leg cramps

I'm about  2 years out and have pretty much stalled at 20lbs short of goal it never really bothered me but now I want to move forward with my plastic surgery and every time I try and get back into the heavy workout schedule I get horrible leg cramps, especially at night.
 
After a leg cramp I will be sore for about 2-3 days and after I recover I just don’t want to work out again because of the cramps I get not because I don’t love doing it..... I just don’t want to go through the leg cramps again.

I stretch out before exercising but it's still no help anyone got any ideas or over the counter stuff that we can take to help reduce or get rid of leg cramps especially at night?

Are you fueling your body before AND after your workout?  Leg cramps could be a number of issues starting with loss of potassium to lack of enough hydration.  Eat a piece of fruit and a few nuts about 45 mins before your work out and fuel with some protein within 45 mins of finishing your workout to see if this helps.  Also, watch your fluid intake even when not working out.

Leg cramps can be any of the following or combo - dehydration, lack of calcium, lack of iron, lack of potassium... I would suggest getting bloodwork and addressing with your surgeon/PCP. Make sure you are drinking enough water, incorporate high potassium foods in your diet, check your iron levels and make sure you are getting the correct type and dosage of calcium daily.

I get severe leg cramps from a magnesium deficiency....If you have frequent diarreah, you lose a lot of you electrolytes this way...(magnesium and potassium)...When I am having a severe cramp I run (before i am crippled with pain) for my calcuim citrate wafers with magnesium and chew one up really fast and it stops them nearly immediately.   Bananas help a little too because of the potassium...But I have been diagnosed with mag deficiency so I am certain my cramps  is from lack of  magnessium and I do supplement...Lately I've been walking alot and I need to up my dose because I'm getting cramping at night again in my feet, toes , calves, thighs and once they all start.... I am in screaming pain.  It's so awful...

I also use a magnesium tea that I get at The Vitamin Shoppe too...It's a little expensive but the canister goes a LONG way...and it's really refreshing too.  It fizzes like dry ice in ho****er....It kinda freaked me out when I first made some!  LOL
Propel also has potassium in it...and THAT helps too.  I carry one with me when i work in the yard on hot days or I go swimming...(which is often) Anytime you sweat...Replace those electrolyes! (diarreah too) 
 http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=N3-1006

I personally use magnesium CITRATE for leg & foot cramps




I did add some thoughts of my own in among his.

But I thought I'd excerpt this in simple to read list form so we'd know WHY it's so critical.

Article was written by Mark Hyman, MD
Putting Magnesium Back in Your Life

from Organic Connections Mar-Apr 2008

1. how do I know? Where is the clue?

* magnesium is not well measured in blood. Most will test normal, but
it only indicates what is in the blood, not what is available for the body to use

* the testing, he says, is a good medical history. Anything that
twitches, camps, spasms or is tight in any way is a sign of magnesium deficiency

2. naturally occurring in these foods:

* kelp

* wheat bran

* wheat germ

* almonds

* cashews

* buckwheat

* brazil nuts

* filberts

* millet

* pecans

* walnuts

* rye

* tofu

* soybeans

* brown rice

* figs

* dates

* collard greens

* avocados

* parsley

* beans

* barley

* dandelion greens

* garlic

we all eat some of these, but how much?

3. but how did I lose it?

* high doses of:

* coffee

* colas

* high salt

* sugar

* alcohol

* water pills (diuretics)

* some medications

4. what are some signs?

* muscle cramps or twitches or spasms

* insomnia

* irritability

* sensitivity to loud noises

* anxiety

* autism

* ADHD

* heat palpitations

* angina (spasm of arteries)

* constipation

* spasms in the muscles

* headaches

* migraine

* fibromyalgia

* chronic fatigue

* asthma

* kidney stones (cal-mag imbalance)

* high blood pressure

* irritable bladder

* irritable bowel

* acid reflux

* PMS

* depression

ALSO, obesity and diabetes are related to magnesium deficiency!

I could go on with the details of HOW it works, but I'm condensing for easy reading

5. So, can I just grab some at the drug store?

* these forms will not help with muscles:

* magnesium carbonate

* magnesium sulfate

* magnesium gluconate

* magnesium OXIDE (and my own adder to this is that this CAN help
alleviate constipation!)

These are not absorbed into the system.

6. Fine, then how DO I fix it?

* While he does not specifically say WHICH one, we know that magnesium
CITRATE does help with leg and foot spasms.

* Personally, I can check off about 50% of the symptoms list and will
now eat them like candy throughout the day.

As usual, I am not a medical person, and am only passing along to you this very simple article for your own use. MD's are more likely to use magnesium as a last resort for heart or pregnancy issues. ND's are more likely to treat this right away, going with the assumption that most people are deficient, by default.