HELP!! I'm losing control after months of hard work.

Knees swelling and pms are sabatoging me. Between my knees swelling and not allowing me to do what I love, kick boxing and legs I was 2 weeks late on my period and couldnt stop myself from eating more calories than I should have. I didnt really cheat with bad foods, just too many fruits and a bag of baked pita chips a day for a week. I lost inches, a full size after working out everyday nonstop for two months, lifting with a trainer for a month and dieting with clean food eating every two hours perfectly. I feel like I am losing control. I cant work out like I want to, something is wrong with my knees and everyone keeps telling me to take at least a week off. I went kick boxing anyway and my knees got worse twice. I'm getting depressed and losing hope. I feel like im in a slump without my legs and so my diet is suffering as well. I lost my mojo, how do I get it back and has anyone else had this 'knee' problem from 'overtraining' before??

OMG!  I feel the same way!  I feel like I'm losing all my motivation and I can't reason in my head if I just need the break and should take it or if I'm just being lazy!  I think maybe I'm getting sick then I say nah, just lazy, then I say I have a headache, then I say working out will help it, then I say my legs are tired and I feel weak, so then I say eat a heartier meal you'll feel better and be able to workout more efficiently then I get too tired..............on and on and on and on.......if you were able to follow all that congrats, I know I'm mental.  Sorry no advice, just letting you know you're not alone! 

This work needs to be conceived as a marathon, not a sprint.  Slow and easy.  One week of rest will allow you to have years of activity.  Don't destroy the only body you have.  Burning out to get healthy is irrational and self defeating.  Lighten up on yourself and remember the long road.

I had the same problem in April of this year!  I do kickboxing as well (isn’t this funny?) and after one of my classes I couldn’t help limping and my right knee just hurt!  Well, stupid me I went back 2 days later and made my knee worse!  I was out for a month because of that goofy mistake because my knee was so inflamed.

Here is my advice based on my experience.  Elevate your let and try to walk on that leg as little as possible!  Take an anti-inflammatory.  It sounds like your knee is at a minimum moderately/severely inflamed.  If your knee does not feel at all better in a few days, please see a doctor.  They can prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory and test your knee to see what part of it hurts. 

You have to take at LEAST a week off.  I know that is NOT what you want to hear, but I am speaking from experience here!  Trust me. 

Focus on maintaining your weight with food.  Just focus on not gaining for a week or so.  Then, once your knee is fully better, continue with your weight loss!!

If you have any more questions, you can send me a message if you like.  Good luck!

Maybe when your knee is better you could alternate with something a little more low impact, like swimming or an elliptical trainer?

Hey pbb -- sometimes I feel the same way! I try to push through by finding new ways to exercise. Lately, I am X-country skiing. Things that also work for me are long scenic walks -- or walking uptown to go shopping, or just walking to work and back.

And once, when I was just too depressed to lift a finger, I slept for 12 hrs a day for a week, didn't work out, hardly walked anywhere, & lowered my calorie intake to 1200 -- which was pretty easy, since I didn't feel much like cooking ... or eating for that matter. & it didn't damage me too much when I snapped out of it the following week.

Original Post by crazineko:

I had the same problem in April of this year!  I do kickboxing as well (isn’t this funny?) and after one of my classes I couldn’t help limping and my right knee just hurt!  Well, stupid me I went back 2 days later and made my knee worse!  I was out for a month because of that goofy mistake because my knee was so inflamed.

Here is my advice based on my experience.  Elevate your let and try to walk on that leg as little as possible!  Take an anti-inflammatory.  It sounds like your knee is at a minimum moderately/severely inflamed.  If your knee does not feel at all better in a few days, please see a doctor.  They can prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory and test your knee to see what part of it hurts. 

You have to take at LEAST a week off.  I know that is NOT what you want to hear, but I am speaking from experience here!  Trust me. 

Focus on maintaining your weight with food.  Just focus on not gaining for a week or so.  Then, once your knee is fully better, continue with your weight loss!!

If you have any more questions, you can send me a message if you like.  Good luck!

How long did it finally take to heal your knee?  I have never had an injury, just one day I felt like I couldnt bend my knees, they hurt because they felt swollen.  Then I went back and when I was kick boxing they hurt more.  So I took a day off and went back because they felt a little better then they hurt all over again.  Sigh.  So now its been 3 days.  Im addicted to kick boxing, I finally found something I love.  When you went back to kick boxing after your knees healed, did they act up again?  Thanks for the info!

Ok u guys, thanks for the encouragement, I felt like since Im unable to work out I will lose everything I have done.  I will go back to strict dieting to compensate for no exercise and your telling me it shouldnt affect me to badly?  I'll do it.  After I posted this, I woke up the next morning with this cold that is going around and had to cancel with my trainer doing upper body.  I guess I am just supposed to take some time off for a few days.  Sigh.

I am not a doctor, but it sounds like you are having the same issue that I did.  It took my knee a month before it fully healed because I kept trying to kick box when it needed more rest. My knee didn't have a tear, but it was just really really inflamed.  I took strong anti-inflammatories and stayed off of it.  Wait at least a week, then start on an elliptical or something low impact to gauge where your knee is.  Even if your knee feels fine after a week, do not immediately go back to kickboxing.  I remember my knee feeling better, but I still couldn't kick box without my knee becoming angry!  Take baby steps and focus on the diet part!  You can do it, and your knee WILL get better!!!

I recently started running races and have a similar problem, my back aches after a good long run.  so, my ortho says to cross train.... use a recumbent bike and swim to mix up the running.  it's also VERY important to take time off when you have pain the way you are describing.

If you have access to a pool, ask if they have a "pull buoy" (or you can buy one for about $10 @sports authority).  It goes b/w your knees and then you swim with only your upper body.  This is a GREAT workout for when my knees are sore.  You'd be suprised what an upper body work out it is. 

 Also, hot yoga is a great healing workout that I try to go to at least once a week...i find it keeps any aches and pains at bay by keeping me loose.

Try not to be short sighted on your goals and let your plan be flexible to what comes up in life, it is the only way to sustain it long term!!(I've finally realized this, thank goodness).    GOOD LUCK.