I want to lose weight but I am anemic, will this affect my journey? PLEASE HELP

[Hannah14]

Hi everyone,

I started my weight loss journey back in February and so it consists of me working out 3 times a week (combination of strength (I use about 7.5IB dumbbells, 15-20 pounds on machines) and cardio-15mins elliptical). My goal is to drop from 165 to 130 pounds. Lately, however, I've had no energy and when I go to the gym I get tired really easy. I saw my doctor a couple of days ago after doing blood tests and she said my iron levels are normal.

I'm really committed and dedicated to get to my goal but I'm not sure if I should change what I am eating or my workout routine. I am honestly so confused on how to reach my goal and on top of it because I am Anemic the doctor found my Troponin levels high citing I should eat more protein and drink more fluids (this is due to working out). I don't know whether I should see a dietician or a fitness trainer.

The source of my Anemia is just being born with it because I am born with small red blood cells and nothing can change that. Also to get to my weight loss goal should I focus heavily on my diet intake?

Thank you!

 

[Trusylver]

I would suggest starting a thread in the diary section, and list the food you would normally eat. DO you track your food ? if so what is your current macros ?

At the gym what sort of routine are you doing ? reps ? sets ? exercises ? rest time? what is your perceived effort ? actual weight lifted in not that important as how hard your working. What is your meal timing before/after gym ?

The added benefit of the diary section is the moral support to help you reach your goal.

 

[Hannah14]

I would suggest starting a thread in the diary section, and list the food you would normally eat. DO you track your food ? if so what is your current macros ?

At the gym what sort of routine are you doing ? reps ? sets ? exercises ? rest time? what is your perceived effort ? actual weight lifted in not that important as how hard your working. What is your meal timing before/after gym ?

The added benefit of the diary section is the moral support to help you reach your goal.

No I do not track my food. Should I? (I'm new to all of this-beginners level) I try to be very conscious of what I am eating and whether or not it is high in calories, sugar, fat, etc.. At the gym I go MWF. Mondays and Fridays I do a leg workout. I either do moderate intensity of elliptical for 15 minutes or HITT on the treadmill for 15 mins. Then I do 3 sets of 15 of Stationary Lunges, Hip Abduction Machine (Inner & Outer), Leg Press (each leg), Goblet Squats and Leg Extention (each leg). Wednesdays I usually do an arm workout. I either do moderate intensity of elliptical for 15 minutes or HITT on the treadmill for 15 mins and then I do 3 sets of 15 of Lat Pulldown, Tricep Rope, Shoulder Press, Seated Cable Row, Bicep Curls, and Shoulder Raises. I try to work hard as much as possible but lately due to the high Troponin I am scared that I am exerting myself too much. I usually eat half a banana and lots of water pre-workout because I don't have an appetite in the morning and I usually eat right after I workout. Also when I get really sore after working out and can last up to 3 days.
My weakness is that I have a sweet tooth and I'm trying to control that as much as possible as well!

 

[Cate]

Hi, Hannah & welcome to the forum. I would suggest seeing a nutritionist as that seems especially important, being anaemic. I would be interested to see what your diet looks like. Try eating fruit when you crave sweets. I now actually much prefer fresh fruit to sugary desserts. I also recommend starting a diary. You will find the diaries at https://weight-loss.fitness.com/forums/weight-loss-diary.9/ There is great support there.

 

[Trusylver]

I don't know whether I should see a dietician or a fitness trainer.

after the extra info, I suggest seeing both would be a good idea.

While HIIT is great for fat loss, it may not be the best option for you considering your anemia and your high Troponin levels, also keep an eye on your heart rate for your other cardio.

On the surface your resistance training looks ok, but again keep an eye on your heart rate. You make no mention of the time you take for recovery between sets however with the anemia you need to pay attention to getting enough rest between each set. I would also lower the reps and increase weight slightly, this will lessen the amount of lactic acid produced by long sets. With your condition your body will be slower to get rid of that lactic acid than someone without.

Getting sore after a tough workout is not unusual and 3 days is not excessive, the more adapted to training you become the less often you will get DOMS

Without more info about your diet it is hard to comment.

 

[Hannah14]

after the extra info, I suggest seeing both would be a good idea.

While HIIT is great for fat loss, it may not be the best option for you considering your anemia and your high Troponin levels, also keep an eye on your heart rate for your other cardio.

On the surface your resistance training looks ok, but again keep an eye on your heart rate. You make no mention of the time you take for recovery between sets however with the anemia you need to pay attention to getting enough rest between each set. I would also lower the reps and increase weight slightly, this will lessen the amount of lactic acid produced by long sets. With your condition your body will be slower to get rid of that lactic acid than someone without.

Getting sore after a tough workout is not unusual and 3 days is not excessive, the more adapted to training you become the less often you will get DOMS

Without more info about your diet it is hard to comment.

Thank you that is really helpful! Between each set, I usually take a minute break. Should it be longer?
In terms of my diet, I usually workout early in the morning so after my workout, I would have a bowl of whole wheat cereal with milk and strawberries or sometimes whole wheat toast peanut butter and an apple. Sometimes I skip lunch (I know this is bad but sometimes I don't have time). I'll have two snacks instead (an apple and a Kashi bar). But if I do eat lunch its usually chicken salad or lentil salad. For dinner, I'll have a little bit of white rice with a meat stew or whole wheat lasagna for example. But I don't monitor my calories and I think this could be the reason why I haven't made progress, I know I said my goal is to go down in weight but I'm also really trying to go down in fat loss as I think my body has a high body fat percentage.

Do you know of any online websites I can use to help build a diet and fitness plan?

 

[PLB]

Hey Hannah14, welcome to the forums! It looks like you are off to a great start, and I agree with the others in saying that starting a diary can help you stay consistent as well as being able to look back and see if there are some changes that are holding you back and also the progress that you've made.

One of the main things when you are first beginning working out is to simply get used to it and maintain the routine. You already have a plan in place for your workouts, and you've gotten some good feedback from Trusylver for some tweaks that should help you feel a bit better during and after your workouts. It could take some time to not get so sore, but just remember that you don't have to keep building intensity if you are still getting really sore.

I also agree that seeing a trainer and someone about your diet could be very beneficial for you, especially if you are dealing with anemia. And keep in close contact with your doctor about your diet and exercise, especially if you're making really big changes. I would just say to be careful with who you select, especially for your nutrition, because many people are not qualified to give out meal plans or give advice to people with medical conditions, like anemia (but many give out those meal plans anyway). If you need some help with sorting out which types of nutritional professionals are qualified, we may be able to help sort that out by researching the credetials in the country you are in. In Canada, for instance, only Registered Dieticians are qualified to give out advice about diet plans or dietary needs based on health conditions. The term nutritionist is not regulated here, so literally anyone could call themselves a nutritionist of some kind. Also, personal trainers are not generally allowed to give out meal plans either.