Tired of tired.

[srslysavvy]

I am a mom in my upper-middle twenties and I am in lousy shape. As a teenager I rode horses and danced, keeping me fit and thin until college took over my life. Since then, I have gotten married and now have a two-year-old daughter. And I am in horrible shape. Looking at me, you probably wouldn't know it, because I am still a thin person...but thin is not the same as being in shape. I have all of that annoying mid-section flab that comes with inactivity and motherhood. But even more than just wishing I had a tighter body, I just feel blah a lot of the time. And though I think there are some underlying issues that I'm trying to sort out, I believe that simply being out of shape is a huge contributing factor. 

 

SO. My husband turned me on to Nerd Fitness and, like many women, I was inspired by Staci. I had never heard of women lifting heavy weights for any purpose other than body building! But that was a year ago and I still thought it was a little crazy.

 

Shortly after, however, I was met with an opportunity to begin horseback riding, which is something I love and had not been able to do in over 12 years. I currently ride just about every other week, and that is one of the reasons I started investigating strength training again. Because I am only able to ride every other week, it is taking me much longer to develop the proper strength I need to move forward. I need more core and leg strength, so I thought I would attempt to build some of that muscle at home! Then it snowballed. Then I just began wanting to be fit and feel good. 

 

So, three weeks ago I started doing the Beginner's Body Weight workout, and hope to begin heavy weight lifting in the near future. I currently have about zero muscle tone, so I thought starting on something like a body weight workout would help to prepare me for the more demanding weigh lifting I'd like to pursue. 

 

But I've discovered a problem. Well, two, maybe. See, during my first three workouts, I felt great! I was even able to complete the circuit twice during one workout. But since then...things have gotten worse. My heart rate skyrockets during my first few squats and I find myself struggling through the remaining workout, often becoming nauseated. So that's one part of my problem.

 

The other part is that I don't know how to eat properly for a workout in a way that suits ME. I don't particularly love food. I used to, but since my pregnancy, I just haven't loved much of anything that doesn't come in the form of a Good Times Wild Fry. (I'm a potato craver...) Anyway, I want to eat in a way that is healthful, but I have some suspicions that I might have several food intolerances. Hopefully I will get that looked into soon, and be able to work around them. But that is the least of my problems. My real issue is that I just don't eat enough to accommodate a work out. Honestly, I am lucky if I eat one meal a day. Between caring for a busy toddler, and just not getting hungry or desiring food, I forget to eat. (I want to clarify that I don't prevent myself from eating.)

 

So, I think my two problems probably go hand-in-hand, but I'm at a loss. What do I do? Should I eat before a workout? If so, how much and how long prior? Should I eat after? What are foods I can eat that are flavorful, but pack a big punch in a small amount? What are easy-to-make foods for a busy mom who doesn't really like to cook? 

 

How do I set myself up to succeed, instead of on the couch trying to recover for hours at a time?

[Devyn]

Welcome to NF!  You'll find that your workouts will become easier. They'll be challenging, but much more fun.  I recommend eating about 30 minutes to an hour before a workout. Usually something small and easily digestible. I usually have a boiled egg or some nuts. Definitely eat after!  It's very important for recovery. Try to have an equal amount of protein and carbs within an hour or so after working out. I usually have chicken or turkey with some green veg or with a carby veg if I did a lot of cardio.

 

I recommend taking things slow. It's so easy to want to do everything at once, but it takes a lot of work. Michelangelo's David was chiseled tiny piece by tiny piece before it was a masterpiece. If Michelangelo had given up we'd be all like "Who's Michelangelo?" (and the orange ninja turtle would probably have been called Van Gogh which isn't nearly as cool) 

The 6 week challenges have helped me a long way, and we have loads of supportive people here.  If you have any specific questions feel free to post them. I will certainly do my best here and there are so many other people here who will welcome you with open arms.  Good luck!  You are the person you want to be, you just need a little bit of a boost.

[Katariana]

Your situation as far as being busy/forgetting to eat/ then later feeling bad, sounds a lot like my mom. Who is totally my best friend, so don't take that as some weird insult or something, lol.

 

She has a lot of health issues that she feels somewhat prevent her from being able to work out, and her energy levels are all over the place. Plus, she almost never eats in a day, because she forgets, and is always talking about how she just doesn't really like to eat - like it's a hassle, and nothing appeals to her.

 

Well, the one thing that really has helped her out is honestly just setting a time to eat throughout the day, and then eating. And eating something healthy, even if its not appealing. It helped her get her energy levels more steady throughout the day, and then she was able to do more workouts and stay more active. Eventually, she actually started to enjoy food again (or at least have cravings for certain healthy foods more often).

 

I know its a total pain - and sometimes it seems easier to think "well, if Im not hungry, and Im out of time, why eat something?" But if you're having trouble finishing your workouts, and you're barely eating throughout the day, I'd say to try and ignore those reasons and get yourself eating on a better schedule first, and then go from there.

 

I tend to eat a lot at once (having the opposite problem, because I really freakin' love food). But then I crash from being over-full and skip workouts because I just feel dead. Eating throughout the day can make a huge difference in how you feel ( like a way bigger difference than you'd even think - even after reading this)

 

I get that having a small kid could make finding the time harder, but you could always prepare meals ahead of time - that way you could grab it on the go. Also, drinking water is huge. Sometimes just that can help your energy levels go way up. 

 

Good luck! I hope you can push through it!!!