Body gone in to shock?

[Ngala]

Hi everyone.

For the past 3 - 4 weeks I have really picked up my exercise (going to the gym 7-8 times in 5 days) and changed my diet where I have cut out most of the fat and carbs and trying to eat more protien and being generally more healthy.

Last night it felt like I was getting a cold, today I woke up feeling a little sick. I was on my way to the gym where I felt like I was going to throw up but went on my way trying to ignore it. I got to the gym but turned around as soon as I parked my car cause I just felt horrible. On the way home, I couldnt fight it any more and threw up. I got home all shakey and cold and then threw up some more. Right now I am still feeling a little sick and cold and tired.

Have I just caught something or is maybe my body going in to shock? I am breastfeeding at the moment and I lost 1.6kg last week.

Anyone got any thoughts or ideas?

[slyder]

Ngala, I think under the circumstances you are pushing yourself too hard. 7 to 8 gym sessions in 5 days is too much (in my opinion) for anyone unless they are training at the top level and under supervision. You still need carbs - they are immensely valuable - but obviously a great quantity is not beneficial either. It is really important to remember that you are BF'ing and what you do to your own body has an affect on the body of your child.

Definitely keep up the gym work and general exercise, but try and take it a little easier. Also, food is not your enemy provided you eat healthy, balanced and varied portions.

[Beach Mama]

Hun - I tend to agree, I think you might be overdoing it and your body is letting you know about it. Breastfeeding alone is demanding on your body, plus you only gave birth a few months ago so your body is still recovering. Maybe you need to cut out or reduce what you are doing on a few sessions - Im sure you will still lose weight though it may be at a slower rate.... 1.6kg in one week is alot and you dont want to get sick from unhealthy loss hun. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Trish]

Sounds like you are pushing yourself too hard. One thing I will ask though, how are your boobs doing ? They aren't sore, or hot, achey ? If you were to be coming down with mastisis these are all common symptoms too.

[Ngala]

yeh I think I am pushing myself too hard as well Well I didnt think so until today cause I have just been feeling so good and so healthy, its amazing how things can just change.

I will tone down how much I go to the gym. I am thinking of going 5 times a week. I used to go 5 times a week when I was working so it should be ok. I will take the next few days off to rest and recover.

Trish - my boobs are feeling fine. Not sore or hot or achey. I hope its not mastitis!! I will pay more attention to my boobs now I think lol

[kungfubecca]

V Don't forget sleep. You need that too.

I do know that when i am good and eat healthy, if I have a little treat of something all of a sudden (generally caffeinated) after abstaining from it for a while I get really bad tummy cramps. EG: I gave up coke a few years ago, and then had some again and it made me really sick.

[Trish]

Good to hear about your boobs hun. Well, ykwim. Just didnt want it to be somethign like that you were missing, and have it hit you like a tonne of bricks. Quite often that is what can happen.

I'm guessing all this gym is to get you back to being in shape for your wedding. I'm sure that you are already looking gorgeous girl. Stop pushing yourself so hard.

[sherrie]

Hello I have been running a low carb website for sometime (as well as being on one myself) so I do have a lot of experience in that area. Firstly fat is very important in a low carb diet, by cutting both you encourage too rapid a weight loss which has a lot of risks on its own plus you also are more likely to burn muscle. Muscle is very important to preserve as it helps regulate your metabolism, by losing muscle you will lower your resting metabolism rate (the rate at which you burn calories), if you gain muscle you do the opposite. Plus fat has a lot of benefits which I won't go into here. If you are doing mostly cardio then you are even more likely to be risking your muscle mass and at the amount of gym sessions you are doing I would say it is a guarantee that is what is going on. I am also concerned that you will get dehydrated if you are not already and that your electrolytes might be very out of wack which can result in death if you are not careful. I would visit your doctor and let him do a check up.

Also if you are eating mainly lean protein your calories are most likely very low. I have been doing research lately into very low calorie diets and they are not something that should be done without supervision by an experienced doctor. There are lots of risks for even obese women/men that do not exercise much, I imagine with you breast feeding let alone all that exercise that those risks would be magnified to a much greater degree.

Breast feeding is very demanding nutritionally so dieting during this time is generally not recommended.

Also generally, a low carb diet that is low enough to induce ketosis is not meant for anyone whom is a child (although epileptic kids are treated with them), breastfeeding or pregnant. Dr Atkins himself would only allow the maintenance phase of his diet in those circumstances.

I am not saying low carb is bad obviously as I truly believe in it but I think you do need some when pregnant or lactating, too little carbs can also lower your milk supply. If you like the health benefits of reducing carbohydrates I would recommend you buy the Atkins New Diet Revolution and follow his maintenance phase which is moderate in both carbs and fat and stick with fresh whole foods.

In essence I think you are exercising too much as well as restricting too much and would suggest you visit your doctor.

