We haven’t had Honest Tuesday here in a while and it’s about time. There’s been some stuff going on that I haven’t wanted to mention on here (although several of you have noticed and e-mailed me about it for which I am very grateful for your concern) until I knew what exactly I was dealing with. So prepare for a long, rambling, and not-funny story (or just skip to the end if you’d rather – I’ll never know).
A couple of months ago I started noticing some troubling symptoms: being chronically cold (it’s 70 degrees here right now and I’m wearing yoga pants, a long-sleeve t, a hoodie and socks), depression, irritability, sudden weight gain, excessive fatigue & muscle soreness and a mental “fogginess” that is just not like me. (I want to apologize here to any of you that I left rude or snippy comments on your site – I’m telling you, irritable is my middle name these days.) I went to see my doc and after much scanning, prodding and blood sucking, she informed me that my thyroid seems to be under-functioning.
Now, hypothyroidism is a fairly common malady, especially in women and does run in my family but I was confused – why now would I suddenly have a problem? I have none of the risk factors for it (over 50, pregnant or lactating) and have not had problems with it in the past.
Overtraining Syndrome
And then she mentioned something interesting – hypothyroidism in younger people is linked to overtraining syndrome. For those of you uninitiated in the die-hard fitness parlance, overtraining syndrome is “Training too hard and too long, with insufficient rest, which leads to burnout and decreased performance” There are two types of OT: sympathetic, which mainly affects power athletes like lifters and sprinters and parasympathetic, which mainly affects endurance athletes.
“But Charlotte, you are not an athlete!” ‘Tis true but I am dumb enough to train hard like one. Well, like an uneducated one at any rate. The sorry truth is that it is us wannabe athletes that are the most susceptible to this syndrome. Real athletes have coaches and doctors and water boys and what have you monitoring their every vital sign to nip this kind of thing in the bud. I just have denial.
Symptoms
Bodybuilding.com has a fabulous table that lists the physical, mental and cardiovascular symptoms of overtraining. It’s very comprehensive so if you are a hypochondriac or just play one on TV, I highly suggest reading their whole article. But basically the symptoms include an elevated morning/resting heart rate (check), chronic fatigue & muscle soreness (check), listlessness (yup), irritability (triple check), confusion (wha…?), depression (yeppers), apathy (check) and anxiety (check).
The symptoms that stood out most to me though were those related to exercise performance. Over the past six weeks I’ve been noticing some changes in my workouts that I have been unable to explain in relation to the experiments. I’ve been complaining to the Gym Buddies (sorry guys!) for weeks now that I feel like I’m working way harder than what my heart rate monitor shows and that despite giving it my all, I just can’t manage to get my heart rate up to where it should be. This became most obvious to me in Spin class last week when the instructor told us to check our heart rates against the exertion scale on the wall. According to that, I’m working out like a 50-year-old. And getting my butt kicked. I’ve become increasingly more reliant on caffeine just to get through my workouts. And then I’m wiped the rest of the day. The other thing I’ve noticed is that I am always sore. Every day. All of that? Classic overtraining.
But the number one symptom of overtraining? Loss of motivation. Almost every morning starts out with Gym Buddy Allison and I looking at each other and saying, “I’m just not feeling this today.” Which is so unlike me! I live for this kind of thing! I dream about different fitness experiments. I devour books on exercise. This is my favorite thing to do. Except that now it isn’t so much. I’m just tired.
The Cure
My instinct when something isn’t working for me is to push harder and go farther. My instincts suck. According to, well, all the sites I read, you are supposed to take one week off of exercise for every 12 weeks of intense training. I haven’t taken a week off in years. I’ve barely taken a day off since my last baby was born. If I’m being totally honest, I’m a bit of a compulsive exerciser (something that I’d like to do a whole post about but maybe when it’s not such a touchy subject for me).
The only thing for it is rest, rest, rest. And the longer you have overtrained, the more rest you need. One Olympic hopeful ended up so fatigued that she required six months of rest. Hopefully one week will do it for me. I am, after all, not Olympic in any sense of the word.
What This All Means
I literally cried about this all weekend. My eyes are still swollen and my husband’s shoulder still soggy from my last outburst. But the fact is that if I don’t do something about this, it’s only going to get worse until I get injured or so sick that I’m forced to take a break. I’m cortisol city. My endocrine system is messed up from it. I’ve gained weight (nine heart-wrenching pounds in three weeks). My shin splints are back. My periods are completely screwed up. I can never seem to get enough sleep. And worst of all I’m snapping at my kids and friends all the time.
I’m not sure what it says about me that it is this hard to just take a break for a week (seriously, I spent 20 minutes this morning rocking in a little ball on the floor and sobbing). I think I traded compulsive food control for compulsive exercise. Which is totally my personality so I don’t know why I am so surprised by this.
I’m still going to blog – it’s my adrenals that are worn out, not my fingers- and I still have plenty of opinions about things that I have no business spouting off about. Besides, you people are my lifeline most days. I’ll pick back up with the Jillian Michaels experiment after my rest.
Please somebody out there tell me they’ve overtrained & how long it took them to recover. I just feel really scared. What if I take a week off and gain even more weight? What if I never make it back to exercising again? What if I go crazy without exercise to burn off my anxiety? What if little blue smurfs eat all my socks and I have to wear flip flops the rest of my life? I worry a lot. I might go cry some more.
oh charlotte, I feel for you! for those of us who literally NEED to exercise, this is terrible news. BUT, do not push yourself to the point of injury (or worse)!
