Stubborn extra weight/fatigue

In the past year I have been focusing on eating better and getting more physical. I had not drastically changed my eating habits but in the past year I am gaining weight, losing what used to be a small waist, etc. In response, I am watching what I eat and take supplements; I have taken up cycling (or I would not be on this forum!) and I commute on my bike to work everyday (which is a very good workout); I hike; I do pilates; I do physiotherapy for my bunions which are exercises that focus on the butt on down, which is a pretty good workout as well. Yet, I cannot seem to make a dent in my weight. I am thinking about going to doctor for a consultation. I am wondering if it could be onset of menopause (I am 45). Oh I miss the days when I could shed pounds so easily!

Any experience with really stubborn extra pounds?

One of my other issues is that when I work out, I accumulate fatigue, it affects my immunity, and then I end up like today - I am at home with a cold. I do try hard to relax and rest between workouts, but I guess I obviously need to rethink this, because I am probably not resting enough. Any opinions or shared experiences welcome!

So you know you are in perimenopause or in menopause? Have you had a physical checkup recently? Getting enough sleep?

Have heard that it is advised not to engage in really rigorous exercise 1 hr. before going to bed.

Yes, agree that you will have to modify your eating habits. What have you tried to change in last few months re eating habits? Or what do you think you need to change but just haven't gotten around to it? If one doesn't know, then food diary might help to detect patterns.

I did have high metabolism even before I restarted cycling regularily. First 10 yrs. of regular cycling, weight used to come off more easily by each summer. But now (which happened approx. after 44), to achieve the same thing, I had to shift diet by reducing white rice, bread and heavy pasta intake.

Meanwhile my cycling this year has increased at least by 35+%.

People who know me from other places may say I'm a broken record, but it needs to be said/asked: Are you counting calories? To say that you're "eating better" is great, but let's face the reality that you can still overeat with healthful food. (And it doesn't take drastic changes to add a few hundred calories per day.) Despite what we've been told, exercise does make us hungry (as it should), so it's very easy to go for a ride/hike/whatever and end up overeating later to compensate.

About the fatigue, well, it's hard to say. My initial bet is on dehydration. Are you drinking enough before, during, and after your workout? Sorry to be graphic, but the easiest way to check hydration is pee color. It should be virtually clear. You may also need electrolytes, but I don't know how to check for that.

It is possible that you're working a cycle (pun unintended) where you work hard, don't compensate soon enough for the calories burned, are fatigued, then overcompensate with too much food and too little movement later. But I'd check for hydration first.

Last thought: Are you alternating hard days of exercise with easy days? You can actually recover better if you exercise lightly the next day.

Protein? Iron?

A trip to a nutritionist or doctor versed in nutrition would likely be helpful.

Protein and healthy fats?

Adequate recovery?

I was also thinking nutritionist more than doctor. Nothing against doctors - I married one - but they are not particularly trained to deal with lifestyle change and body transformation. (Unless you have a recommendation for a doctor who is. Can't think of anyone in Montreal, sorry! - I'm from there originally.)

You could get your iron level checked though (doctor's office), and maybe a doctor could recommend a sports nutritionist.

Good luck!

I made an appointment with my doctor for tomorrow - I will consult him on the possibilities. He is quite good in terms of considering lifestyle when addressing a health problem. Within the clinic there is a nutritionist so I may end up getting referred to her. There are a lot of good points in the responses that I took note of - thanks so much.

I just went through a big buga-boo with fatigue. Turns out I was anemic and had very low vitamin D. I was training for a marathon at the time, and it got so incredibly bad I had to abandon the marathon idea. I suffered for months, convinced I was just lazy and was just eating too much cr@p.

We're the same age, and it turns out active women our age are more likely to be low on iron... go figure? I'm sure your doctor will check your iron and your thyroid and your vitamin D. My iron and D were low enough that I ended up taking some pretty hefty supplements, diet alone wasn't going to cut it.

Took about 3 weeks, and then I felt wonderful and back to my old self.

Good luck!

The issue of iron is a good possibility. I'm not officially anemic, but after a weird issue with my period (we're talking two and a half weeks of nonstop flow) I've learned what iron deficincy feels like. I now pay attention and when I start feeling a little droopy, I get in a nice, juicy steak. Works wonders for me, and would be an easy thing for you to try. Of course, since you already have an appointment, it's a bit moot. :)

I was having a similar issue and it turned out that my thyroid was no longer functioning optimally as a result of an autoimmune disorder. Many doctors will only check one thyroid level; there are three or so different aspects that need to be checked. I was undiagnosed for years before this recent discovery. Am much better now with supplemental thyroid treatment. (I'm 47.)

