Husband feels hungry and dizzy constantly.

BeverlyMarsh1986

My husband and I started going on a diet together a little over 2 weeks ago. He basically only eats what I give him and I have been logging his food intake separately. I'm doing pretty well, but he isn't. MFP says he should eat 1940 calories a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week. He's 6-2 tall and weighs about 250 lbs. The problem is that he's constantly hungry and dizzy even though I make sure he hits the protein mark with tuna and chicken, for example. He does drink some of his calories in beer rather than eat more food on the weekends, but he doesn't feel any better during the week.
We used to eat a lot of white bread and have extra snacks after dinner. Now it's salads and chicken and veggie burgers. He's hungry immediately after meals, too. We thought his body would adjust, but it hasn't yet. Are we doing something wrong? My food diary is public and he eats pretty much the same things I eat, only a bit more. Thank you!

sashayoung72

does he work hard? my husband can eat 3000 a day a lose because his job is that physical.

jemhh

Up his calories. My husband started at virtually the same stats and sedentary and did well at 2200-2300.

shadow2soul

Is he working out? Does he have his activity level too low?
My husband loses weight eating around 2500, because he has an active job.

BeverlyMarsh1986

He sits most of the time. His job is mentally demanding, but not physically. He doesn't exercise much... especially not when dizzy. So you think MFP is a little off with the recommended calories?

Enjcg5

Is he on any medication?

BeverlyMarsh1986

No, he's not on any medication. Every couple of days he takes the One A Day for Men vitamin pill, if we remember.

magicpickles

Maybe a 1.5lb weightloss a week is too much?

ponycyndi

I would start at a half pound loss goal. After a week or two, if he's feeling ok, increase it to 1 lb.

I ate at maintenance for 3-4 days when I started, just because I was trying to break bad habits.

Seffell

ponycyndi wrote: »

I would start at a half pound loss goal. After a week or two, if he's feeling ok, increase it to 1 lb.

I ate at maintenance for 3-4 days when I started, just because I was trying to break bad habits.

This is a great piece of advice!

RodaRose

ponycyndi wrote: »

I would start at a half pound loss goal. After a week or two, if he's feeling ok, increase it to 1 lb.

I ate at maintenance for 3-4 days when I started, just because I was trying to break bad habits.

^ This. Increase his calories.

BeverlyMarsh1986

Yes, I'm weighing his food. I just switched him to 1lbs weight loss a week and now he gets 2190 calories a day. I hope that helps!

Seffell

Also, I'm not a doctor but a blood test of the basics like iron and sugar would be always useful if he hasn't done one recently.

RodaRose

In addition to the protein you mention, is he eating carbs and oil/fats?

nutmegoreo

gebeziseva wrote: »

Also, I'm not a doctor but a blood test of the basics like iron and sugar would be always useful if he hasn't done one recently.

And have his blood pressure checked.

Abby2205

Also is he getting enough fluids?

Enjcg5

Yes fluid! Can be dehydrated.

BeverlyMarsh1986

We did a blood test a few months ago and he had low Vitamin D. That should be back to normal, though. Everything else was fine. He does have high blood pressure naturally. I have low blood pressure naturally. Does that make a difference?! I have cut out most of the sugar in our diets. Sometimes we eat a yogurt with a few grams in it, but nothing else, really. Yes, we have carbs and some fats, too. Whole grain flatbread, whole grain buns with veggie burgers, and I put seeds in our salads and cook with a small amount of olive oil. We also eat an egg a day.

BeverlyMarsh1986

Oh, and he drinks like a crazy person. Always has. Several bottles of water a day. I'm the exact opposite - have to force myself to remember.

nutmegoreo

BeverlyMarsh1986 wrote: »

We did a blood test a few months ago and he had low Vitamin D. That should be back to normal, though. Everything else was fine. He does have high blood pressure naturally. I have low blood pressure naturally. Does that make a difference?! I have cut out most of the sugar in our diets. Sometimes we eat a yogurt with a few grams in it, but nothing else, really. Yes, we have carbs and some fats, too. Whole grain flatbread, whole grain buns with veggie burgers, and I put seeds in our salads and cook with a small amount of olive oil. We also eat an egg a day.