I’m very injured because I didn’t listen to my body and have no idea if I will ever run again. If only I had paid attention…
Anyway, I have no doubt that you will be back to exercising and crazy ass experiments again!
Take time off and get healthy. Please?
Interesting information about thyroid issues being linked to overtraining.
This is the first year that I have been training intensely for racing (cycling). I did great at my first race of the season. The next one, I did horribly. My HR was all over the place, my legs were burning with any serious effort and I felt horrible. I chalked it up to being tired and figured I’d do better next time.
The next week, a race and the same result, just horrible. I immediately became worried about overtraining because it could last for months if not identified quickly enough. I decided that I would continue to cycle, although nothing with intensity and not as high mileage, and do yoga.
I think it took about a good 2-3 weeks of serious rest to recover, physically, which I feel is lucky. Mentally, I haven’t regained interest in racing but I am doing great in my higher intensity workouts. I’ve also been trying to mix things up (not just being on the bike) workout-wise. I can tell that my endurance has lessened but my strength has not.
The thyroid issue is interesting as I had the emotional issues and the fogginess. I tested for high TSH during this period and had to wait to go back for a follow-up. After the resting period, it appears to be back to normal. Rest is the best thing to do and is the only way to recover. The thing that is hard for me is to remember that this just one year and I have to be concerned with wanting to exercise safely for my lifetime….losing a few weeks or months is no big deal in the grand scheme of things.
Nickel – Very interesting! I’m hoping my TSH level drops back down after a few weeks of rest too. I’m not keen on taking a pill for the rest of my life. Thanks for telling me about your experience – made me feel much more hopeful.
WM – Aw, girl – I know you know what I mean:) Thanks for your support!
Oh honey, that is SOOOO hard! I’m so sorry to hear this! It’s OK to cry as much as you need to. And, when you start to worry, just picture a stop sign. That helps me.
Something else that can be really helpful is restorative yoga. It’s a lot of resting poses and relaxation, and once a week can really help.
Please take care of yourself, OK? We’re here for you, and we all love you.
Aw man that sucks!
To try and make the sitch a bit better perhaps think of other things you love doing and do that whenever you would normally work out? That way you’ll be distracted by nice things and hopefully can recup in peace!
what a fantastic honest helpful post, C.
I know there are so many other people experiencing the same thing and the fact youre willing to SHARE both normalizes for them and can help them shift their exercise patterns—if they choose—-as well.
On the overtraining? When I competed for bodybuilding it seemed as though overtraining (and bizarre eating) was part of the, well, TRAINING.
Id not sleep well at ALL toward the end of the training time pre-competition (as a result of both) and NEEDED my caffeine to workout as well.
it would take me a month of NOTHING (active rest? walking the dogs and that was it) to get back on track.
my biggest gift to my body/myself? 4 months living out of the use where I touched not a weight, did not a yoga move, zero cardio, NOTHING (I know. I should have stretched but I didnt).
I felt so GOOD after that extended break that Ive cut back even more on what I do now.
(sorry so long)
xo xo,
M.
I’m so sorry Charlotte! I think you’re a powerful athlete (so what if you don’t have all the bells and whistles), you are an inspiration to me and so many others. As with all things, too much of a good thing can be bad, but I think you will feel much better after a week of rest. Was it Dr. J that wrote about his staycation? Think of the gym (and workouts) as a journey, and you just need to stay home this week.
Sometimes we are sidelined so we can be there for other aspects of our life that need our attention, we just don’t realize it at the time. Immerse yourself in relaxation and focus on feeling well. All your blogs friends love you and want the best for you!
I’m so sorry! Take care of yourself first and foremost, I know we don’t need to tell you that.
I’ve suffered from overtraining many times when I was still a competitive basketball player. 5 months of 2 a day workouts with about 4 hours on Saturdays is enough to make anyone feel the effects. The few weeks break between the end of season and the start of my second competitive sport (cough*golf*cough) was always relaxing and rejuvenating. My muscles would bounce back and my competitive edge would come back in full swing.
No doubt you’ll be great after a little rest, and we’ll look forward to hearing about and participating in more experiments!
Thanks for posting this Charlotte. As you remember, I just came back after a week-long hiatus due to an injury incurred while eating lobster (seriously). I didn’t do anything for a whole week. And for those last few days when I was more mobile, I was so productive! I got to bake a lot of healthy treats, which is something I love to do. Spent more time with friends and family. I must say I got a little depressed towards the end – but let’s keep some perspective here. This too shall pass – it’s only a few weeks! I have a story that might help: my boyfriend and I like to jog together, and in the beginning I would get annoyed because he wasn’t in the greatest shape and would get side-aches, etc, and want to quit. I couldn’t just be the good girlfriend and say, “of course dear, let’s walk the rest of the loop! You need your rest.” Oh nooo. I wanted to push through AND I let him know how annoyed I was that we had to stop! Shame on me. Anyway, he said something that really helped with my anxiety at not “getting in my workout”: He said, “Rachel, getting in shape is a JOURNEY. EAch day you learn more about yourself and what you can do. If you need to rest one day, you rest. You have your whole life to get in shape.”
And he was right! You have your whole life to workout – take advantage of the rest and do something you’ve always wanted to do but never found the time because you were too busy working out. 🙂
Hope this doesn’t sound too preachy. But you can do this!!!
Alyssa – thanks for the reminder about yoga. When I do it by myself it actually is quite restorative & calming.
