Tiredness

I've been trying to lose weight over the past 6 weeks with some success, having lost 11 pounds, which I am quite pleased with as I only need to lose 2 more pounds to be officially of a healthy weight.

I'm reading on lots of posts of people who've cut carbs and started exercising and suddenly developed lots of energy.

In my case, the opposite is true! It's not as if I did no exercise at all before, I was cycling to work every day, but have taken up swimming twice a week and done some long walks and bike rides. I've also had a few goes on a power plate - a thing you stand on and it vibrates - just to see if it works.

Yesterday I went for a long-ish bike ride (for me) so today decided to walk the one and a half miles to the swimming baths as this would rest my cycling muscles and burn a few more calories. Just like the previous 4 occasions, after swimming for 25 minutes, I feel as if I've run a marathon, and all I feel like doing the rest of the day is lying on the sofa!

Wondering whether this is normal or whether I should go to the GP, but think he will probably say something like I'm not eating enough - which is kind of what I need to do if I'm going to lose weight!

Elc1112 said:

There could be loads of reasons for this - not eating enough is just one of them. You might be coming down with something, be a bit stressed etc.

I exercise 6 times a week (by exercise I mean an hour plus workout rather than taking the dog for a walk). There are days where I get back from the gym and feel like I can barely walk!

You might have just overdone things a bit. You say you exercised before, but you've upped your routine and, I assume, reduced your calories. It could just be your body getting used to your new activity levels.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it keeps happening then maybe mention it to your doctor. Otherwise, give yourself a day off and make sure you alternate your exercises so you're not hitting the same muscles day after day.

Your tiredness could also be caused from your sugar levels being too high or unstable?

Finally, well done on the weight loss! 11lbs in six weeks is great

Em

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Thanks for your reply. Thankfully I know it's not my blood sugar, so at least that's one thing I can rule out!

It's just frustrating because a couple of years ago I exercised much harder and more often and never suffered from this level of fatigue, even in the early days. I'm also doing what you suggested and varying the exercises, but none of them are getting easier - for example I generally swim for half an hour, and the first day I did 25 lengths, the second time 30, then 35, then back to 32 - yesterday I had to get out after 30 as I suspected (correctly) I might be hypo.

With regard to not eating enough, it seems like an obvious answer, but then if I eat "enough", I won't lose weight - or is there a certain minimum amount I would have to eat, I wonder? I'm not doing very low calorie, I don't count calories but on the occasions when I've put my intake into FitDay.com it's come out around 1200 or so, which I think is probably about right.