Notices

Don't know what's wrong

Old 12-19-2011, 11:00 AM
  #1  
FitDay Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Posts: 146
Unhappy Don't know what's wrong

I have a very active job now where I'm walking,lifting,pushing,pulling etc 6-8 hours a day during slow season and 8-12 hours a day during busy season (I work as a merchandiser supervisor for a plant nursery in a garden center)

Before starting I had a completely sedentary lifestyle in Turkey and when we moved back to the US in September I started my job so I went from being completely sedentary to totally active 6 days a week. I know my back suffered from it and now my lumbar is really bad-the muscles are beyond weak. My problem is that my weight loss has also stopped completely-in fact I WAS losing weight at first, but I gained it all back in the past month. Now, I havn't changed much for me to be unable to lose weight with how active I am vs. how many calories I'm eating, but I'm starting to think it's a protein issue. My muscles are feeling like they're not developing or getting stronger from all the exertion, though normally the stuff I do would help me to at least strengthen up my muscles (I did this job years ago and I got into amazing shape before moving to Turkey).

I don't know what could be wrong. Could it be a lack of protien? Not enough water? A lack of rest? I only have one day off per week and I only get a 30 minute break at work,and I usually only tale 15 minutes and eat standing up-I rarely sit during my shift. To boot I commute home, and that's an additional hour of walking and about an hour of standing. So I have anywhere from 8-14 hours a day of standing/walking (not including home). I sometimes stretch when I'm standing at the bus stop, but that's it.

Is there anything I am doing which could be causing my muscles to get weaker? Could not getting enough protein cause my body to lose muscle? I can feel I lost some weight in my back/chest but nowhere else. I don't eat much meat at home-a lot of pasta lately, cheeses, fruit and occasionaly we'll have some fish or red meat.

My muscles feel stiff every day to boot-like I'm not rested even when I wake up (moving is hard when I finally let my body relax).
Any advise would be greatly appreciated as well as tips for stretches or ways to build muscles in my back and legs.

Thanks!

Last edited by Crimpet; 12-19-2011 at 11:03 AM.
Crimpet is offline  
Old 12-19-2011, 11:44 AM
  #2  
FitDay Member
 
VitoVino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: 86
Posts: 1,875
Default

Originally Posted by Crimpet
Is there anything I am doing which could be causing my muscles to get weaker? Could not getting enough protein cause my body to lose muscle? I can feel I lost some weight in my back/chest but nowhere else. I don't eat much meat at home-a lot of pasta lately, cheeses, fruit and occasionaly we'll have some fish or red meat.

My muscles feel stiff every day to boot-like I'm not rested even when I wake up (moving is hard when I finally let my body relax).
Any advise would be greatly appreciated as well as tips for stretches or ways to build muscles in my back and legs.

Thanks!

Hi Crimpet!

Do you track your micronutrients? If not I highly recommend it. Many times issues like you've described can be easily remedied; but we've got to know what we're dealing with first.

I'm going to take a wild guess here. And it's just a guess, so take it for what it's worth. But it sounds like you're not getting enough magnesium in your diet.

Do you sleep soundly at night, or are you a light sleeper/suffer from sleep disorder?

At any rate, let us know if you're tracking nutrients.

Last edited by VitoVino; 12-19-2011 at 11:46 AM.
VitoVino is offline  
Old 12-20-2011, 07:39 AM
  #3  
FitDay Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Posts: 146
Default

I havn't been tracking them to be honest. What would a magnesium defficiency do? I never really thought about magnesium before My sleep is iffy-some nights I sleep so heavy I wake up with stiff muslces from not moving and other nights I don't sleep so good. I've always been that way. What foods are rich in it?
Crimpet is offline  
Old 12-20-2011, 10:35 AM
  #4  
FitDay Member
 
VitoVino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: 86
Posts: 1,875
Default

Originally Posted by Crimpet
I havn't been tracking them to be honest. What would a magnesium defficiency do? I never really thought about magnesium before My sleep is iffy-some nights I sleep so heavy I wake up with stiff muslces from not moving and other nights I don't sleep so good. I've always been that way. What foods are rich in it?
Well remember then, we're still just guessing. But when I started tracking Mg, and tried to get the RDA, I found it very difficult to get. And I was trying. Here's why it's important for muscles:

Adequate magnesium is necessary for proper muscle functioning. Magnesium deficiency promotes excessive muscle tension, leading to muscle spasms, tics, restlessness, and twitches. This is due to an imbalance of the ratio of calcium to magnesium, as calcium controls contraction, while magnesium controls relaxation.
The Role of Magnesium in Fibromyalgia.

Here are natural ways to get Mg:

High Magnesium Foods : BartterSite.org

Many vitamin supplements do not contain adequate amounts of Mg. This is because too much can be harmful, just like too much iron for men can be toxic. So a supplement like Magnesium Citrate would be a good choice if you're deficient. I've read recently that something like 2/3 of all heart attack victims were found to have Mg deficiency. Yet people seem to blow this essential mineral off.

Like I said, I highly recommend you start tracking your foods along with your nutrients. You're experiencing something that can be easily fixed, and if you're serious about fixing it, that is what you're going to need to do. Otherwise diagnosing is really hit or miss. In the mean time, I suggest you start eating more of these Mg rich foods.

By the way. "Iffy" sleep is also indicative of Mg deficiency.
VitoVino is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2021 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.