WundaLucy- Thanks for the suggestion. I’m trying to keep my days occupied. The trick is finding something to do with my kids:)
MizFit – thank you so much for telling me about your OT! That makes me feel so much better. Although having to take 4 months off sounds… scary. But I’m glad it went so well for you. If you can do it, so can I!
Colleen – thanks for the support!
Gena – Thanks for telling me about your OT. It sounds like you’ve found a healthy way to deal with it now.
Rachel – That’s right – the great Lobster incident;) I’m so glad you are feeling better! Thanks for the reminder about productivity. It is true – when I’m not wiped from working out I have more energy to do other stuff! Maybe I’ll finally clean my house… naw;)
I feel your pain. Unfortunately we all have to deal with this in our own way (which can feel like a decade). Don’t worry so much about what happens to your body during this time of rest, you can and will recover. Think about your personality for a split second. You won’t let your body ‘go’, you just wish and want it to disappear immediately. The single hardest part of all this is having the patience and discipline to simply do nothing (something you just can’t compute).
Change is the most difficult thing to battle, and from what is sounds like, you’ve battled change one too many times. Accept the change and make it work for you and not against you.
Concentrate on the positive things about you and your life. And always remember there are worse things out there. Enjoy what you have while you have it.
Best of luck.
I also understand your fear of taking time off. But I have been sidelined twice by injuries, for several months each time (I wasn’t idle, but I could not do my usual exercising). All this advice is great – restorative yoga will keep you doing something and help you relax (keeping that guilty anxiety in check!) and filling up the time will help, too. Find some kid projects, healthy food that you can fill time by cooking and freezing, and do some active rest like MizFit suggests. I took a few weeks off last fall and felt great afterwards. I had to focus on enjoying my free time and push that guilt out of my head. Shopping, meeting with friends, spending time with husband – all benefits!
I wonder about the psychology of all this (in general, not necessarily your psychology!). You are very familiar with eating disorders, so what is your take – is this basically the same mind set? Is our push to exercise hard and get “fit” a control issue or have we moved past that into something else – fueled by media and a fitness industry fixated on looking good? Is it related to OCD (and is that a control thing)?
Anyway, keep busy and focus on the fact that you WILL feel BETTER with some rest (you might actually lose that gained weight, too, by reducing your cortisol levels and getting some sleep).
Oh, Charlotte, that’s got to be frustrating; but thanks for the very open, honest post.
I’m currently coming back from a long rest and rehab period, for my injured knee. It was maddening, to be honest; but I found other outlets (weights, blogging, creative uses for protein powder). If you need to take more than this week, I suggest launching yourself into a new (unphysical) project as a diversion. It worked for me.
Oh, and not to make light of this (but sometimes that helps too) – perhaps you could make this into an experiment…? Diversions can be a good thing!
Charlotte,
I definitely feel for you, and I know how hard it can be to not exercise. I had a foot injury a few years ago which took me out of the exercise game for about three months. And it was definitely the emotional withdrawal from the exercise that was hardest to deal with. I feel like I’ve been several times on the verge of OT – it’s hard because I’m a group exercise instructor, so my workouts are tied in with my income, so the more the better, right? Not always. Since I teach at four gyms it can get very crazy sometimes, and I find myself in the initial stages of OT – burnout, complete lack of motivation, perpetual fatigue.
And this starts to translate into injuries – I put all my stress in my neck and shoulders, and if I do too much weight training and not enough relaxing and stretching, my back creates knots which push my spine out of alignment. My chiropractor made a very good point to me that it’s just as important to schedule rest days as it is to schedule exercise days. So I try to do that. Now, if someone asks me to sub a class (or two or three), I’ll make sure I have at least one day off in the week, and if I don’t, I’ll trade a class with them. If I go too long working out every day I start to feel that familiar restlessness which precedes burnout and OT. It’s a constant battle for balance.
Please take time to rest and recover, though I know how very hard it is. It’s very hard to go from lots of exercise to no exercise – but what I’ve found to be helpful is to add in some days of the week with some fun/moderate exercise (walking – in my daily commute to work, playing fun games – I play kickball/dodgeball, or you could play catch with your kids if they’re old enough) that would take some of the intensity out but still let you feel like you’re being active.
Good luck! Finding a balance in life isn’t always easy, but sometimes our bodies have a way of herding us in the right direction.
Huge, huge hugs. Thanks for sharing this.
I’ve had minor symptoms like that but usually I’d manage to get back up and exercising again very quickly… just need to take a little bit of time to rest and then do less intensive exercising and make sure you eat a lot and get plenty of sleep and your body will be thanking you.
You’ll be all good and healthy again in no time!
Charlotte– this was was a really powerful read for me. I’m currently in a state where I’ve overtrained myself into low iron, low bone density, and a couple of stress fractures. Why can’t we be easier on ourselves? (this is not a rhetorical question) I exercise because it “makes me feel good” and “is good for me” — but you know what, it’s not really, anymore! Taking a day off training involves something like a multiple-personality conversation in my head: “You’ll feel better if you rest.” “But I’ll gain weight/lose endurance/feel crummy!” etc ad nauseam.
Anyway, I know I would be a kinder, more productive, and probably physically stronger person if I rested more, or at least didn’t have to go 100% all the time..but it’s so hard to actually DO it. (or not do it, as the case may be)
What Rachel said about having the rest of our lives to get in shape is SO true… it’s all about the big picture. If only I could get better at looking at it that way…
That said, take care of yourself. I’m going on three months of not running due to my stress fractures. When I first found out I wouldn’t be able to run for ??? number of months, I was inconsolable…like, pathetically so. But I survived, and am surviving. The trick will be when I can go back to running: Have I learned anything about listening to my body? I’m petrified the answer might be no.
