Sore and exhausted

[Nedra19455]

I've been using the Fitbit One for the past 2.5 weeks. I have it synced with MyFitnessPal and I love it. I have been staying within my calorie goals most days and have reached 10,000 steps most days too. I average about 15-20 flights of stairs a day too. If it's a regular day, I just try to work in more activity to get myself to 10,000 steps. If I'm in an active mood, the Fitbit inspires me to go a little further. On Friday I walked 17,000 steps! I'm really proud and enjoying this new device. Despite the fact that I only told MyFitnessPal that I wanted to lose 1 lb per week and have been eating nearly all my calories, I've lost 4.6 lbs already. (I am about 75 lbs overweight.)

I've noticed, in the past 3-4 days, that I'm totally dragging, though. I'm sore, I'm exhuasted. Every muscle in my body hurts. I feel physically tired in a way that no amount of caffeine can touch. 

Worst of all, I have some kind of knee issues that are going on. My knee feels like it's "popping" when I walk downstairs, for example, and when I get up from the floor to a standing position, my knees hurt like crazy. 

Today I'm not even going to hit 9,500 steps and I feel really down about that, but I also know that I'm completely beat. 

Should I be doing something differently? I don't want to burn out, but I don't want to not meet my goals. 

[maggiemay1969 · Accepted solution]

Hey, good job so far, but be VERY careful, because if you keep pushing too hard and too fast, you will get an injury and be totally sidelined for awhile. I know, because it's happened to me. I was walking and running in the fall, and being heavier it was much harder on my body than it used to be and I ended up with a fractured foot and could barely walk or run for weeks.  I was seriously mad at myself. Take it a bit easy for a few days and maybe try icing any achy knees, plus  take naproxen or ibuprofen...You are pushing very hard, and you need to allow your body a little more time to adjust is all....Keep your mindset though, it sounds like you are in a good mental place motivation-wise, just maybe don't push so hard the rest of the week...give your body some easier days so it can recover...Just a thought. 😉  By the way, many folks would die to get 9,500 steps in a day.  Keep your goals realistic and work steadily towards them, but not TOO fast either. You can do this...

[Nedra19455]

Thank you maggiemay.

[slysam]

There is nothing wrong with taking rest days. By rest day, you don't need to stay in bed but you also wouldn't be pushing yourself to meet any particular activity goals. Sometimes overdoing it for your current fitness level can catch up with you. Taking one or two rest days a week can help. Try not to stress too much if you have a few days here and there with a lower step count. I try to think of it as an average, ideally I like to average 10,000 for the week. Some days might have 15k steps, and some might only have 5k, but most more or less around the 10k. Currently my average is lower than that, but in the past it use to help me justify rest days when I think of it as an "average" goal rather than an inflexible daily goal. 

[Heybales]

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@Nedra19455 wrote:

I've been using the Fitbit One for the past 2.5 weeks. I have it synced with MyFitnessPal and I love it. I have been staying within my calorie goals most days and have reached 10,000 steps most days too. I average about 15-20 flights of stairs a day too. If it's a regular day, I just try to work in more activity to get myself to 10,000 steps. If I'm in an active mood, the Fitbit inspires me to go a little further. On Friday I walked 17,000 steps! I'm really proud and enjoying this new device. Despite the fact that I only told MyFitnessPal that I wanted to lose 1 lb per week and have been eating nearly all my calories, I've lost 4.6 lbs already. (I am about 75 lbs overweight.

Should I be doing something differently? I don't want to burn out, but I don't want to not meet my goals. 

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Do you have calorie adjustments enabled on MFP from Fitbit?

Because that 1 lb loss while reasonable, is based on 500 calorie deficit from what you burn daily.

And Fitbit adjustments correct MFP as to what you really burn.

Therefore your daily eating goal would be going up and you would eat more on big active days.

I'm betting because of your results and being tired - you are still eating to your non-exercise sedentary goal that MFP gives as default?

Or you do have positive syncing enabled, and you are meeting what MFP says your eating goal is for the day, not the NET, the eating goal?

[Nedra19455]

As I exercise, MFP shows "bonus" calories showing up in my bank. I eat most of those calories. So in MFP I'm supposed to eat 1,860 calories per day based on the activity level that I specifies when I set up the account ("lightly active" -- I think). But I end up eating closer to 2,100 calories based in the extra info from fitbit about what I actually burn.

[Heybales]

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@Nedra19455 wrote:
As I exercise, MFP shows "bonus" calories showing up in my bank. I eat most of those calories. So in MFP I'm supposed to eat 1,860 calories per day based on the activity level that I specifies when I set up the account ("lightly active" -- I think). But I end up eating closer to 2,100 calories based in the extra info from fitbit about what I actually burn.

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Good setup just right, meet those eating goals.

Because that goal amount already has the deficit in it, don't make it bigger than they gave you which you selected, which could already be too much. 50 over is better than 100 below.

Since Fitbit is correcting MFP, are you correcting Fitbit for non-step based activity it is badly underestimating? Like swimming is obvious, but spin/biking, rowing, elleptical, lifting weights, ect? All need to be manually logged to increase the calorie burn Fitbit is low on.

[One-Eyed_Jack]

Folks seem to make the assumption (false) that everyone with a FitBit product is in good health. Advising someone you don't know anything about to take meds for pain - yes even OTC meds - is also something I would not recommend. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (motrin, advil), naproxen (aleve), or aspirin can cause "cardio vascular events" or peptic ulcers. Naproxen is probably the safest if taken short term only and following the dosage on the bottle label.

Taking more than the dosage recommended or exceeding the maximun treatment limit risks peptic ulcers (Nsaids inhibit the production of the lipid like prostaglandins that protect the stomach lining from acid), heart attack, stroke, or death.

If you just started a new exercise program (Great!) please make sure you check with your doctor before popping any pain meds for longer than a couple days - especially if you are on prescription meds for cardiac problems, kidney disease, liver problems, high blood pressure, or are taking presciption pain pills.

Some discomfort is normal with a new exercise program. Take it easy and don't try to match your progress with a healthy 20 year old who has less milage on his or her "airframe". Enjoy safe workouts and as some one else has said elsewhere here: "enjoy your journey".