Yayyyy there's a comic holy wow we haven't seen one of these in a while!!! Does this mean "Just Caitlin" is back on track? Well.... No. It doesn't. But it's getting there! I'm going to be updating as I'm able until I've got my health under control.
Last time I updated here I admitted I was suffering from a vitamin deficiency. After a week of feeling like crap and missing a LOT of work I went back to the doctor and they acknowledged in addition to Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 I am also low in iron. I got a serious Vitamin D supplement from them, which has helped, and I've been taking iron and B12 supplements. To help with the iron and B12 I've been eating meat again, something I don't normally do.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? The short version: I exercised. The longer version: Since May 2016 I've been training for a race... an obstacle course race, or a mud run as they're sometimes called. This means I've been working out 4-5 days per week, running 11 miles about twice a week, rock climbing 2-3 times per week several hours at a time, and doing lots of upper body exercises. I have been working out like a maniac, and it's been good: I've never been more in shape, I've lost 35 pounds, and I was hitting all my training goals. BUT, I made a big mistake. See, I eat mostly vegan. It is very rare for me to eat animal-based products more than once or twice a week.... and meat contains iron and B12. In fact B12 and heme iron only occur naturally in animal products.
I have been eating a mostly vegan diet for several years and never had a problem, so why the problem now? When I doubled my energy output in May to train for this race, I didn't think about how my body would be using more of the vitamins and minerals I need to keep going. I was feeling fine and hitting my goals, and had no idea my body stores of iron, D and B12 were getting low. In other words: I ran myself into the ground. Literally.
Did I start feeling tired before this crash? I did, actually, starting in late May. I've been complaining to my coworkers about feeling tired for a very long time but never made the association between fatigue and lack of vitamins, because I'm an insomniac. If I get more than two truly good nights' sleeps in a month it's been a good month, even though I take sleeping pills. Being tired is nothing new for me and I honestly spent the past few months thinking "Wow I'm tired... same old same old."
Moving forward I'm going to keep resting until the fatigue has passed, and when it has I'm going to ease back into my exercise routine. I still want to lose at least 5 more pounds and exercising does wonders at helping with my extreme levels of anxiety (which is why I have insomnia, incidentally). But from this point forward I will be taking daily supplements of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and iron. I also may slightly increase my mean/dairy input, but we'll see how the supplements go.
Thanks so much for your patience. I'm hoping to start cranking out sketches and fun pictures again soon, so be checking TopWebComics (link below) for a new update soon!
Hallway Brawl
All good things must end.
Yayyyy there's a comic holy wow we haven't seen one of these in a while!!! Does this mean "Just Caitlin" is back on track? Well.... No. It doesn't. But it's getting there! I'm going to be updating as I'm able until I've got my health under control.
Last time I updated here I admitted I was suffering from a vitamin deficiency. After a week of feeling like crap and missing a LOT of work I went back to the doctor and they acknowledged in addition to Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 I am also low in iron. I got a serious Vitamin D supplement from them, which has helped, and I've been taking iron and B12 supplements. To help with the iron and B12 I've been eating meat again, something I don't normally do.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? The short version: I exercised. The longer version: Since May 2016 I've been training for a race... an obstacle course race, or a mud run as they're sometimes called. This means I've been working out 4-5 days per week, running 11 miles about twice a week, rock climbing 2-3 times per week several hours at a time, and doing lots of upper body exercises. I have been working out like a maniac, and it's been good: I've never been more in shape, I've lost 35 pounds, and I was hitting all my training goals. BUT, I made a big mistake. See, I eat mostly vegan. It is very rare for me to eat animal-based products more than once or twice a week.... and meat contains iron and B12. In fact B12 and heme iron only occur naturally in animal products.
I have been eating a mostly vegan diet for several years and never had a problem, so why the problem now? When I doubled my energy output in May to train for this race, I didn't think about how my body would be using more of the vitamins and minerals I need to keep going. I was feeling fine and hitting my goals, and had no idea my body stores of iron, D and B12 were getting low. In other words: I ran myself into the ground. Literally.
Did I start feeling tired before this crash? I did, actually, starting in late May. I've been complaining to my coworkers about feeling tired for a very long time but never made the association between fatigue and lack of vitamins, because I'm an insomniac. If I get more than two truly good nights' sleeps in a month it's been a good month, even though I take sleeping pills. Being tired is nothing new for me and I honestly spent the past few months thinking "Wow I'm tired... same old same old."
Moving forward I'm going to keep resting until the fatigue has passed, and when it has I'm going to ease back into my exercise routine. I still want to lose at least 5 more pounds and exercising does wonders at helping with my extreme levels of anxiety (which is why I have insomnia, incidentally). But from this point forward I will be taking daily supplements of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and iron. I also may slightly increase my mean/dairy input, but we'll see how the supplements go.
Thanks so much for your patience. I'm hoping to start cranking out sketches and fun pictures again soon, so be checking TopWebComics (link below) for a new update soon!