Tiredness when just starting out?

[Candice27]

Hello everybody out there! I am new to fit bit. I've been trying to lose weight and be more active for some time now and it has been an uphill battle for sure. I just turned 27 and I'm about 40 pounds over weight. In the last year I put on about 15 of those pounds because I got promoted at work and now sit all day. I absolutely love the fit bit. It's definitely showed me how sedentary I am. I have been getting my steps each day for the last week and a half (except for once). I've had to go on 45-60min walks just to hit my goal most days. I don't feel like it's that much exercise because I used to be really active and work out a lot harder a couple years back. However, I am coming to a point where I am so tired. I came home yesterday and just wanted to lay down and go to bed. I feel like my legs are tired. So I guess I just want to see how long I'm going to be feeling tired before my body adjusts to this new level of activity I'm doing each day? Did/does anybody else experience this? I am staying within my goal calorie limit each day as well, my goal is one pound a week. Thanks for any comments or feedback.

[Sewinator]

Hi Candice,  I thought it was just my age that was dragging me down... I'm almost twice your age! However, I did notice that after about 2 weeks of working out consistently (even on weekends) and doubling my water intake, I finally have more energy.  I really feel that the increase in fluids helps flush the toxins out and gives your body the ability to absorb the vitamins in the food.  

Also, try to eliminate salt and sugar... (that means anything that is pre-packaged)...  it's hard to change habits, but all the motivational speakers say:  It takes 21 days to form a new habit.  Keep us updated on your progress!  

[SunsetRunner]

Candice, I personally set the daily goal to 20.000 steps, but personally don't go for the goal at all. I do it to get more insight of the total activity, to get more insight in eating habits, how much calories can be eaten when having worked more.. within time, want to let go of the food plan, I now try to maintain the weight for a while, and log the food what having eaten, if the calories go over, or under, try to listen to inner body signals to listen when being full, have eaten enough.. and if its over the total calories allowed, I estimate only at dinner how much is actually truelly eaten, so could have logged the calories to maintain (logged more already than being eaten) but when hungry could go over the food plan..

If i'm sedentary, I don't mind, I not force myself to reach a daily goal. It's personal choice.

Since doing so much activity after being more sedentary at work, I believe your not used to do so much activity any more and doing to much at once, the body isn't used to anymore.

Try to build it up gradually and lower your daily step goal for a while, then when not feeling tired, increase the step goal as desired.

The daily step goal can be adjusted on the dashboard (fitbit website) by hovering over the steps tile and clicking the gear icon. After syncing the new goal will be used.

Take rest when required, it's a signal that the body has to recover.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy

[VinceD]

Hey Candice.  Not sure if ti the body that adjusts or the mind that gets used to being sore and tired.  Have been lifting and doing a little cardio for the last couple years and was feeling pretty good.  Srtarting upping the cardio and jogging on my off days from lifting.  Seems like i am sore all the time.  If you have been consistenly working out, do not feel bad to take a day off and let the body recover.  If you dont have any friends on here yet, and if you dont feel free to add me, i would suggest finding a few for motivation.  It is amazing the motivation to be had from just looking at your friend list and seeing that someone has passed you up or that you are gaining on someone and just need a few more steps.  Would think that with what you are doing as you adapt to the exercise and the weight starts coming off you will be feeling better and ready to push through the next work out.

[tesla21]

hello there,

are you having a rest day after an actiove day as this is when your body repairs it self,

also even if your staying within your calorific intake it depends on what you are eating to stave of tired muscles eat a banana as this is a good source of potassium also eat iron rich food as this is essential for blood circulation wich is essenstial for oxygenating the muscles.

hope this helps

[TandemWalker]

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@Candice27 wrote:
Hello everybody out there! I am new to fit bit. I've been trying to lose weight and be more active for some time now and it has been an uphill battle for sure. I just turned 27 and I'm about 40 pounds over weight. In the last year I put on about 15 of those pounds because I got promoted at work and now sit all day. I absolutely love the fit bit. It's definitely showed me how sedentary I am. I have been getting my steps each day for the last week and a half (except for once). I've had to go on 45-60min walks just to hit my goal most days. I don't feel like it's that much exercise because I used to be really active and work out a lot harder a couple years back. However, I am coming to a point where I am so tired. I came home yesterday and just wanted to lay down and go to bed. I feel like my legs are tired. So I guess I just want to see how long I'm going to be feeling tired before my body adjusts to this new level of activity I'm doing each day? Did/does anybody else experience this? I am staying within my goal calorie limit each day as well, my goal is one pound a week. Thanks for any comments or feedback.