I haven’t suffered from overtraining, but I did have to give up working out due to injury. Last summer I was training for a 10-mile run and got a bad case of shin splints. I had to cut out running and never made it to my race. It’s definitely hard to get back into a regular routine after being out for so long, but it sounds to me like exercise is in your bones as running is in mine. I eventually got back into it after a few months(as hard as it was), ran a 10K this spring and am back to training for the 10-miler. I learned a lot from the experience and I now listen to what my body tells me. I have no doubt that you will be back in the gym when the time is right and you’ll be better than ever! Good luck and I’ll continue to read your blog; I’m interested in how the Jillian Michaels experiment goes as I just bought her book.
IMHO, this is a perfect reason NOT to clean the house! Waaaaaay too active,lol!
I overtrained myself pretty badly a couple of years ago. I was lifting weights twice a day, 5 days a week, in addition to swimming laps 6 days a week. Eventually my elbow gave out on me and I realized that maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all… I took a few weeks off of lifting altogether and went easy on the swimming (couldn’t totally ditch the swimming — I was a lifeguard), then came back slowly with light weights.
Since then, I’ve changed my mindset when it comes to exercise: Exercise destroys your body. That’s what it does. It rips up your muscles, ligaments and tendons, stresses your bones and basically screws with every important system you have.
Exercise is only good because it leads to recovery. Your body repairs all the crap you did to it, then does a little extra work to make you fitter because it knows you’re just going to keep on trying to destroy it with exercise.
So the point of exercise is to give your body a reason to do good things to itself while you rest. Without rest, exercise is pointless. That mindset has helped me be much more reasonable in my approach over the past few years.
Excellent and courageous post, Charlotte.
Hi, just a note to say hello and thank you for being so honest. I’m crying for you because I would be crying if it happened to me. Next week, I start my marathon training and I need to go into it rested and healthy- yet today I’m still struggling with inflammation in my knees due to tightness in my ITB bands. Moral? Get your rest now so you can go hard later.
You are awesome for posting this and being so honest. I know it sucks but your body needs the rest and when it is all over you WILL feel a million times better and be able to enjoy your workouts again. I took 6 months off last year after over training. The most I did was exercise my fingers from plate to mouth. And now i’m back in the game full force 😉 and you will be too! *HUMUNGO HUGS*
Charlotte,
If little blue smurfs eat your socks, I’ll send you some new ones so you won’t have to wear flip flops and your feet won’t have to be cold. THANK YOU for the raw and beautiful post. You are a star! I’m sure the next week will be a challenge for you but you CAN do it! Hang in there and just take it minute by minute. Thinking of you…….
Two words baby—-
RETAIL THERAPY!!
Want to?
My sister and I were just talking about thyroid issues this morning and how they are connected to personal health choices.
I hope you are able to fully recover and get your body back in synch and ready to go again. Take it easy and find a new relaxing control to keep you busy. =)
I’m a long-time lurker, but your post made me come out of the dark! It’s so interesting that you posted this today. I’ve had very similar symptoms for the past month or so, and I’ve been training very hard (for me) for a 10k race in July. I went to my doctor today and had a full thyroid panel done to see if there’s anything wrong (mom and sister have thyroid issues).
So, very timely post! I don’t know how long it will take to get my test results, but I’m interested to see. I hope nothing’s wrong, but at the same time, it would be nice to be able to put a finger on why I’ve been feeling this way.
-Bethany
2bestrong – good point about keeping this whole thing in perspective.
at22 – I totally agree with you about it following the ED mindset. I swear I’m just changing one compulsive behavior for another and then another and….
GeekGirl and Colleen – thanks for the diversionary tactics!! Hmmm… uses for protein powder. I feel a blog post;)
lethological – thank you so much for your comment. It helps me a lot to see how others have struggled with this issue and have found a good balance.
sagan – thanks for the support, girl!
molly – reading your comment was very poignant for me. We sound a lot alike. Learn from my mistakes, girl:) And keep me posted! I love those angel/devil internal arguments!
Rene – thanks for the encouragement! I’m glad you are all healed up!
Lucas – As always, you manage to say just the right thing. I think I may print out your comment and hang it on my wall. Or get it tattooed backwards on my forehead so I can read it every day in the mirror. Thanks for sharing your story with me!
Rachel – Aw, you’re going to make ME cry again and I’ve already been doing that all day;) Good luck with your training and your race! You’ll be awesome.
Fitarella – Okay, I am SO glad to know I’m not the only nut who has done this and it is such a relief to see how well you’ve come back from it. But 6 months? Good grief. I don’t know how you managed.
Ice Cream – Thanks for your support!
Gretchen – you KNOW I’m always up for retail therapy. CALL ME.
Bethany – Please tell me what happens with your tests! I’d never heard of thyroid issues connected to overtraining before so I want to learn everything about it that I can. I’m sorry that you are feeling like crap too. Too bad we can’t hang out together:)
I just had this beginning of the year, dealing with OT. I was fatigued, had to work harder to complete even one of my so called “light days”. Irrated, anxious, all the symptoms you described. I took off only a week, only to hit that wall again not 4 days later. So I took off another week, this time I stayed away, and slept in. (while I was “off” on my first week, I just biked during that time). That did wonders. My motivation for the hammer kept me in my workouts. Now I listen to my body more often and work in complete rest days of doing stuff other than a work out.