Dietary changes can change the blood work a bit. If he's suddenly low sodium intake, that could alter blood pressure. If he's drinking a lot of water, that could alter electrolytes. It wouldn't be bad to have the blood work repeated, but it sounds like it could just be too low calorie for him. Does your local pharmacy have one of those blood pressure machines?

TonyB0588

Sounds like too few calories for such a big man. I'm 4 inches shorter, and started at 175 lbs. MFP put me on 1810 calories. I'm sure he needs over 2000.

BeverlyMarsh1986

Yes, we can check his blood pressure at the pharmacy. We will do that. We are usually just around the daily sodium limit or slightly above. We will try with slightly more calories. I just thought MFP would give us the right amount of calories.

nutmegoreo

BeverlyMarsh1986 wrote: »

Yes, we can check his blood pressure at the pharmacy. We will do that. We are usually just around the daily sodium limit or slightly above. We will try with slightly more calories. I just thought MFP would give us the right amount of calories.

It's a computer algorithm, there's always room for inaccuracies!

BeverlyMarsh1986

True. Thanks, everyone!

allenpriest

ponycyndi wrote: »

I would start at a half pound loss goal. After a week or two, if he's feeling ok, increase it to 1 lb.

I ate at maintenance for 3-4 days when I started, just because I was trying to break bad habits.

I ate at maintenance the first couple of months to start changing 25 years of bad habits and lost weight even then-simply because I was paying attention and making better choices. So i should say I planned to eat at maintenance then chose a small deficit. Then I increased the deficit over time.

That's part of the problem here. This has to be something he does. You can't do it for him. It has to be his choice and his lifestyle changes.

TonyB0588

Looking at your diary again, you always go over your sodium quota, and never reach your sugar quota. Too much sodium could be affecting blood pressure. Too little sugar could be robbing him of energy the body needs.

Just wondering how similar the two of you are. Is it really safe for him to be on the same program as you? Also, what is his age?

zoeysasha37

I would up his calories some

dizzieblondeuk

There's several things potentially in play here. For sure, his suddenly low calorie level - in the early stages of weight loss, the drop from your 'normal' calories can be a total shock to the system, and of course he will feel hungry if he was eating 700+ (maybe 1000 more) calories more before starting to count and stick to MFP designated numbers. I agree with others who've said to raise the amount (by reducing the weight loss target) for a few weeks. I did this for the first two weeks (adjusted from 1.5lb to 1lb target). It helped with the transition, whilst keeping me on track.

It's also perhaps a psychological thing - if he's hungry immediately after a meal, that's not real hunger, but the result of years-long habits formed around his brain having a certain amount/type of food, and the feeling of satiety. Learning what a proper portion size is, and retraining the brain to looking at a plate of food and not reacting 'is that all?!' as opposed to 'this is my meal, which will fill me up adequately' is another of the long-term changes that is made, and takes time to kick in.

Finally, there's a chance that the kind of food and diet that works for you, and keeps you full and functioning, just isn't doing that for him. Cooking for two is always a balancing act, but perhaps switch between high protein meals and higher carb meals, and let him assess how he feels with both. Logic says that the high protein ones should do the trick with feeling full, but not everyone's the same. Lots of people lose weight with vastly different meal plans. I still think that increasing his calorie numbers will be the thing that helps him the most.

Packerjohn

BeverlyMarsh1986 wrote: »

We did a blood test a few months ago and he had low Vitamin D. That should be back to normal, though. Everything else was fine. He does have high blood pressure naturally. I have low blood pressure naturally. Does that make a difference?! I have cut out most of the sugar in our diets. Sometimes we eat a yogurt with a few grams in it, but nothing else, really. Yes, we have carbs and some fats, too. Whole grain flatbread, whole grain buns with veggie burgers, and I put seeds in our salads and cook with a small amount of olive oil. We also eat an egg a day.

Just curious, you said he had low vit D a couple months ago, but should be back to normal. You said he takes no medicine except a multi-vitamin "every couple days, "if he remembers". How do know the vit D issue is okay?

shellyb17

Has he had blood sugar levels tested?

Seffell

BeverlyMarsh1986 wrote: »

Yes, we can check his blood pressure at the pharmacy. We will do that. We are usually just around the daily sodium limit or slightly above. We will try with slightly more calories. I just thought MFP would give us the right amount of calories.

It gives you the right amount. You just set your goal too aggressive. For some people 2lbs/week works.