adamevegod1's Journal, 11 January 2020

what are ill feelings? lethargy? or general weakness? or something else entirely? i can say, and i am no expert or in the know, when i was in serious caloric reduction and working out 7 days a week - i was gassed and lethargic before starting a single exercise - then the rest of day i would just lay around, not ill feeling, just fried. i had to be aware of how much water i drank and also providing enough food to fuel a workout so it's productive. a healthy mix of carbs and protein were important for me. just a bump of average daily calories of 100-200 gave me that energy and the wiped out feeling disappeared. that may not be the case for you - and i don't know what extreme exertion does in the body as it relates to chemical changes in the body - but maybe some release of hormones or change of carbs / fat / protein to fuel/rebuild/etc. can also impact how you feel. not scientific, just me guessing. diet type will impact what fuel your body is using as well. i am sure others will chime in with better ideas - this is just my specific experience.  

br_e_co, I'm only in a slight caloric deficit, likely less than 500 a day. For me feeling ill is being nausea but not so that I can't eat. My workouts are first thing in the morning and don't suffer at all. Since I've been making green smoothies in the evening I've actually noticed welcomed energy and performance in my wo. Thanks for your input. It does help me reevaluate things not considered.  

sounds like you have a handle on fuel, that small deficit shouldn't cause any issues, but maybe a tweaking of your macros ... i'd be curious to know, when/if you find out, what works to rid you of that ill feeling - may be a small tweak - but if it causes nausea for the balance of the day, yeah, not sure, i'd suspect something chemical or biological in my body. but not every time? so that is good. hope you rid yourself of that feeling! 

How many calories a day do you eat? I know that I am not the healthiest in some ways but I eat close to 2000 calories a day, a little more or a little less. I would not feel good if I did not eat enough.  

Guess I'm lucky. I feel like I have outstanding workouts and have never felt ill. I usually eat a little before if I go in the morning and if I go in the early evening, I have consumed about 1000-1200 calories already. I eat more protein and carbs after the workout. I stay hydrated before and throughout. I rarely rest for long because I do supersets- but maybe you need a longer rest period. I go for an hour pretty much on the nose. If you are doing more than that- take it down a notch and see how you feel. There are a few rare occasions where I am feeling drained and try to force myself to do it. About 20 minutes in, if it still feels crappy, I'll just leave and figure I need a break. Currently taking Sundays off.  

When I 1st started doing Tabata workouts I felt like I was gonna throw up afterwards. They are so intense! I found that what helped was to have a bowl of oatmeal b4 I worked out. I needed the fuel from the carbs. As soon as I got home I would eat some type of protein. After awhile I got used to it. Now I also add protein powder to my oatmeal as I have a hard time getting the amount of daily protein I need. 

I read somewhere that some ppl need fuel before workout, some don't need it until after workout. Everyone's different. I drink smoothies within 30 minutes of workouts and drink protein shakes afterwards. I am hypoglemic( low blood sugar) so I get pretty sick or pass out. If I decide to try push myself abit, like, try weight lift heavier, I bring my smoothie with me& drink it slowly while I do the weightlifting(mostly 10-25 pounds but try to go for 30-40) same with treadmill or walking video, if I decide to walk more than few miles, always bring water& shakes with me. I drink water every 10-15 min during walking, it helps me get thru. My smoothies are mixed of frozen fruits, like, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or the mixed berries frozen bags( they are high in antioxidants, great for health) and muscle milk protein powder, vanilla or chocolate flavor and unsweetened almond milk. sometimes I add full fat Greek yogurt if I didn't eat enough healthy fat ( on general lchf , was on keto for short time, hard on my blood sugar) so try shakes or smoothies before or after workout to see if it helps u and drink water. Hope any of the suggestions helps u!!  

Davidsprices, I go Mon-Fri unless I miss a day and then make it up on Sat. I go hard for about 1:15, but take 1 min rest between sets. I tried eating many things for a lite snake 20 min-1 hr prior to a wo, but my performance always sufferes, even with white toast honey and a small amount of PB on it. It could be that I'm turning 59--ugh-lol.  

Charlotte_ I'm eating about 2500 cal a day. My macros are roughly 40 pro, 45 carb, and 15 fat. The carbs are always low glycemic. I eat no junk.  

pocahontas1972, Sounds like I need to keep tweaking until I get it. Each WO I'm seeking a new personal best. I'm my own worst enemy. But I will keep what you wrote in consideration.  

Thanks for the reply Diane1234 

There’s your problem. You’re not eating enough junk. 🤣🤣 

Hopefully you can resolve it quickly. You could try to eat at maintenance for a couple of days and see if you feel better. My way of eating is similar to yours and it is very satisfying.  

You might want to get a checkup with your doctor to rule out anything serious like something cardiac in nature. If something is going on with your heart it could cause all that you described. Not to be an alarmist but I’d rule out big stuff first then work my way back. Good luck. 

Simply put--you are not eating enough. TDEE calculator can provide insight on caloric needs. Ex. 59YO, male, 165 pounds, 69 inches tall, 15% BF-- BMR 1554 maintenance calories 2680 work load heavy exercise. Change BF to 10% keep all variables constant except BF moves to 10% and the BMR is 1825 and maintenance calories are 3148. Simply put you are not eating enough--ESPECIALLY if you are doing max reps for various moves and muscle groups. 75 minutes of lifting 5 days a week is considered heavy exercise. This is the internet so 69 inches makes you only 1 inch shorter and most men lie on the webz and claim 2 inches of height which seems to magically disappear once they meet other folks in real life. Also, you are fighting time and Mother Nature and historical averages for BF and men--ie--as we age we have more BF--it is just the way it goes. Last, a key for those non-acro folk....TDEE--Total Daily Energy Expenditure, BMR--Basil Metabolic rate-- BF--Body Fat -- YO--Years Old PS--if you are actually 70 inches tall then the BMR and Maintenance calories change. So at 10%, 3148 calories for maintenance and low GI foods and 69 inches in height you probably are doing a disservice to your goals. That is all. Please add an extra $10 to your local Church plate if anyone found this helpful. Peace and Mahalo. 

Terrapin, you're response was well thought out, and has given me much to consider, and yes--I'm actually 70" with no shrinkage as of yet. although my wife has shrunk 2.5" since we wed in 82. I'm currently about 16/17 %BF, but goal is below 10%. Thanks for your valued input.