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I might sound like a broken violin, because I've posted similar comments in other threads; but my best advice to you is to vary your exercise regimen. If you walk your feet off one day, do something else the next - like cycling in the morning; and another bicycle run when you get home. Or if you belong to a gym, do a 30-45 min. workout on the stationary bike, or a rowing machine. Anything you do to vary your exercise regimen will give your body a chance to recover; and keep your metabolism challenged. If you do the same thing day after day, your body will get used to that level of demand and you will soon see the weight loss curve going flat.

I started incorporating intervals in my walks some six months ago. I started very slow, with just a 20 seconds slow jog for every 5 min. segments. I am now at 50/50 jog/walk and will stay there. I have found this to be very beneficial.  As walking and jogging use your leg muscles and joints diffirently, I am not as tired after a one hour workout; plus, by constantly challenging your body with peaks and valleys throughout your workout, you will burn more and lose weight faster.

[SunsetRunner]

As the body needs to repair, the body needs the nutritients especially the proteins to repair the muscles. Eat eggs, lean meat (chicken but without the skin), fish,.. you may want to eat on maintanance since the body doesn't like to both be in deficit and do recovery the same time. It can then focus completely on recovery, afterwards it's possible to go back eating less and continue progress towards your goal.

Don't worry if the weight goes off slowely but steadily, our skins have more time to adjust to the new smaller body weight that way and it decreases the chance of having loose skin after / during reaching your goal. The chance is higher when loosing weight to fast when being a larger deficit. When the weight goes down steadily but surely, then meanwhile the body also gets used to the new weight, and it makes it a bit more easily to maintain the weight.

Perhaps weight loss could be better done in parts, to get the body get used to the lower weight and to reduce any stress that may happen with wanting to loose weight (focusing for a longer time on weight loss).

Loose x amounts of pounds, try to maintain the new weight for a while. Loose x amounts of pounds,.. you also get used to the newer weight this way.

Personally had certain moments that it felt strange to get used to a smaller tummy over time (after several years of weight loss (changing eating habits,..) being on a healthy weight, body fat (want still to decrease body fat by getting leaner but think about staying at about the same weight), it's both physical and emotional but don't let that stand in the way to become more healthy and fit.

http://www.bariatriccookery.com/loose-skin-wls

[Heybales]

How much of a deficit are you taking from what you burn daily, on average?

Like you may have told Fitbit give you 1000 daily - are missing your goal by another 500 thinking that will be useful in the long run?

The body will adjust when it feel threatened, and studies have shown one of the first things is slowing down your spontaneous physical activity - which is exactly what Fitbit can help pinpoint by looking at that normal daily activity.

So getting in a 400 calorie exercise burn does little good for weight loss if your body slows down your daily burn by 400 calories - you got no net increase.

Everyone else hit the other good things, just thought I'd hit that potential gung-ho method many think is better.

[graciehays217]

I recently (as of about two months ago) started working out for the first time in my life! I'm 19, and gained the freshman 10-15lbs and I figured it was time to get fit! When I first started I was tired ALLLL the time! It's TOTALLY normal. When you first start workingout again, your body is trying to get rid of all that extra toxic stuff from foods you eat and fats that are stored up, and waking your muscles back up! A LOT of it has to do with what you eat though. If you're trying to lose weight and build muscle, do a very low carb diet with loooots of veggies, and SOME fruit, but not a lot. Stay away from saturated fats, oils, and salts. Make sure you're eating enough too, that's a big thing. Also, eat lean protien like chicken, egg whites, and fish. Eating clean like this will help your body process food a lot faster, which boosts your metabolism, therefore cleaning out your system faster! I've been on a diet similar to this for a while and I lost 10% of my bmi bodyfat and 5 lbs. I started out as 135, and now I'm about 130. I feel WAY less tired all the time and I can stay up all day now if I want... but hey... who doesn't love a good nap sometime? 

The biggest thing is willpower. Keep up the mental and emotional, and the body will come with time! 

-Gracie-