Taking a week off is a totally brilliant idea. You may find it painful at times but you’ll be glad you did. I did. I took a week off recently because of a unrelated to exercise injury and am so glad I did. I kept up with my food diary, keeping within my caloric limit, and did other things to occupy my brain so I didn’t feel the urge to get up and move so badly. My body is used to working out six days a week and it felt very sad at first. Then I used the whole “mind over matter” mantra and reminded myself why I was taking time off which helped. And at the end of that week, I discovered that I’m better off now than I was. The rest really did me some good! Starting up again felt fabulous and I have more energy and stamina than I did before. I also noticed, believe it or not, some muscle gain. I think resting gave me time for some growth. Or maybe I’m just imagining it…Anyway, my point is, don’t fret… enjoy your little mini vacation– your body was trying hard to tell you something and you’re mind is genius for listening.
Charlotte- much love and rest to you!!
I had a similar situation a few years ago and remember how debilitating it was emotionally! The good news is that now I pay closer attention to what my body’s feeling and I’m VERY protective of my emotional/physical well being. Much more in tune than I used to be. Before, I would run myself into the ground. This is what I was taught to do by my mother! You.. just..don’t.. stop. Ever.
Now I stop, sometimes. Now, the guilt is gone. (Okay, go ahead correct my IND/DEP clause errors… that’ll distract you!)
This will be a time of physical and emotional healing for you and you WILL come out stronger.
Love what everyone’s encouragement…Lucas’ is definitly worth a tatt 🙂
Lori
This deserves a better response than I can afford right now.
I see you’re trying to trick me into me-tooist confession. It won’t work. My denial is an unassailable fortress!
You know I’m a purist and willing to adopt extremes. In the spirit of purism, I’d like to point out that “overtraining” is better referred to as “under recovery”. 🙂
This helps us identify problems better — because “overtraining” has only one variable: too much work. Under recovery properly opens the hood on potential causes of the problem, which are far more than just too-much-work. OT syndrome can result from all the factors which might prevent proper recovery, which include unrelated thyroid or adrenal problems, other metabolic syndromes, lack of sleep (probably the most common), diet problems — all of these, instead of actually doing too-much-work (which is a tragically rare cause of OT).
I readily believe you are a true case of overtraining. But most people are simply under-recovering from a cause other than the volume of intense work they’re doing.
That’s all for now. I may have the cojones to confess later.
Thanks for this post, Charlotte. I often wonder why I feel stuck “in a funk” every 3 months or so. It’s horrible and my instinct is to push harder. I really hope you recover fully soon.
I understand your frustration/fears.
I’ve over trained years ago, unintentionally. I had no energy, lost my period, and was just a meany to be around.
I’ve since learned my lessons, recovered, and now don’t push myself so hard. I used to think I would get fat if I didn’t exercise really hard, but that’s not true at all! I’ve discovered that easing up a bit is actually better for me, and I enjoy my workouts more. I take rest days, and do more “lighter” exercises, like walking, yoga, easy, low-impact aerobics. I actually feel fitter and healthier than when I was working out hard all the time.
Hope you’re feeling much much better soon!!
I must say that I compeltely relate to how you feel. When I have to take the day off, the week off, I go through all sorts of completely mental moments… so imagine how long it took me to adjust to pregnancy…
Reading your blog actually put some of my own feelings of being a nut bag to rest. Maybe we’re just normal, maybe we are the only 2 nut bags, but at least we are not alone.
I force myself to take a week off every 3 months. And every time, I become afraid of gaining weight, losing conditioning, never being able to resume exercising, turning into a couch potato and a host of other irrational and fairly ridiculous stuff.
So far, those fears have never come to pass, so I feel pretty safe in saying they’re not going to happen to you.
I usually try to fill that week of “non exercise” with walks, yoga and working on my list of things I am supposed to do, but really have no time for. I also spend some time planning my next 3 months exercise plan, I made spreadsheets (please, don’t comment) of what I will do each day, I usually add a new element and get excited about the whole thing. So, why I still go through a full blown flip out phase, I’m not sure.
To be honest, I usually, I feel like dirt towards the end of the week and loooooooooooooooong for a good cardio session. But I also feel better when I come back. It helps me refocus.
I think you will know when you are recovered. Clearly you have been able to pin points your “symptoms”. Watch for elevated resting heart rate too, that’s a sure sign of overtraining.
Please, tell us how you’re doing. My feeling is that you’ll be fine.
I feel your pain as I haven’t taken a week off since a horrid flu sucked the life (And 8 pounds) out of me in 2000. Noow that I’m forced to lie down for a few days b/c of my back and not even go for a tiny walk, I realize how much I use exercise as a mental release. To make me feel good about myself/my body; to control my emotions; to feel strong; to stay in shape. I also, like you have hypothryoid (Dx in fifth grade). So we’re in similar boats. Your story you just told about being depressed and unhappy seems expected to me, knowing what I know about your (wonderful and truly inspiring) personality…your are beyond dedicated and often push yourself in good ways, but sometimes you can be very hard on yourself. I KNOW you can do this, Char. You have had some seriously beyond-tough experiences in your life and if u can survive (and thrive) after those, you can do this. Your body -like mine-is simply begging for a break. Your amazing fitness level (hello, unassissted pull-ups?!) and incredible mental outlook will not just carry u thru, but make it so when you return to working out, everything-your endurance, your strength-will pop right back into place. Plus you’ve got many people who love you, whether you’ve done a Twisted Bird of Paradise that day or not.
