Well, it turns out that I have been overexercising. It seems crazy when I spent so much time in my life not exercising enough, but now it's just way too much. I have been dealing with lightheadedness that's not going away, a feeling of weakness, low blood sugar and slight problems with my bad knee (existing condition from a car accident). I tried drinking more water, that didn't help. With that feeling like I'm going to pass out when I get up from a sitting position, I finally decided to consult my clinic's medical staff and the Optifast guidebook. Yup, exercising too much ... unreal! Here's what the exercise guidelines are while on the full-fast:
"You can engage in physical activity or exercise while taking the Optifast supplement. However, if you engage in too much exercise at too high an intensity you can slow down the weight loss process, cause a soft tissue injury, or experience symptoms of nausea and lightheadedness. By following a few simple guidelines, you can exercise your way to a healthier body.
- Frequency: 3-4 days per week.
- Intensity: Moderate aerobic activities.
- Time: 30-40 minutes per session, not including any warm-up or cool-down activities.
- Type: Walking, swimming, or cycling are the best choices.
- Strength training is safe if you use light weights and high repetitions (12-15).
- Be sure to drink extra fluids on workout days.
- Seek the advise of an exercise physiologist if you have questions or concerns."
Oh man. So now I'm going to have to curb my exercise a little bit. I started looking at my weight loss history and while I am still losing a lot of weight, it actually has slowed down for the most part since kicking up my exercise. Beyond the rate of loss, however, is not wanting to do damage to my body. If I feel like I'm going to pass out when I get up, that's not good. Having low blood sugar is not good. Causing further damage to an already-injured knee is not good. So, I will pull back on what I've been doing (although I'm definitely not happy about it). I enjoy the exercise, but I need to follow the rules. So no more power-walking three miles every day. I can look forward to increasing it in the future.
2 comments:
Oh my! I know how much you love your walking...sorry to hear that you have to cut it back some. But as you pointed out, when you come off the products you can pick it right back up. Which is great!
Yes, I'm trying to remember the bigger picture. It's sort of the same idea as missing chewing actual food ... it will be there when I'm off the fast. Positive thinking is the way I have to go on it.
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