Feeling Sick and Light Headed

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Well, Since trying to get back into working out I've really been trying to work myself harder. I know this might sound dumb but I watch all these shows where the contestants are like "I have to give up...I can't do any more" and then the trainer proves to them that they can. I've proven to myself now that I CAN keep going and that is a great personal victory for me...but about an hour or two after my workout I start feeling really light headed and even a little bit sick. I drink a ton of water...and I eat throughout the day (though I admit today was bad) but this is consistent where every time I try to push myself..I wind up with either chills, nausea, or light headedness.

I'm not really sure what I'm missing...

Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Are you eating enough to fuel those extreme workouts?
    And, now you've proved something to yourself..... is there a reason why you have to work out to such an extreme level?

    I'd suggest eating a bit more and backing off on exercise a bit - you need to find something that you can sustain for the long term and it doesn't sounds as though what you are doing at the moment is good for you.
  • BeantownSooner
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    Get yourself a recovery drink of some sort. Lowfat chocolate milk works just as well as most and athletes have been drinking it for decades. Basically, find a drink that you consume within 30 minutes after your workout. It helps restore the glycogen stores removed during extreme exercise as well as transport protein into your muscles for repair. The goal is a 4 to 1 carb to protein mix (which lowfat chocolate milk does almost to a T). There are other products out on the market that you can find at health food stores like GNC. My personal favorite is called Accelerade. I love the orange.

    This could help but your nutrition really needs to be inspected as you need fuel if you're busting it that hard. Also, eat a banana before working out.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Post workout recovery drink with at least 40g of carbs and 25ish g of protein will most likely get rid of that...
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    Get yourself a recovery drink of some sort. Lowfat chocolate milk works just as well as most and athletes have been drinking it for decades. Basically, find a drink that you consume within 30 minutes after your workout. It helps restore the glycogen stores removed during extreme exercise as well as transport protein into your muscles for repair. The goal is a 4 to 1 carb to protein mix (which lowfat chocolate milk does almost to a T). There are other products out on the market that you can find at health food stores like GNC. My personal favorite is called Accelerade. I love the orange.

    This could help but your nutrition really needs to be inspected as you need fuel if you're busting it that hard. Also, eat a banana before working out.

    I'm allergic to milk but the seed has been planted in my head to try out Hershey's syrup in coconut milk but then I'm lacking the protein lol
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    maybe you are working out too long? try cutting the time in half and see how you feel.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    odds are you arent eating enough.

    eat some food
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    Really need to log your food so you can see if there is a connection between the food or lack thereof and your workouts.
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Yup...what they all said. It's just as important to properly fuel with "good" carbs before a workout and refuel with protein after, as it is to stay hydrated. I had to learn this the hard way, as well.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    Well, Since trying to get back into working out I've really been trying to work myself harder. I know this might sound dumb but I watch all these shows where the contestants are like "I have to give up...I can't do any more" and then the trainer proves to them that they can. I've proven to myself now that I CAN keep going and that is a great personal victory for me...but about an hour or two after my workout I start feeling really light headed and even a little bit sick. I drink a ton of water...and I eat throughout the day (though I admit today was bad) but this is consistent where every time I try to push myself..I wind up with either chills, nausea, or light headedness.

    I'm not really sure what I'm missing...

    Do you eat after working out? You should be for sure! Your body needs fuel, food is fuel. That is not to say that you should eat so much that you negate your hard work though. This really just sounds like hunger... and not the "it's 6 pm so I should eat" kind of hunger, but real hunger. Extreme workouts are better than extreme caloric restriction, that's a known fact, but you have to make sure you adjust your intake a little to avoid feeling ill. Try to get a meal around 200 calories in after your workout, and try to focus on protein... it helps rebuild tired muscles. My diary is open if you want to look at some meal/food ideas; I usually try to keep my protein intake fairly high for weight training.

    About the water, as you sweat you lose a lot. If you think you've had enough, have just one more glass. It's damn near impossible to OD on water and it sounds odd but your pee should be clear all day. Yellow only in the morning. Good luck, and I hope you start feeling better quick. :flowerforyou:
  • wil9
    wil9 Posts: 10 Member
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    I was having the same problem and a multivitamin helped me.
  • Ilovejacks
    Ilovejacks Posts: 153 Member
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    Your salt may be getting to low.Do you take any diuretics?(blood pressure pills or water pills)if you are using the bathroom in excess due to drinking so much water,you could have your Electrolytes outa whack.Blood work can figire it out pretty fast if your worried:)
  • Fasbold
    Fasbold Posts: 29
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    I'm still on BP meds. They can mess with your BP with sudden movements up and down also and make you more sensitive to hot weather. If your workout space is not well ventilated, you could be getting too hot. Lots of different factors could be at play here.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    when i feel that way its cuz i need to eat....
  • tfunkwurzer
    tfunkwurzer Posts: 20 Member
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    Try Dark Chocolate Almond Milk instead of regular milk if allergic. Super Yummy.
  • delco714
    delco714 Posts: 229
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    i still say when members ask questions like this is..., your medical provider is the one best suited to answer this question.

    Could I rant off 5-8 of the top causes of your symptoms that are most likely in your situation .. sure.. would they be well founded based on my experiences and education?.. sure... but this isn't a great place to ask others why you are sick and light headed.

    I'll hereunto zip my lips.

    feel better though and take care ! :)
  • ptak1sm
    ptak1sm Posts: 172
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    It is possible to drink too much water, and when you sweat your body loses some essential minerals. It's important to replenish what you lose...I try to get in a protein drink within half an hour after I finish my workout, but the sooner the better. I also drink fitness water while I'm working out to help replenish what is lost through sweat. I used to get headaches after workouts, but I was drinking solely water; once I switched to fitness water and protein drinks, the headaches went away.

    I'd also like to echo what's already been stated above about logging your food. You did today, and that's great! You logged good numbers, but I would recommend splitting those numbers up into several smaller meals throughout the day.

    Good luck!
  • BeantownSooner
    Options
    Get yourself a recovery drink of some sort. Lowfat chocolate milk works just as well as most and athletes have been drinking it for decades. Basically, find a drink that you consume within 30 minutes after your workout. It helps restore the glycogen stores removed during extreme exercise as well as transport protein into your muscles for repair. The goal is a 4 to 1 carb to protein mix (which lowfat chocolate milk does almost to a T). There are other products out on the market that you can find at health food stores like GNC. My personal favorite is called Accelerade. I love the orange.

    This could help but your nutrition really needs to be inspected as you need fuel if you're busting it that hard. Also, eat a banana before working out.

    I'm allergic to milk but the seed has been planted in my head to try out Hershey's syrup in coconut milk but then I'm lacking the protein lol

    Seriously, if you normally buy whey protein and the like try out Accelerade or their other product called Endurox 4. They're awesome and i've used both when doing P90X and Insanity. Very rarely was/am I ever sore!!! Best part of my workout is the end when I get to drink it! :love:

    I don't worry about the protein for my recovery drink as I typically have a protein shake as one of my snacks/meals and typically get in 200g of protein a day anyway.