Chalean X and exhausted?

[Jane P.]

Listen to your body. I think your body is telling you that it's too much at this time in your life. I know you hate to stop doing a rotation, but it might be necessary. Can you modify the exercises to make them easier? That might be an option.

[FitBoop]

Originally Posted by Mrsprincess07

I started my journey in June 2022 after baby#4 was born in May. Being spring/summer my exercise included yard, garden and long walks. Fast forward to Nov when I decided to dive back into fitness DVDs for the first time in years. For about 6 weeks I used my Leslie Sansones, which I adore beyond what words can express, and felt amazing! My energy skyrocketed after each workout which has never happened in my adult life, even when I was an advanced+ gal. I decided to start CLX on Dec 21 as my husband had these 2 weeks off of work. I thought that would give me time to adjust and make some habit changes/adjustments while he was home; my baby is still too young to allow for me to do those workouts with dad handy if she has a need.

Anyhow! I’m utterly exhausted. I feel worn out. My old shoulder injury is flared after not having issues in quite some time. I dread working out yet for the first time ever in my DVD collecting/using life- I really think I could stick to a routine. I only ever did that once before and that was in 2008 with Cathe’s Gym Style series. Otherwise I get squirrelly and can’t stick to dvd rotation from boredom or FOMO. With CLX, I actually desire seeing this though. I just don’t know if I can physically. I feel guilt. I swore that if I could commit to a fitness routine again, I wouldn’t allow (a) guilt or (b) dread; I have both.

I want to get my baby weight off (baby #4’s weight is off now it’s time to lose the rest). Is this level of fatigue normal with beach body workouts? I went from LOVING my workouts to having to mentally prepare myself and force myself to push play. As in I’ll be thankful after 36 lifting days (I’m doing only the strength workouts, fyi). I can’t stop the mental gymnastics and thinking about other DVDs in my collection that I’ll enjoy more but the results and muscle gain won’t compare.

Thoughts?

Your body is telling you to change what you’ve been doing. There are so many other ways to gain strength and stamina. I recommend doing The Firm, Margaret Richard, Kathy Smith or Karen Voight, because they have safe workouts that do the job without overdoing it. As much as I love Cathe, I find that she tends to overdo things and I often end up with weird aches after her workouts that I never have when I work out on my own.

[FitBoop]

Originally Posted by buffmama

My attitude when buff boy was young was that if I was doing something it was a win. 15-20 min counted. Over time what I did changed but that was a great way for me to get started. Only when he got older was I able to fit in longer workouts.

This is a great attitude! I totally agree!

[Leonana]

I didn't start working out until my daughter was 12, so I really took my time, lol. But thinking back, I know I couldn't have handled CLX.

I think lower intensity workouts, along with healthy eating, are really effective at losing weight and toning. There are lots of you tube channels with effective, lower intensity, workouts. I like Improved Health's channel. SeniorShape Fitness, Silver and Fit, Lively Ladies - those are all really good too. You have to ignore the senior in the title, they are really good workouts. Leslie Sansone has a you tube channel called Walk at Home that would be a good option too.

[gigi]

If you want to start strength training again, you may want to try Lift with Cee's 20 minutes of strength training a day. This may be a more doable way to build up your strength. She posts weekly schedules on her youtube channel.

[bzar]

i just want to add that the Firm 90 DR was responsible for getting me back to pre-WEDDING weight. yes. took maybe 2 rounds of the F90DR. i maintained my weight loss up to baby #3. slim series got me back down to my pre-baby #3 weight if that makes sense.

i was back down to pre-baby weight at my 6 week check up in all 3 pregnancies. i was using light weights, took the baby for a stroller walk every other day, etc. i was getting 8 hours of sleep, went back to work and i was nursing/expressing too.

ditto what JackieB said - it's important to enjoy your workouts. there's a lot to be said about mental stress reduction too. pregnancy really helped me get my health back.

[rhbrand]

You also might need to eat a little more. I mean you have 4 kids, 3 of whom you probably run after from time to time.

You are lifting weights and might just need 100-150 more calories a day to keep from feeling exhausted.

[susan p]

Heavy lifting will almost always make you hungry and tired. Your body is working hard to build muscle. Cathe's Slow and Heavy used to be called Sleepy and Hungry around here for a reason! It takes a lot of fuel and a lot of rest to get anabolic (building up muscle). So the fatigue is not necessarily problematic in terms of the goals of that program.

However, with 4 kids including an infant to take care of, it is probably just not the best fit for your life right now. That phase of life is tiring enough! It seems wisest to me to do workouts that feed your body and soul, things that give you energy. That's probably going to be more moderate workouts and that's OK!

[bfit]

I think no matter what you're trying to come back from you have to go slow, and if something isn't working very well you need to back up. I've experienced this over the past two years trying to recover from a broken foot. I jumped into tough stuff like kettlebells, heavy weights, and step aerobics too soon and ended up with more injuries that laid me up even longer. I think in the beginning just moving around in ways that make you feel good is good enough. The Leslie Sansone workouts are good for that and also for me Ellen Barrett workouts. Another thing you can do with rotations is not follow the exact sequence that is recommended and space them out more. For example, could you do a Chalean workout every other day or only two days a week and then do easier workouts in between? I've done this with Fe Fit in the past. You may not see the results the system promises as fast, but on the other hand, you're not getting burned out and injured along the way.

[Mrsprincess07]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

I did Powerfit after my baby lol! I had delusions of grandeur that I could tackle STS, but time and energy just wouldn't permit it. I was working full time, working on my Masters full time, and taking care of a baby. I want to say I only walked for a year after Tiny Bubble was born, then gradually added Powerfit after that. Don't rush it.

Or if you are very committed to completing CLX, lower the weights. There may be ways to make the program work for you at this stage.

Thank you EVERYONE!!

It dawned upon me last night, at 3am, after being awake with her for 3ish hours, that’s she’s going through the night regression stage. In short- mom isn’t sleeping. I’m getting about 3-4 hours of non consecutive sleep each night. That’s not enough to do they more “dedicated” routines and systems.

I appreciate the comments highlighting the obvious that wasn’t clicking with me until my baby almost killed me last night. Thank you!