PS nice job with the Panty feature on HuffPo all week!
i really appreciate your open and honest comments on overtraining. the information you provided is great and i’ve passed it on to a friend who is struggling with similar issues. thanks!
hopefully you can bounce back fast.
Wow, I just got a link from Cranky to this. I have hypothyroidism and was diagnosed at 29. I lifted weights and did an hour of cardio every day at the gym…all through high school to try to control my weight. I did alot, and perhaps this is the reason for my thyroid problems. Anways, I am always sore and always tired and have to fight off my crankiness on a regular basis. I take off 2 days in a row every week from excercising…and just try to take my doggy to the park or something. I live with it, but wish it could be better. My time of the month is the worst with anxiety and cranky moodiness. I feel for you…if you find anything to help, please let me know.
Those of you, including Charlotte, who have hypothyroidism, PLEASE don’t ignore it – treat it (and if you’re getting treatment and you still feel bad, tell your doc, and if they won’t help you, find a new one!). The symptoms you’re mentioning when you’re talking about how hard it is to take a break from exercise – the incredibly rapid weight gain (some of which is just water), the depression and mood swings, crying and snapping at people, the messed up periods and sleep are all part of it (and plenty of other symptoms you’ll notice and some you may not). It’s not all just your emotions, it’s chemical imbalance. Hypothyroidism is a treatable condition, and while it may take some time to get you stabilized, the effect on your health and well-being is worth it. There are a number of “risk factors” – I’d call them more “correlations” like being female, being left-handed, going gray early. No one really seems to know what pushes folks over the edge into hypo – sometimes stress can do it, I’ve seen research that excessive soy consumption can do it – however, it’s not necessarily anything you did or didn’t do.
Your doc can test for antibodies to determine if what’s happening is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder in which your immune system decides to attack your thyroid and try to kill it off – this is a common cause of hypothyroidism. However, the test is more informational than anything else as the treatment (thyroid hormone replacement) is the same. To the best of my knowledge, hypo doesn’t go away on its own, it’s a condition you will treat and live with. Yes, it sucks, but it’s a condition you can do something about, and in general, it sucks less than a lot of other things. There is the possibility of “swings” in levels where you may feel ok, but the highest likelihood is that you’re hypo and going to stay that way, so please talk to your doc about treatment. Hypo affects so many of your body’s systems negatively – so much gets out of whack – that for your health and your future as an athlete, you should address it. Additionally, if it gets severe, hypothyroidism can be dangerous.
In the meantime, try to hold the thought that your current physical and mental state is TEMPORARY. (this is hard to do when all your chemicals are messed up and you can’t quite think straight, but your husband and friends can help). Right now you’re under a double whammy – all the thyroid effects AND the withdrawal from the happy chemicals your body is used to from regular strenuous exercise, and it’s a combo that is nasty to experience, no doubt. While you are working your way back, do what you can but don’t push yourself. There will be things you just can’t do right now – down to a cellular and metabolic level, it’s not a matter of willpower or discipline or desire. (If your car has no gas in it, it doesn’t matter how many times you turn the key, it won’t start.) If what you can manage is walking slowly around the block, do it, pat yourself on the back and then do it again tomorrow. If you can manage gentle yoga or pilates, those are good too. Your thyroid controls your metabolism (heart rate, bp, temp) so hefty cardio until you’re normalized may not be a good idea, though light spin on a bike might be something you could do. I suggest cutting back on refined carbs and making sure you take in plenty of water – I know the scale is scary right now, but that’s one of the things being really out of whack thyroid-wise does – you don’t metabolize food as well or as quickly, you hold water, you (sorry) may become constipated. Especially if your caloric intake isn’t going up and you’re seeing your weight increase, understand that your regular “burn rate” may be down from where it used to be until you’re corrected to normal levels. Look on the web for “goitrogenic” foods and avoid large quantities of them (I think cooking them helps as well) as they may aggravate the hypo situation.
I suggest the below community site for info and support. However, make sure to read the success stories and keep in mind that most folks who go to the site are looking for help with problems or for info, so you may see more bad experiences than good. In general, they are a very supportive bunch of folks, and there are a few who go out of their way to be very helpful and have a lot of knowledge. It’s mostly women, too.
http://thyroid.about.com/
Please, get treated for your hypo – if your regular doc can’t or won’t or thinks your case is too tough, find an endocrinologist (there is a top docs board on the site I gave). Ask if you should have T3 as well as T4 (which is pretty much always given – T3 is not always given in addition but is real help for many people). You might also want to see an endo if you are having adrenal issues in addition to thyroid.
I wish you all the best and hope you can post a “feeling just a tiny bit better” item soon.
Estellia – thank you for sharing your story with me! I’m 29 now so it’s nice to know of someone else who was diagnosed at the same age.
MJ – I’ve got an appt. with an endocrinologist. I’m hoping they can help me figure it out because it doesn’t seem like the exercise would be the only factor this. I appreciate all your advice and information! I’m sure learning a lot about this subject:)
I’m so glad to read your post. I too, have finally admit that I’m over exercising and I even wrote a paper on it for my class. The sad part is…I’m still doing it. I still exercise even when my body tells me to “rest” because it has become such a ritual for me now. Not doing it would lead a void in my day. Though I still allow Sunday to be my rest day, that is no exercising, just walking. I haven’t been to the doctor and I”m afraid to. I’m glad you’re getting the support you deserve and I wish you all the best.
Hey Gar – I totally feel your pain. I’m back in the gym now but am still really struggling to not go back to my old (destructive) habits. Learn from me though so you don’t end up with a supressed endocrine system – it’s really frustrating.
