Feeling Shaky when first starting diet.

AuthenticallyAmanda

So today is my Day 1. I notice whenever I am trying to cut calories I get shaky hands and feel a little lightheaded.

Back story. I’m 237lbs 5’8”. Haven’t restricted my eating for years(that’s why I’m 237!). Probably hitting 2,500 calories a day minimum. So I never felt that when eating a ton.

I’m at 1,700 or so calories that MFP has set for me. How can I combat that feeling?! I’m eating every 3 hours. Feel free to friend me and check out my diet.

Thank you!

MichelleSilverleaf

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

nrobenolt

I always have problems dieting, My stomach and feeling tired and light headed!

pinuplove

Caffeine?

AuthenticallyAmanda

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

I do not weigh my food. May have to up the cals.

AuthenticallyAmanda

nrobenolt wrote: »

I always have problems dieting, My stomach and feeling tired and light headed!

Same! One day at a time.

AuthenticallyAmanda

pinuplove wrote: »

Caffeine?

I had about 6oz throughout the day. From 9am-3pm

MichelleSilverleaf

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

I do not weigh my food. May have to up the cals.

Well before upping the cals weigh what you're eating right now, in case you're eating less than the 1700cal MFP gave you. Did you pick a 1lb/week loss or 2lb/week?

AuthenticallyAmanda

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

I do not weigh my food. May have to up the cals.

Well before upping the cals weigh what you're eating right now, in case you're eating less than the 1700cal MFP gave you. Did you pick a 1lb/week loss or 2lb/week?

I am doing 1lb per week.

MichelleSilverleaf

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

I do not weigh my food. May have to up the cals.

Well before upping the cals weigh what you're eating right now, in case you're eating less than the 1700cal MFP gave you. Did you pick a 1lb/week loss or 2lb/week?

I am doing 1lb per week.

Then I would get a food scale and start weighing and tracking, and making sure you're eating enough. Getting enough of macros and sodium (shakiness can sometimes be an electrolyte imbalance). If you're exercising you should be eating back a portion of those calories back too.

AuthenticallyAmanda

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Are you weighing your food? Not running too steep of a deficit?

I do not weigh my food. May have to up the cals.

Well before upping the cals weigh what you're eating right now, in case you're eating less than the 1700cal MFP gave you. Did you pick a 1lb/week loss or 2lb/week?

I am doing 1lb per week.

Then I would get a food scale and start weighing and tracking, and making sure you're eating enough. Getting enough of macros and sodium (shakiness can sometimes be an electrolyte imbalance). If you're exercising you should be eating back a portion of those calories back too.

Thank you! Will check on that.

NovusDies

Any chance you are hypoglycemic or hyperinsulinemic?

JaydedMiss

NovusDies wrote: »

Any chance you are hypoglycemic or hyperinsulinemic?

^ i was hypoglycemic was great to find out

NovusDies

JaydedMiss wrote: »

NovusDies wrote: »

Any chance you are hypoglycemic or hyperinsulinemic?

^ i was hypoglycemic was great to find out

It is pretty miserable when your blood sugar drops. I am hyperinsulinemic. Oddly it is only a real problem in the morning and only if I don't eat the right ratio which for me is no less than 1 gram of protein for every 2 grams of carbs. If I eat too carb heavy I will tank by 11am. If I skip breakfast altogether I am fine. Weird.

JaydedMiss

I have to eat pretty constantly my job is dangerous if i crash...it took me alot of trial and error to figure out how to do that and lose 100 pounds lol. Definatly isnt ideal

NovusDies

JaydedMiss wrote: »

I have to eat pretty constantly my job is dangerous if i crash...it took me alot of trial and error to figure out how to do that and lose 100 pounds lol. Definatly isnt ideal

Trial and error took forever for me because I naturally skip breakfast. I would eat something some weekends maybe once every 2 months. It wasn't until 2 years ago I cracked the code after eating a bagel one morning and getting sit down room spinning sick. After some experimentation I figured out my ratio and that helped me figure out how to lose weight without being hungry all the time.

rickiimarieee

AmandaJeanHornik wrote: »

So today is my Day 1. I notice whenever I am trying to cut calories I get shaky hands and feel a little lightheaded.

Back story. I’m 237lbs 5’8”. Haven’t restricted my eating for years(that’s why I’m 237!). Probably hitting 2,500 calories a day minimum. So I never felt that when eating a ton.

I’m at 1,700 or so calories that MFP has set for me. How can I combat that feeling?! I’m eating every 3 hours. Feel free to friend me and check out my diet.

Thank you!

I always get lightheaded and almost pass out when I stand up from dieting. I think it’s the change in the deficit of calories. From going to eating whatever I want to cutting my calories and watching what I’m eating.

lorrpb

Don’t drop immediately from 2500 down to 1700. Try dropping 100-200 per week. Weigh your good. Don’t obsess over macros but do evaluate them after weighing for a couple weeks. Start with MFP default macros. You might need more protein and less carbs, or you could be dropping your carbs too much. Either way can cause the symptoms you describe.

AuthenticallyAmanda

JaydedMiss wrote: »

NovusDies wrote: »

Any chance you are hypoglycemic or hyperinsulinemic?

^ i was hypoglycemic was great to find out

I do not think so. I have read the symptoms which fit me, but blood levels are pretty normal. Fasting glucose was a couple points high. Nothing major.

matrosov65

Did you do blood tests just to make sure you're not diabetic/ pre-diabetic? Could be dangerous if you are. Are you hydrated as in electrolytes sodium potassium calcium magnesium? Are you exercising? And what others said try to ease into it you're dropping 800 hundred calories from your usual that's quite a withdrawal.

1BlueAurora

That happened to me the first week of MFP. People here on the forums suggested more protein, and I found for me that helped a lot! A little more fat was good, too. I’d have a couple scrambled eggs with a slice or two of avocado. Headache, lightheaded feeling and slight nausea all went away.

heybales

Curious why eating every 3 hrs?

If that was normal routine I'd think you might not have mentioned it, so it sounds like a change from normal.

When doing that you can increase your chances (depending on what you eat and what order) of insulin spikes and resulting low blood sugar frequently (if any leaning towards metabolic disorder).
Fasting glucose can be very normal, but that style of eating arrangement can put your system into a bad way.

Perhaps you ate more than you thought - which means taking a bigger deficit than you think now.
Most people have a very bad idea of calories for eating or burning.

Like most select Sedentary because they have a desk job, but then the evening is household responsibilities and kids or pets and busy weekends. Those with activity trackers discover they are actually Lightly-Active even with desk job.
Well, if you did that, you created an bigger deficit than perhaps reasonable would be.

Sure you'd be shaky - and really don't want the body to get used to that - it adapts by slowing you down to burn less to make the deficit smaller. Not good.