Could I be pushing myself too hard?

[physmom]

I'm really trying to figure out what's up with my body. I've been working out on a fairly regular basis since the beginning of the summer (with an exception of a 2 week break). Anyways, I've also had a lot of nausea. Normally it's when I need to eat or right after exercising. However, it's gotten worse and yesterday and today it was absolutely horrible (as in I could barely eat anything today in the morning). This also happened to be the week that I worked out the most (went running 6 days out of 7).

Since I felt bad yesterday, I decided to take a day off today. Today was also the day that I decided no more chocolate (chocolate is by far my biggest weakness besides that I eat pretty healthy). Well, this morning, I was so bad I couldn't eat pretty much of anything. So I finally decided to have some bread with nutella so I at least could eat something and then I felt fine! I just don't get it...

I'm definitely not pregnant. I just had my period and DH has been traveling for business since then so unless I had a period while pregnant (and I even tested to be 100% sure but I got a negative), then I'm not. DH thinks it could be some sort of blood sugar issue? But I was trying to eat and everything made me feel sick and it was only nutella that worked? Is it just that I exercised too much this week and my body's in shock? I'm so confused!


Oh, and I've been getting plenty of water. I certainly drink way over 2 L a day and it's been cool this week anyways, so it's not like I've been sweating a lot either.

[lil_earthmomma]

Many people crave carbs (sugar) post workout, and it's the best time to eat carbs.

As for why you may feel nauseous after workouts you may be pushing yourself too hard, and may want to back it off a bit.

What are your goals? What is your motivation?

[physmom]

It was actually suggested drinking chocolate milk in another thread but that didn't seem to be enough for me. Maybe I just need something more substantial.

I seem to feel better today after not working out yesterday. I'm working out to loose weight. My goal is to loose 40-50 lbs by the beginning of next year (basically get rid of the baby weight so we can TTC). It's weird because I feel like if anything I should push myself more. I know many times I feel like I can run more but am limited by time since I run after putting DD in daycare and before I go to work. Could it be that I'm eating enough calories? I don't actually count my calories I just try to eat until I'm full.

[physmom]

UPDATE on pushing myself too hard...

Just an update. I went to the gynecologist just to check 100% that I wasn't pregnant and that everything was ok. Anyways, everything checked out fine. BUT I still have nausea fairly often and I feel like I need to eat all the time. I'm thinking of going to a nutritionist to see if I can get some help. My OB/Gyn suggested that it could be that my hormones are out of wack because of nursing and exercising. Has anybody heard of something similar? I've been having spotting after runs when I push myself a bit harder (I honestly feel like I could still do a lot more but have held backs thus far because I wanted to talk to the doctor first) .

Has anybody talked to a nutritionist before? Anything I should look for specifically in one since I'm still nursing? The plan right now is to try and gently wean DD by the time she is around 2 (so about another 6 months or so, could be a bit longer because of cold and flu season). Could it be that my body is just really resistive to weight loss so that now that I've stepped up on exercising it feels the need for my food= nausea when I haven't eaten enough?

[bec]

It sounds like you need to fuel a bit better for your workouts. What do you eat before you workout? It should be something with good carbs for the energy, and some people (myself included) need a lot of protein pre and post workout. Another thought is to bring something to fuel during your workout (especially if it is over 45-60 minutes). I like the Cliff shot blocks. They seem to help me get through whatever workout I'm doing. Also, chocolate milk post workout has the perfect ratio of carb/protein/sugar. But, you should follow that up with a good meal with protein and fiber (read: vegetables) and some good carbs.

I don't know how intense or long your runs are, but the nausea sounds like you are bonking, and need to rethink your fueling. Another thing to consider is to drink a sports drink during and after your workouts. You could be losing too many electrolytes, and water just isn't cutting it! Good luck!

FWIW, I think talking to a nutritionist is a great idea.

[sewaneecook]

I get a lot of intestinal issues when I don't stay hydrated while running. This has been especially true this summer when it's been HOT and HUMID! I run with a bottle of vitamin water and take a few sips every mile or so. After about 6-8 miles I usually drink the entire 20 oz (when I really need the hydration I have absolutely no issues with side cramps when consuming this much liquid while running). If I'm running more than 8 miles I also bring food. Sometimes this is a Luna bar cut in to bite sized pieces and sometimes this is athlete specific gel (I like the Cliff brand best). I also weigh myself both before and after a run and drink 16 oz of water per pound lost and eat more salt on the days I do longer runs.

Once I started doing the above routine I didn't have any issues with digestion post-workout.

[physmom]

Thanks for the advice! I normally eat eggs (possibly with either turkey bacon and/or onions) +a bit of bread or yogurt in the morning (I run not too long after breakfast). Also I always drink some water+coffee in the morning (I know coffee is certainly not the best but DD's sleep hasn't been either lately..). However, I never drink any sports drinks so I think I'll try and pick some up today and see if that helps.

Yep, I definitely want to see a nutritionist. DH and I both just struggle with our food choices. And especially since I'm still nursing quite a bit, I think it messes with everything too. I'd really like to figure out a better way to deal with cravings and I have a feeling if I plan out my meals better it would help. However, thus far I've been pretty unsuccessful on my own! We've tried stuff like the South Beach Diet but if anything that makes me feel even worse.

I'm going to try and do a food journal from now on to get a good idea of what I am eating before I meet with the nutritionist.