and am running 3x a week now because I want this subcutaneous fat GONE!

    My problem is that despite the fact that I am halfway to my goal weight, I am feeling WORSE. I am tired 24/7, my anxiety/depression problems that disappeared are back (and intense/worse), low to non-existent libido, I'm having a hard time focusing on my studies (when I read, I can't focus on words and my eyes are jumping all over the place), and I just feel like crap about myself. I haven't weighed myself since my visit to the dietitian a couple of months ago. I don't log on here every day, but since starting I have a very good general idea of what to eat and what not to eat. It's really bumming me out that I'm not "feeling better" like everyone said I would. I feel sluggish, depressed, and like a pile of crap all the time. I am in counseling doing CBT and don't take antidepressants.

    Should I be seeing my doctor? (I do have health insurance so I can.) Or is this normal to feel this way halfway through your goal? Any help is appreciated! (I know you guys aren't medical professionals, but I am concerned that despite my 25 lb weight loss, I am feeling the opposite of what science/medicine/common knowledge says I should be feeling.)
    Are you low carbing?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ericarae33
    ericarae33 Posts: 211 Member
    Interested to hear, as this past week I am feeling sluggish and not so hot....I've been wondering the same thing...I've been working out for 6 weeks and feeling great the whole time, until this week!
  • mjf0461
    mjf0461 Posts: 470 Member
    Nothing about the way your feeling is a norm. Set an appointment girl and see your physcian. You should be climbing the walls and full of energy at your age and loss of weight. Sounds like hormonal or thyroid issue might be showing it's head in your life..Good Luck
  • kobiemom
    kobiemom Posts: 218 Member
    The symptoms you mention could be due to low thyroid, anemia and any number of other fixable problems. See the doctor and put your mind to rest, if nothing else.
  • Pifflesmom
    Pifflesmom Posts: 134 Member
    I'm NO doctor, but yes - I'd go and see someone, even if it just to put your mind at rest. You have a lot of the symptoms of chronic fatigue (which I'm familiar with)...I'm certainly not saying that's what it is, but best to have it checked out!

    Best of luck :flowerforyou:
  • original_cake_face
    original_cake_face Posts: 131 Member
    Normally, when you have to ask someone "should I see a doctor?" it means that you should.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    Some of those symptoms sounds like hypothyroid ones too.

    How are your vitamins? Do you get enough iron, vitamin D and b vitamins? Try taking a multivitamin and supplementing extra D and iron to see if your energy improves. And go to the doctor to have some blood tests!
  • sschmidt928
    sschmidt928 Posts: 39 Member
    Any time you're having the kinds of issues you've described, no matter what, you need to see your doctor and figure out the root cause. I am not a doc, so I won't even speculate on possibilities, but please do see one.
    And also... props to you for not only choosing to be healthier but also listening to your body and trusting yourself to know when there's a problem. Lots of luck to you. Let us know how you're doing!
  • heartflood
    heartflood Posts: 18 Member
    The same thing happened to me, to be honest. I lost 72 pounds over about a year and a half, and the more I lost, the worse I felt. It finally got to the point where I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. I always ached, felt hit by a truck, felt like I never recovered from any of my workouts... I started seeing doctor after doctor, a few who were sure I had lupus that they thought was triggered by the weight loss, a lot of deaths in my family in a small time period, and my gallbladder removal (I developed stones due to the weight loss). In the end, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I've talked to a few people who have been diagnosed with fibro after losing a lot of weight, but I don't know if there's really any connection or not.

    Let me know what you find out - feel free to friend me. I'd love to get to the bottom of this!
  • Chubbyhulagirl
    Chubbyhulagirl Posts: 374 Member
    When I was eating too little I felt similar. I upped my intake by a 100-200 cals per day and it really helps. Try increasing your cals more, especially if you are burning alot. Drink as much water as you can. I always feel better after drinking more water. If this doesnt start making you feel better, you should get a second opinion from another doctor and ease up on your workouts in the meantime. Good luck hon!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I concur. See the doctor if you can.
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    bump
  • Orangecupcake
    Orangecupcake Posts: 17 Member
    Are you getting enough of all of your iron and protein? Maybe you need to eat more than 1500 lbs. Can you open your diary so we can see?
  • withwolvesteeth
    withwolvesteeth Posts: 13 Member
    No. If anything, I've been making sure I meet my daily goals. I read in my nutrition book that people who get serious about running should have a high carbohydrate diet. I haven't been splurging, but making sure I meet the goals. I love running!
  • Krissy366
    Krissy366 Posts: 458 Member
    Absolutely see your doctor. Good luck!
  • Skyflier83
    Skyflier83 Posts: 34
    I think you should see a doctor to make sure there's nothing serious going on but could you be anaemic? When I had low iron levels I was sluggish, tired and generally struggled with everything.
  • Lost_Mermaid
    Lost_Mermaid Posts: 136
    Maybe you're not eating enough. I'm not at all an expert, just trying to figure out the 'not eating enough thing' myself, but I think I know what you're talking about because i've felt the same way. Every time I try to stay at 1200 I feel extremely irritated and depressed, and can't even keep up with my normal activities, nevermind exercise.
  • Shannota
    Shannota Posts: 308 Member
    Definitely see a doctor, and it may be a good thing to have him/her refer you to a therapist if there doesn't seem to be a physical problem. Don't give up on yourself! Good luck
  • Kailel
    Kailel Posts: 61 Member
    I would definitely see your doctor about it if you can afford it (but if you're doing CBT, that should be fine, because antidepressant side effects can make the worse even worse >.>), just because you have depression/anxiety and you don't want to futz around with those without professional input. Personally, my mood has raised significantly since I started being healthier, but I do physically feel like crap all the time... which I'll take over the soul-crushing depression any day.

