Feeling extremely tired with headaches on 1200calories

Jay43dc

I am hoping for some advice. I am a 43 yo female needing to loose 28 pounds after ill health and stopping smoking. Have just started diet and exercising again 2 weeks ago.MFP recommend a 1200 cal a day intake. I am usually somewhere around 1000 per day and exercising around 400-600 calories a day which I am not eating back.

I felt amazing in week one but this week I am extremely tired even after my usual 7hrs of sleep and have been waking up with a terrible headache which lingers all day. Am feeling anxious though as have gone back to my job this week post illness.

Is it the lifestyle/ diet change and will it go away if I push on through.

festerw

So you're basically eating 500 calories/day? That's why you feel like crap. Eat the 1200 and eat back at least part of your exercise and you'll feel better.

jandsstevenson887

MFP is designed for you to eat those calories back. You should be eating closer to 1500 calories a day if you are burning 400-600. You may have also given up some caffeine which could be causing the headaches.

EvgeniZyntx

So basically you aren't eating (1000-600 = 400 net?) and are wondering why you are tired? Eat more.

Will it go away if you wish through?
Not likely - At this rate you are going to end up with disordered thinking around eating.

kommodevaran

Jay43dc wrote: »

I am hoping for some advice. I am a 43 yo female needing to loose 28 pounds after ill health and stopping smoking. Have just started diet and exercising again 2 weeks ago.MFP recommend a 1200 cal a day intake. I am usually somewhere around 1000 per day and exercising around 400-600 calories a day which I am not eating back.

I felt amazing in week one but this week I am extremely tired even after my usual 7hrs of sleep and have been waking up with a terrible headache which lingers all day. Am feeling anxious though as have gone back to my job this week post illness.

Is it the lifestyle/ diet change and will it go away if I push on through.

You can do anything for a while. But if it's a lifestyle change your're after, you're not supposed to "push through".

MFP recommends 1200 calories as a minimum, and depending on your choice of weight loss rate. A slower rate will give you more calories to eat. And you are supposed to hit your goal, not eat under it. You may even eat back some of your exercise calories.

minniestar55

Eat AT LEAST the 1200 calories MFP gives you. This will help keeping your body ticking over...you should also eat a portion of your exercise calories. You are not eating enough for your body & brain to function well. Make certain as well, that you are drinking enough water each day; I get headaches when I'm dehydrated. If you are coming off some ill health, you need to make certain you are fueling your body enough to recover & flourish. Please stop under-eating, it will backfire on you.

girlinahat

eat more. In fact, eat more than a basic 1200 plus some of your exercise calories.

You only have 28lbs to lose, which means you should be looking at a smaller deficit from whatever your TDEE is. In fact, you probably want to be aiming to lose only 0.5lb a week. Plug your stats back into MFP and recalculate. EAT at a minimum what MFP tells you, PLUS your exercise calories.

As an example, I am a 40 year old woman, but I am only 5' tall. I have my calories set to 1390, and eat some if not all of my exercise calories (I eat a daily average based on the figures in the app, my NET average for this week is 1512 calories a day). I am losing about 1.5-2lb a month and not struggling with food, feeling tired or any of that. I run three days a week and hike/dance etc other days.

Eat more.

Etsar73

In your heart of hearts, do you really think this is sustainable? This sounds nothing at all like a 'lifestyle change' and to see you suggest that is really worrying. You seriously need to change your mindset. Listen to what the others are telling you. You have already crashed and burned and you are only two weeks in.

snickerscharlie

Jay43dc wrote: »

I am hoping for some advice. I am a 43 yo female needing to loose 28 pounds after ill health and stopping smoking. Have just started diet and exercising again 2 weeks ago.MFP recommend a 1200 cal a day intake. I am usually somewhere around 1000 per day and exercising around 400-600 calories a day which I am not eating back.

I felt amazing in week one but this week I am extremely tired even after my usual 7hrs of sleep and have been waking up with a terrible headache which lingers all day. Am feeling anxious though as have gone back to my job this week post illness.

Is it the lifestyle/ diet change and will it go away if I push on through.

No, you are dangerously under-eating. Your body is trying to tell you that.

Please listen.

LivingtheLeanDream

You are under eating! your body needs fuel for those workouts so eat back at least half of the exercise calories.
Eating properly will cease the headaches.

rosebarnalice

Everybody's saying it: eat some of those exercise calories back!

Dannigreen31

You need to up your calories. Being on that low and exercising daily will eventually affect your health. No wonder you are tired

Lounmoun

You need to eat all 1200 calories and some of the calories you earn from exercise.

Jay43dc

Thanks to all for your advice. I will definitely take your advice and up my calories. Rookie mistake...

butterfli7o

Holy crap. If I was netting 400-500 calories I'd be one hangry, miserable b!tch.

BoaRestrictor

Either stop exercising or eat some exercise calories back. Or look into fasting every so often.