I too was just about to suggest she have her thyroid checked when I saw your post!
Definitely good to do especially since she is going for a checkup anyway.

By the time I finally went to the doc I was convinced I must have low thyroid. I thought she was nuts for checking all these other things (iron, vit d, cell counts, etc.) Doctors are pretty smart... :rolleyes: I sure like mine. She listens to me, but she follows her own hunches, too. (she was talking about anemia at my first appointment for the fatigue, and I was brushing her off!)

Anything your doc wants to check, have it checked! You never know what might be up!

(btw, all my thyroid indicators are absolutely beautiful, even though I have celiac disease which is a big contributor to thyroid issues. Niiiiice!)

I had incredible fatigue.
It turned out I had;
chronic fatigue
low iron
low copper
not enough protein
over training
not enough sleep
Not in that order.
Most of mine is the CG but adequate protein intake helped Majorly, plus not over training. I started to sleep 8 to 9 hours a night, rather than 7.
Im still working it out .
The iron helped as well. Its a good test to have. I also started taking herbs prescribed for me( panax ginseng, shizandra, and some others).Ginseng is great!
Also see if they can check for adrenal fatigue.Thats quite common nowadays,what with stress and working too much.

+1 on getting thyroid checked. Unexplained weight gain and fatigue are prime candidates.

Also, if you are taking any medications that might block the absorption of nutrients, you need to think about when (time of day) you take them and what you eat/drink immediately after. I take Metformin and found out that it blocks absorption of calcium which in turns gave me a B12 deficiency.

Finally, you should log your food intake. I'm 57 and I have to eat less calories now than I did in my younger days even though I am very active now and barely got off the couch in my younger days! I log everything I put in my mouth to stay within a proper calorie range and ratio of carbs/protein/fat.

In addition to my response earlier in this thread, I'm taking iron since am a bit low here after had blood tests. Body not used to extra shot of iron at this time.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

In addition to my response earlier in this thread, I'm taking iron since am a bit low here after had blood tests. Body not used to extra shot of iron at this time.

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A point of order (not to you, shootingstar, but to others): Don't take iron supplements without a doctor's order after blood tests. Iron toxicity is a very real possibility, as our bodies cannot expel excess iron.

On Friday I went for blood tests that included checking my iron and thryoid. Let's see what comes back. I discovered something new this weekend - I spoke to my mother and she told me that she had thyroid disfunction, for which she is taking medication. I had no idea - my mother is in fantastic shape for her age, absolutely no weight issues. She is the last person I thought had a thyroid problem.

I also have an appointment with a nutritionist on Tuesday. Whichever way the tests come back, it won't hurt to look at little harder at my eating habits.

Knocked back with the cold this week, all I wanted to do was sleep, which I did a lot of. No cycling this week - I am hoping to be on my bike soon!

e.e. -- hope you find out something! Sometimes it is like-mother, like-daughter -- my mother and I both have hypothyroidism. Many people blame weight problems on the thyroid, but when it is treated properly, it is probably not the cause of weight issues. I've been treated for thyroid disease since 1997 and historically blamed my weight issues on it. Now, I know my weight issues are what I eat :o ... just took me some time to "own" it.

I used to think that if I worked out a lot and rode my bike a lot that I could eat what I want. But what you eat has more to do with your weight than how much you exercise. The nutritionist can help you to balance out the exercise you do with the food you eat and make sure you are eating the right type of foods and the right amount of calories.

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Originally Posted by tctrek

I used to think that if I worked out a lot and rode my bike a lot that I could eat what I want. But what you eat has more to do with your weight than how much you exercise. The nutritionist can help you to balance out the exercise you do with the food you eat and make sure you are eating the right type of foods and the right amount of calories.

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+1. Read the stuff about how long it takes running on a treadmill to burn off one oreo cookie. Ugh.

Lots of good advice. Here's more. :D When you get back on your feet add in weight training. Muscle burns fat at rest. Fat burns nothing at rest. You look better nekked with muscle. And I ain't talking no pink weights. Lift something that makes you grunt after 10-12 reps. Then do it again.

