struggling.....normal?

hi guys. a little background info...i started walking on sept 12th. 3 weeks prior to that i had started keeping a "written" food diary. that food diary alone had me loosing 6lbs (at least) by the time i went for my consultation with surgeon on sept 14th. i say at least because i really don't know know what my highest weight was. i just know that the last time i went to the dr 350 was as high as their scale went and it wasn't enough :/ i count myself as starting at 350 tho. at the consultation i was told i need to loose a min. of 50lbs for insurance to cover lap band. if i manage to loose that 50lbs i'll probably put off surgery just to see if i can keep it up on my own. i've tried loosing weight in the past, but i don't think i ever put the right combinations together before now. i used to watch what i ate but not exercise or i'd exercise and eat anything. now i'm watching what i eat AND exercising. but, to the point of my post....this week i am really struggling with exercising. and, mind you, i am not exercising much yet. as heavy as i started out, i have real problems with knee, hip and back pain when i walk. so, i started out walking 1/2 a mile every morning M-F. my goal has been to increase the distance gradually. for 2 weeks i also threw in a second 1/2 mile walk on Tues and Thurs afternoons. last week i went up to .6 of a mile on tues, wed and thurs. my intention was to walk .6 of a mile every day this week and try to go up to .7 on wed. the problem is, i have zero energy this week. i started my period on monday-the first one i've had since starting exercise. i'm just wondering, can that drain my energy this much? i feel like i'm literally having to DRAG myself thru my little .6 of a mile walk every morning. as soon as i got home from my walk yesterday i went back to bed and slept 5 more hours! and there was just no way i was attempting my afternoon walk yesterday. when i've walked this week i feel like my legs are jello, i get a little shaky and my hips are starting to hurt again and i had been lucky and it not been a problem yet. am i pushing myself too hard? can my period be causing this? i hate to think that i will have to struggle 1 out of every 4 weeks just because God made me a girl! ugh

Your cycle can definitely play a part in your energy level.  Some people have problems during PMS, others have it during and some people aren't affected at all.  Diet can drastically change the way our bodies function.  It SHOULD improve with time.  Most do get improved energy from exercise after a few weeks/months after starting exercising regularly.  You may still see a drop in energy during your period but it should improve over time and you will definitely have more energy during the other 3 weeks also.  It just takes time. Oh, keep up the great work too.  Journaling my food is still hard for me to keep up with.  It's more lazy than anything else.  Glad to hear you're going to try to lose the weight through diet/exercise to see if you can do it.  All of it will help even if you do decided surgery is what you need to get there.

ty. i'm really trying hard. i have found that in the last few days i've been "lazy" with the food tracking as well. since i recognize it tho, i intend to crack down and make sure i put everything in! i know if i get lazy with tracking it, then i will get lazy with what i eat too. and it's all down hill from there. when i weighed in monday i had put on a couple more pounds too. i keep telling myself that it's my period and it will come right back off by next week. but, gotta admit, it's still frustrating.

I would not say you are pushing too hard. Sounds reasonable - basically a half mile at a time if I read it right? It seems like there is something going on. I have some questions/comments/suggestions: 1.  Are you taking a multivitamin? If not, start and try to make sure it has extra B vitamins.  2.  If you have a family doc, I would ask for some blood work. Check blood calcium levels, iron, especially.  of course, rule out any infections. Of course, thyroid. 3.  If walking continues to hurt you like this, perhaps look into an aqua aerobics class just to get some basic fitness built up. Even if you walk on the odd days and swim a couple days a week, that should help. 4.  Are you buying GOOD shoes? No kmart specials. In fact, I buy mens shoes for the extra support.   5. Try taking an ibuprofin before your walk, a good half hour before.  Also, drink green tea or a strong shot of coffee when you take it.  Hope you don't have stomach problems - LOL.  6.  Stretch before you go.  Best of luck.  I love my walking program - it is the centerpiece of my work out.

hmm lets see :) 1. no, i'm not taking a multi vitamin atm. my friend also mentioned that. next time i'm out i will try and pick up something. i have had a hard time with this in the past tho because the regular pill variety umm literally go right thru me. i'm gonna try to get a liquid multi vitamin. i am also horrible about remembering to take medicines on a daily basis. which is one of the reasons i chose lap band over RNY if i have surgery at all. 2. i'm seeing my reg. doc next tues. i have alot of questions for her. she is a fairly new dr for our whole family. i am much more comfortable with her and trust her. unlike my past drs. my drs in the past have out right lied to me, and was very condescending and unhelpful when i asked for help with my weight issues. i will certainly ask for lab work to be done. it's been a year (in nov) since they were done last, so it's time anyway. 3. i live out in the middle of nowhere, NC. we have no facility with a pool. the one we did have closed down this summer. and i couldn't afford the fees anyway. i don't even think our town has a gym anymore since that facility closed down. we have a curves, but, to my knowledge, that's it. 4. my shoes probably aren't the greatest. but they are what i could afford. i actually felt better, pain wise, when i walked in my flip flops than in my tennis shoes. 5.  my friend also suggested this. i'll try........if it, if i can remember it. lol 6. i try to stretch. not really sure if i'm doing enough or correctly tho. when i woke up this morning i felt alot better. didn't get a chance to test it tho because it was raining so i couldn't do my usual walk. (first time it's rained here since i started walking) i won't be able to walk tomorrow either as i'll be on the road (driving). gonna have to make up for it this weekend :/ i really do enjoy walking and want to increase how much i do.