Charlotte – I hope your rest is going well, and I wish I had read this earlier!
Rest will not hurt you, it will only help. I am in week 6 of an 8-week “repair” program for many of the symptoms you were having. A female trainer put the program together and its a combination of rest, food, and more rest & food and then later on… some exercise. You HAVE to rest and take care of yourself. Years of working out obviously took a toll.
I have lots of details, links, etc, if you’re interested and still figuring out what to do. Please take care, and I’m going to go read now to see what you’ve been doing since this post!
Wow Charlotte! That's amazing! And of course I'm only a year late in my comment- better late than never, right?
Since it's so long after your week off, I'd love to find out how it went, and what you did in the year following. Plus I just read that you didn't train on your vacay, so I can't wait to rush back and read that post.
PS. Overtraining…been there done that. But never really took time "off" in ernest. Just cut back because I was so dang injured and tired. Got my mojo back eventually, but I also think I'd self destruct if I took more than 3 days in a row off- something I haven't done in, oh, 12 yrs!
Deb
What you described with overtraining has happend to me. I'm a 26 year old male (25 when it occured). I was lifting heavy at the gym, 3 full body workouts a week, it went well for just over a year, and then I stopped getting stronger. This happend over many months, I even started getting weaker, I got all kinds of symptoms and my hair even started falling out. I was almost collapsing at my gym workouts.
That's when I realised something was wrong and it wasn't going to go away, it just kept getting worse. What didn't help is like you, as a result of no gains, I pushed even harder, and then I got weaker, and pushed even harder again. I pushed myself into a severe situation.
Doc did some blood tests and diagnosed me with hypothyroidism, sadly doctors in UK are clueless on this and know nothing of over-training. I went 8 more months not getting better as I continued to go to the gym (I went less, but I still went and it was too much for my state). I eventually figured out that the problem wasn't with my thyroid, but my adrenals.
After reading up on the adrenal thyroid connection, I got a 24 hour salavia cortisol test, I ranked 6/7 adrenal fatigue, 7 being the worst. My cortisol levels were bottomed out, I was way beyond the stage of high cortisol levels, my adrenals had very little cortisol left to give.
My high TSH has done nothing but stabilize since I stopped going to the gym, for about 20 weeks it's done nothing but improve, except for the last test. It got so much better that my thyroid hormone dosage was cut down to half, 6 weeks later my test revealed my TSH has gotten quite a bit higher, from 0.7 to 3.34. I've been under a lot of stress recently though and also hurt my hands doing non weightlifting related exercises, the pain is taking a long time to heal, so I think that was simply too much. Hopfully next blood test my TSH will have gotten better again.
I was having similar symptoms after training for a half-marathon last fall. I rested for two weeks with a little yoga thrown in and felt renewed pretty quickly thereafter.
I'm not training for a marathon and feel these symptoms creeping back up, so I'm being mindful of taking a day off after a hard workout.
Your weight will likely stabilize once you rest, because I think when you're tired you try to eat yourself out of it, when really what you need is to put your feet up and have a nap!
Good luck!
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Thank you for sharing your story as it really hit home for me. I realise that this is now an older blog considering it is 2008, and that you may not check your comments. But I WILL leave this for anyone who comments or wants to read it.
You are not alone, to start with. We think we are doing our bodies wonders with the activity that we give it, but as you say; unless we seem to have a degree in Sports Science; or have someone to show/tell us what to do then there is no assistance.
After two years of fighting my body to perform, I started noticing problems. Unusual tiredness, head aches, brain fog, confusion and memory loss. I couldn’t put on weight and I also couldn’t lose it either; severe acne that would leave scars and the most frightening for me was when my periods completely stopped.
I went to the Dr. and asked for tests to be done. I had fought so hard and for so long that FSH (hormone responsible for egg release from the ovaries) had failed. My estrogen and testosterone levels had bottomed out, and I also had high prolactin levels due to an underactive thyroid. Like you, I had never had an underactive thyroid until exercising. So for me to see the test results, I was flabbergasted. To top it off we also found tumours sitting on the pituitary gland, which had been aggravated further by the exercise regime I had given myself.
Since then, I am still finding more problems. Early onset bone loss and to this day my period has not returned. It has been two months since I have been to the Gym (which is VERY unusual for me) and I feel very uncomfortable. One month ago I started to notice the scales elevating in weight – But I know within myself now that my body would not be able to cope with the added stress now or in the near future.
I’m now getting ready to receive treatment to get the HPA axis of hormones back into order. BUT I can’t do that without rest, proper nutrition and very “light” physical exertion (casual walking). I’ve been told anymore than that could cause a spiral back to where I started again.
There is a difference… Do you exercise to live, or do you live to exercise? Without our health, exercise means nothing.
Hi Tanya! I read all my comments – one of the best parts of doing this site:) And thank you THANK YOU thank you for this one!!! I have tried to tell people how the overexercising hurt my thyroid and you have explained it so much better. Your story is very powerful and I’m so sorry you are going through all of this right now. I know how lonely and scary it feels. But I also know, it being 4 years later, how amazing it feels to not be chained to my workouts anymore. You can and you will get better from this! And you’ll be stronger for it. I’m so so proud of you for doing what you need to do now to take care of yourself. If you need a cheering section or a shoulder to lean on, drop me an e-mail anytime!
And would you mind if I bumped your comment up into it’s own post so that people can read it beyond just this post? I really think people need to hear your story!
Hi Charlotte!