    I know that feeling like a failure is a cycle that feels impossible to get out of, but you've got to focus on the facts that you've lost 25lbs (woo!) and are running 5k's (I dream of this someday) and less about the ****ty parts. (which is totally easy for me to say because I'm not feeling the depression this second, I realise how not-easy that is to do when you're actually feeling terrible).

    If it were me, not a doctor, I'd be trying to get more sleep. Focus problems, for me, come from not sleeping and being dehydrated... and anxiety is a great way to lose sleep, I know. The good (bad?) news is that everything you're listing is depression and its side effects, so all of it is probably completely unrelated to your exercise/getting healthy and more likely due to stress, from studies or getting healthy.

    If you need a break, take one. Unless you're obese (which I doubt you are from your DP), your mental health is a little more serious than your physical health at this exact moment. I think, anyway. Hope my non-committal ramblings helped somewhat, and that you start to feel better soon!
  • sdrawkcabynot
    sdrawkcabynot Posts: 462 Member
    I was having an issue with not being able to get out of bed in the morning for a few weeks in a row... and realized by talking to people on here I was pushing myself to hard. 2-3 hours in the gym (i kinda get addicted once i am there) were putting me through it. Maybe your body is just telling you to take it easy?

    I would strongly suggest seeing a doctor if it is suddenly. They may need to do some blood tests.

    Also - not to sound like all the other guys on here - but are you lifting at all? Now that I have cut back on some of my cardio (was doing 2 hours) to doing some lifting (usually an hour - with 30 mins of cardio) I have started feeling a lot better.

    Just some suggestions! But really - if you don't feel better! Get to the doc!
  • withwolvesteeth
    withwolvesteeth Posts: 13 Member
    Okay: opened up my food diary. It's sporadic. I work and go to school full-time so I try and log as much as I can. I also take a Multi-Vitamin For Her, and my doctor is aware.

    But yeah, I'm thinking I'll call her office tomorrow and make an appointment. I only feel super-awesome-fantastic after exercise. :[

    I'll try upping my calories by 100-200 and see if it helps, in the mean time. I've been doing the C25k running program, so it's only 25 minutes a day and I'm not even running the entire time.

    Thanks for the quick replies everyone! I'll keep y'all updated :]
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    It's not wise to train like an athlete while eating like a spectator.
  • PamRow55
    PamRow55 Posts: 3 Member
    It took me about a year to lose 73lbs and I was on top of the world and then I crashed. For me it was all emotional, at 58 years old I was also carrying a lot of emotion baggage. It was like the women inside just would not let me enjoy the good feeling I got from having at last gotten in control of my life and it was good. Told my doctor, crying (which I was doing everytime I turned around). He gave me a note so I could take a leave from work, put me on a antidepressent. I'm feeling much better but I put a few lbs back on and getting those lbs back off seems to be harder then losing it the first time. I will get them off!!!! So yes please see your doctor and get the help you need what ever that is. Oh by the way I lost the weight eating 1500 cals a day and turning myself into a walking machine. Good luck
  • withwolvesteeth
    withwolvesteeth Posts: 13 Member
    It's not wise to train like an athlete while eating like a spectator.

    While I value the advice in your comment, it offers me no solutions to my original question. My food diary sucks because I don't have the time to log every single thing I do/eat.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    You dont seem like you are very consistent with your dieting.
    Try setting your diary the night before and sticking to it daily.

    Only work out 3 days a week so you have proper recovery.

    Please be sure you are eating the proper calories for your height, weight, body fat and activity factor.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    I saw somewhere that having too little fat in the diet can make depression/anxiety worse and you might be low energy from it also?

    I saw some some days you had really low fat intakes.

    If the doctor doesn't help, maybe try some fish oil supplements for a week or so to see if that helps?
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    Maybe you need to eat more than 1500 lbs.

    1500 lbs of food a day, or a year? lol
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I took a peek at your diary before u closed it..some days are really, low..u say u may not log everything but without that (and not being a doctor)..I can't really say...the only other thing is were u supposed to net 1500 or 1500 before exercise? I know the concept of starvation mode is scandalous on this site, but it's always possible...Good luck in your journey :)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I saw somewhere that having too little fat in the diet can make depression/anxiety worse and you might be low energy from it also?

    I saw some some days you had really low fat intakes.

    If the doctor doesn't help, maybe try some fish oil supplements for a week or so to see if that helps?

    Essential fat regulates hormones.
    You are correct sir!!!!
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