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Heavy Menstrual Flow, Extreme Fatigue...What's Wrong?
Warning--this might contain too much information regarding specifics of my menstrual period, but I have no idea of how else to describe it.
Ok, I'm really starting to worry a bit. Well, that point has past and now I'm worried a lot.
I have until Thursday of this week until I'm done with the Induction period. I'm going to stick it out (unless that's a bad idea), but I've been having some issues. I've been really embarrased to even talk about them until now, but they are starting to bother me.
Around July 15, I began tapering off the number of starchy carbs I was eating in anticipation of beginning Induction. This wasn't that much of a big deal, as I had already eliminated anything non-veggie as they all tend to put me to sleep after I eat them. At that point, I was already on my normal period, and everything looked fine, so I just assumed all was normal.
On July 20, I began induction. For the first few days, everything was normal--I was able to make it through my normal workouts (weight training for 30-45 minutes 4x a week, cardio for 45-60 minutes 7 days a week) even though I noticed that my muscles fatigued a lot easier than they normally would.
On early July 23, I started bleeding again. I didn't think much of it, because my cycles have been very erratic historically. But the flow was a bit heavier than usual.
The same heavy flow continued for the entire week, didn't taper off until Monday, and finally stopped today. But it increased dramatically, to the point where I was going through two-three tampons a day when I only usually needed one. I didn't have any cramps or anything, just excessive bleeding. To the point where I was going to make me go to the doctor if it didn't stop by Monday.
Now that it has subsided, I've noticed another weird side effect (which had been happening in increasing amounts throughout the first week I was on Induction)--I have little to no energy. In the morning, I'll be fine, but then as the day goes on I'm struggling to keep myself awake by 2-3pm. The levels of energy I have keep varying from "about to fall asleep" to " staring at wall like zombie." Snacks or meals lift me for a while, then it's back to where I was before. No concentration, no anything.
Unfortunately, I've also been having an extremely difficult time getting through 80% of my workouts. I might be able to do some reps on my arms, if I try to get through thme quickly; cardio maxes me out at about 20 minutes of plain walking at maybe 2.5-3.0 mph. I normally tend to average 3.5-4.5, or I just jog and run. My body literally laughed at me this afternoon when I tried to go for a jog.
I guess I should give some background information/stats. When I started, I was hovering around 128.7 pounds. Now I'm at...well, on Monday I was at 120.2, but now I'm back to 122.3. That doesn't really bother me, because I can usually tell that I'm losing fat through measurements, even though I don't seem to be moving at all now.
I've been following the diet perfectly. I haven't been writing down my meals, mainly because I have a history of eating disorders and have been consciously trying to stay away from being as detailed about my meals. I still keep track of the numbers in my head, though, and I'm right where I should be--65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs. I'm drinking at least a good 90-100 oz. of water a day, staying almost completely away from dairy as I saw that it was stalling me, avoiding all artificial sweetners (part of the reason I was asking about Splenda before...I think it was stalling me as well), eating when I'm hungry but making sure the meals are somewhat evenly spaced, etc. Oh, and I'm taking multivitamins as well, and I took a few additional iron pills last week just to be sure.
Does anyone have any idea of what I should do? The main reason I wanted to do Atkins was to attempt to work on my metabolism, and to try to avoid increasing my insulin sensitivity. I fully plan on sticking to induction (again, unless I shouldn't and just don't know it yet), and to the other phases, but this really is making me mad/sad as I'm really close to just eating, sitting, and sleeping. And bleeding. I try not to think about it and just keep going...but it's really hard. I'm almost holding back tears now, because I just feel like...I don't know what's going on and I'm a bit scared.
Thanks, even just for reading this (I'm sorry it was so long). I'm tired of talking about it to my boyfriend, plus I don't really ever admit to him how sad this makes me because I don't think he believes that it's healthy for me to do this in the first place.
Ok, I'm really starting to worry a bit. Well, that point has past and now I'm worried a lot.
I have until Thursday of this week until I'm done with the Induction period. I'm going to stick it out (unless that's a bad idea), but I've been having some issues. I've been really embarrased to even talk about them until now, but they are starting to bother me.
Around July 15, I began tapering off the number of starchy carbs I was eating in anticipation of beginning Induction. This wasn't that much of a big deal, as I had already eliminated anything non-veggie as they all tend to put me to sleep after I eat them. At that point, I was already on my normal period, and everything looked fine, so I just assumed all was normal.
On July 20, I began induction. For the first few days, everything was normal--I was able to make it through my normal workouts (weight training for 30-45 minutes 4x a week, cardio for 45-60 minutes 7 days a week) even though I noticed that my muscles fatigued a lot easier than they normally would.
On early July 23, I started bleeding again. I didn't think much of it, because my cycles have been very erratic historically. But the flow was a bit heavier than usual.
The same heavy flow continued for the entire week, didn't taper off until Monday, and finally stopped today. But it increased dramatically, to the point where I was going through two-three tampons a day when I only usually needed one. I didn't have any cramps or anything, just excessive bleeding. To the point where I was going to make me go to the doctor if it didn't stop by Monday.
Now that it has subsided, I've noticed another weird side effect (which had been happening in increasing amounts throughout the first week I was on Induction)--I have little to no energy. In the morning, I'll be fine, but then as the day goes on I'm struggling to keep myself awake by 2-3pm. The levels of energy I have keep varying from "about to fall asleep" to " staring at wall like zombie." Snacks or meals lift me for a while, then it's back to where I was before. No concentration, no anything.
Unfortunately, I've also been having an extremely difficult time getting through 80% of my workouts. I might be able to do some reps on my arms, if I try to get through thme quickly; cardio maxes me out at about 20 minutes of plain walking at maybe 2.5-3.0 mph. I normally tend to average 3.5-4.5, or I just jog and run. My body literally laughed at me this afternoon when I tried to go for a jog.
I guess I should give some background information/stats. When I started, I was hovering around 128.7 pounds. Now I'm at...well, on Monday I was at 120.2, but now I'm back to 122.3. That doesn't really bother me, because I can usually tell that I'm losing fat through measurements, even though I don't seem to be moving at all now.
I've been following the diet perfectly. I haven't been writing down my meals, mainly because I have a history of eating disorders and have been consciously trying to stay away from being as detailed about my meals. I still keep track of the numbers in my head, though, and I'm right where I should be--65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs. I'm drinking at least a good 90-100 oz. of water a day, staying almost completely away from dairy as I saw that it was stalling me, avoiding all artificial sweetners (part of the reason I was asking about Splenda before...I think it was stalling me as well), eating when I'm hungry but making sure the meals are somewhat evenly spaced, etc. Oh, and I'm taking multivitamins as well, and I took a few additional iron pills last week just to be sure.
Does anyone have any idea of what I should do? The main reason I wanted to do Atkins was to attempt to work on my metabolism, and to try to avoid increasing my insulin sensitivity. I fully plan on sticking to induction (again, unless I shouldn't and just don't know it yet), and to the other phases, but this really is making me mad/sad as I'm really close to just eating, sitting, and sleeping. And bleeding. I try not to think about it and just keep going...but it's really hard. I'm almost holding back tears now, because I just feel like...I don't know what's going on and I'm a bit scared.
Thanks, even just for reading this (I'm sorry it was so long). I'm tired of talking about it to my boyfriend, plus I don't really ever admit to him how sad this makes me because I don't think he believes that it's healthy for me to do this in the first place.
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