I didn’t expect such a quick response 🙂 I came back to look at some of your classical symptoms again, and noticed your reply. Thank you for your support, and you are more than welcome to bump the post. 4 years later and I’m glad to hear you’re doing well!
Over training is such an overlooked area, that when someone does post something about it; that it always grabs my attention. Like yourself, I’ve never been an athlete. Just an avid exerciser who thought I was doing the body a good thing. Sometimes we all find out the hard way. Over the last few months I’ve sifted through books’r’us to gain knowledge that even general practise Doctors don’t have (I think I’ve become my own worst “glossary” from the stuff sitting in my noggin’).
I highly recommend to anyone looking into the effects of over-training, to also search for “Female Athlete Triad” (but you don’t have to be female to suffer from it). If you google alongside it with “HPA Axis” it will show different studies in endocrinology of how overexercising can play willy nilly with your psychological and physical wellbeing. As they say, our bodies can become our own worst frenemy. Feed it well with lots of love and tender care and it will give back. If you rebel against it, it bites where it hurts the most.
Now it is time for me to have a look at some of your other blogs! And THANK YOU for sharing your story as well. Without it, I’m sure there would be plenty of people who would still be searching for answers.
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I don’t have much to add other than I wanted to thank Tanya for sharing her story and Charlotte for bumping the comment back up. This is something I still struggle with on an hourly basis, so even though it sucks, it really helped me this morning. Anything else I could say would sound trite, so just “thank you!”
I just don’t know why feel this certain urge that’s coming from within to share and let other people know about the tough times that we’ve been through that makes us more comfy when we already had shared it. But half of my senses had been telling me that it’s just part of blogging strategy just to be able to write a blog that will entice viewer to leave a comment. I didn’t men to emphasize something here but I guess I’m just merely telling what I supposed to tell and other people might be also thinking about.
Wow, here I thought I was so alone. I am struggling with this very issue. I’m so scared to take ANY time off. I am honestly at a loss as to what to do next. I don’t even feel comfortable writing any of this here as maybe one or two people understand my issues (but I know everyone here gets what I’m going through). I guess I’m seeking advice, guidance, and someone to hold my hand. I will keep reading, but feel free to chime in here. I’m scared to death, but after yesterday’s doctor’s appointment, I don’t think I can keep up at this pace any longer or else something is going to happen to me.
I’ll hold your hand, honey! And so will many others here. You CAN overcome this. But even more importantly it’s WORTH overcoming. I wish I could take back all those years I wasted on over-exercising. Truly I know how scary taking the first step feels but please reach out to someone who can help you! Talk to an ED counselor or a regular counselor or even a family member or friend but being able to admit it is the first step in being accountable, which is the first step in loosening the grip of this disease. Please e-mail me if you need any resources or just a shoulder to lean on!
Charlotte,
Thank you so much. I would rather personally email you and give all my details there. Where can I reach you?
Thank you again for all your support.
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I’m relatively certain I will be told many new stuff right right here! Good luck for the next!
Hi,
I literally think I have the same problem. I’m waiting on blood tests from the doctor but ie gone from being so fit and so strong to struggling so much during spinning sessions that I actually cry! Pathetic I know! I can’t ever sleep and when I do I’m still exhausted the next day. I can’t do any of my studying because even when I try I can’t seen to concentrate on anything. The other day I cried during a lecture at the actual thought of having to walk home! I never cry! I have gained some weight but most of all in not losing any weight and due to a total clean up of diet I should be! My legs and back muscles are in constant agony. But I can’t stop. All this hard work! Two years of hard work and money all for nothing! How long have you been advised to rest for? Have you been diagnosed with any condition such as hypothyroid?
((hugs)) I’m so sorry you are going through all this – it’s so frustrating! Especially when you don’t have answers. I wrote more about my thyroid stuff here: https://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.com/2013/10/how-my-exercise-addiction-suppressed-my-thyroid-and-made-me-gain-10-pounds-in-one-month-research-the-relationship-between-exercise-and-hypothyroidism.html
Best of luck to you! I hope you find your answers soon!
Dear Charlotte,
Im a thirteen year old girl recovering from an eating disorder and learning to cope with OCD. I would eat 800 calories a day and exercise for as many hours as possible (usually 3) to try to relieve the guilt of eating any food. Before finding exercise and developing an obsession with eating healthy and fitspo, my self-confidence was extremely low, I was developing depression, and my body image was terrible. After losing thirty pounds from a being 112, I was more confident than ever and I was “perfect.” I ate tons of vegetables, I exercised daily, and I knew all the bad things about certain foods and their nutrition information. I felt healthy, smart, and in control. Then my parents stepped in and helped me realise that the stress of exercising 3 hours right after 8 hours of school and THEN preparing my meals because I trusted no one else was killing me. Now I am well into recovery and reading this blog post, I can relate in MANY ways. I share the pain of dropping excercise, as it is my relief from family problems and body image issues/low self-confidence. Also, my thyroid is acting up from all this ( I don’t know exactly what’s happening but going to the specialist this Thursday.) Currently I have found less destructive exercises such as yoga and walking to soothe anxiety and the compulsive behaviors and am slowly becoming healthy again mentally and physically.
Hi Tyler!
HUGE congrats to you on your amazing progress – keep up the good work! It’s so tough but it’s also so worth it. It’s been several years since I wrote this post (actually 6! whoa!) and I feel light years better now. Freeing your mind from the compulsions of food and exercise open you up to so many more fun experiences. And you figured this all out way earlier than I did;) I wish you good health and continued recovery – thanks for sharing your story!