I see lots of fat-skinny women at my gym. Mainly the cardio queens who work out like crazy on the ellipticals and go home. Young girls who have almost no muscle & probably a fairly high body fat ratio, but they look good in the Calvin Kleins. Until they get a little older and menopause creeps up...BWAHAHAHA....

+1 on the weights. And you don't have to go to a gym. Check out http://www.stumptuous.com/

It's not simple to accept one's body metabolism changes as one ages. Someone asked me the other day, a non-cyclist, who is trying to lose weight and she is 50 like myself: 'But if your body burns food more efficiently as you exercise more, that means you always have to exercise (meaning exercise nearly daily).'

Yup. Can't escape that fact. However it helps a whole lot for cycling-enthuasiasts to think of many years of cycling ahead..or similar. :)

Now, when someone hasn't seen me for several years, they say: "You haven't changed much..meaning my body shape."

Sigh..if they only knew how more effort, megalots more effort, to maintain a healthy weight now compared to 15 yrs. ago-- exercise, permanent diet changes (hopefully), timing of meals, etc.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

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Sigh..if they only knew how more effort, megalots more effort, to maintain a healthy weight now compared to 15 yrs. ago-- exercise, permanent diet changes (hopefully), timing of meals, etc.

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So true. I'm a person who works out in the early morning. As the day goes on, my enthusiasm fades. Very few people are willing to hit the gym or get on the bike at 6AM. I've done it for years, so it's a lifestyle.

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

So true. I'm a person who works out in the early morning. As the day goes on, my enthusiasm fades. Very few people are willing to hit the gym or get on the bike at 6AM. I've done it for years, so it's a lifestyle.

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That's the best thing about commuting by bike. Most people have to go to work, and getting there by bike can be the best way to do it. It becomes a habit, a very healthy habit.

Re exercising daily: It helps if you consider that our bodies were built for daily activity, almost constant movement, and thrive on it. Thinking of "exercise" as yet another daily chore that has to be done makes it sound so depressing. The truth is that we weren't made to sit around on our butts for very long and our bodies deteriorate if we do so...

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Originally Posted by lph

Re exercising daily: It helps if you consider that our bodies were built for daily activity, almost constant movement, and thrive on it. The truth is that we weren't made to sit around on our butts for very long and our bodies deteriorate if we do so...

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I have been thinking about this a lot the last few months. I work in an office and sit all day. Recently I've started setting an alarm every 50 minutes. That's a reminder to me to get up and take a loop around the office building and to find an excuse to walk up and down the stairs a time or two. It's made a big difference.

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Originally Posted by lph

Re exercising daily: It helps if you consider that our bodies were built for daily activity, almost constant movement, and thrive on it. Thinking of "exercise" as yet another daily chore that has to be done makes it sound so depressing. The truth is that we weren't made to sit around on our butts for very long and our bodies deteriorate if we do so...

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Certainly I don't view cycling as a chore, but more as a "drug-inducing" activity :D because of the endorphins. Even if I have to do an errand, my attitude does tend to be: it's alot faster to get there no matter how slowly I cycle and I can carry more weight effortlessly coming back home. Bike is a necessity for us folks who don't have a car.

True that our bodies need physical activity daily. I've had several jobs where my work included getting up from computer desktop several times each hr. or at most nearly every hr. and it never bothered me. I welcomed it since jobs have been client-focused which accounts for multiple interuptions throughout the day and doing something/demonstrating something for them.

Over the years, I tried to encourage other staff in the department to be grateful that their jobs isn't just data entry, but much more diverse where it requires them to vary their tasks and change their physical activity/get away from prolonged viewing of the computer screen to do something else on the job.

Shootingstar, I could have written your post. It takes SO much more to "look the same" as I did 15 years ago. I made a big adjustment in my eating about 5 years ago; while I never ate "badly," I was still eating the same high carb/low fat diet (good carbs) I ate in my thirties, when I was teaching 5-7 aerobics classes a week. I started looking pudgy at around age 45, even though I was still active. Started cycling a couple of years later and also found that changing up the routine also is necessary now.
I taught aerobics at 5 AM for 5 years and continued working out early in the AM until last year. Since I no longer have to get up that early, I exercise when I want to... I have to be disciplined, though. And all those 6-7 mile trips on my bike for errands add up. As long as I am moving for at least 30-40 minutes, it's good.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

Certainly I don't view cycling as a chore

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No, I meant your friend who sounded like she was surprised or put out by the fact that you "always have to exercise".

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

but more as a "drug-inducing" activity :D because of the endorphins.

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Yah, me too :D