[Ngala]

Sherrie - thank you for your input. That information was very interesting. Are you able to PM me the address to your low-carb website? I would be interested in having a look plus my sister is on a low-card diet and she would be interested in it too. At the gym I am not only doing cardio, I have quite a bit of weight sessions too. And I am keeping myself hydrated.

I joined up to a website called Calorie King where it told me to consume 2000 calories a day which I try to do but cause I am a fairly active person, I found it difficult to get up to unless I am eating all day long.

Where can i buy the Atkins New Diet Revolution?

I am feeling a heck of a lot better now, just tired. But if I feel any worse, I will make sure I go see my doctor.

Thanks again for the info, it was an eye opener.

[sherrie]

You will find the book anywhere really, any department store or book store, the paperback is cheap too (should be under $20).

Weights is a really good idea, cardio might knock you around if you try to do it at a high intensity.

[Tyige]

Sherrie - Can you please Pm me your website aswell. I'd like to have a look at it aswel.

Ngala - I hope you start feeling better soon.

[Feathertop]

Hi Veronica,

I think you've been overdoing it with the exercise and weight loss - 1.6kg in a week is way too much. Also, you do need to eat carbs, our bodies are designed that way - but choose good quality carbs with a low GI rather than empty calories. The CSIRO diet for example has lower amounts of carbs than most Australians eat and higher protein but is well balanced - no carbs is not a good idea.

Perhaps the hospital where you delivered has a dietitian on staff who you could talk to about this? He/she would know about the requirements with breastfeeding and also your exercise regime and could provide some specific advice to ensure you got all the required nutrients and had a plan that was sustainable and healthy in the long term.

[paradise lost]

The nutritionist at the clinic i went to when DD was newborn said either exercise OR dieting while BFing (especially for the first 6 months when it's all bubs is getting) but not both unless one was so heavy morbid obesity was a factor.

So what is your BMI? It's not SO useful during PG/BFing but it can be a loose guide here. Basically dieting and exercising is the way to go if your BMI is 35 or above. If it's less than that do either exercise or dieting but not both.

Your calorieking advice worries me - did you tell it you were breastfeeding? A normal inactive adult needs about 1500-1800 calories a day just to live - that's breathe, digest, and maintain a normal weight. For an active person that would be up to around 2000-2500 a day. Breastfeeding "costs" around 500 calories a day on top of that, sometimes more (during a growth spurt for instance).

So take last week, you say you struggle to get to 2000 calories, so let's say you ate 1800 a day. Minus 500 for BFing - 1200. Minus 1500 for general life - that's -300. Minus about 600 for your gym workout (could be more or less depending on what you're doing) that's -900! You're giving your body almost 1000 calories a DAY to find in fat stores and muscle tissue. That's pretty dangerous! If you do a moderate workout for an hour you can expect to use about 5-600 calories (it depends on the activity, you can look around online for exact numbers for different activities).

Healthy weightloss is usually achieved by giving your body a 500calorie deficit to find each day - that will result in about 0.4-0.5kg weightloss each week, a safe rate of loss. Breastfeeding alone can give you this deficit at the moment, though i appreciate the many added benefits (ENDORPHINS!) of exercise too. I think you need to work hard to make sure you eat enough - at LEAST 2000 calories on the days you're working out. You wouldn't try to drive your car with no fuel in the tank. Nor would you expect it to do 300km on orange juice! Your body needs good fuel and plenty of it. You need carbs, protien, fats, PLENTY of calcium, lots of fresh veggies.

Take care of yourself.

Bec

[kungfubecca]

Hi

I too use the calorie king website Hoobley, but I view what the website says differently. (yet I agree with what you said about the deficit)

I'm shorter than V so I am only supposed to have about 1800 calories per day, while BF, and yes this has been taken into account already (for my height 1200 is recomended per day). That amount of calories is however based on someone who does nothing. The website recomend 30 mins of exercise per day. Yet even that 30 mins requires you to eat more calories.

V do you enter all the exercise you have been doing into CK and then adjust your diet accordingly. I'm thinking you might need to consider eating carbs with a low GI and maybe even give yourself a small treat each day. Have you still got the juicer you bought while PG, some home made juice in addition to your meals might be good. High in calories, but natural sugars, and good refreshing drink after a work out.

[Ambah]

You've had some great advice here Veronica...
Just one other thing I wanted to add... in the past, EVERY single time I have started up a new exercise or dieting regime, I always come down with a cold or flu with 2 weeks. I don't know what it is, or why... but they do say that when doing strenuous exercise your immune system is weakened - as opposed to moderate level exercise which boosts your immune system.
Just thought I would add this thought in as well....

[westy]

Sherrie.....can you pm me the details of your website too please :-)

Veronica, congrats on losing 1.6kgs in the week thats awesome . Sounds as though you need to slow down a little 7-8 visits to the gym in 5 days is a little too much don't you think??? Your body is telling you this too.