Not feeling right on low cal diet..?

LadyTalulah

Hi everyone!
I'm an 18y/o female, I'm 5'4 and weigh around 112 lbs. I've been strength training every other day religiously for around around 4 months now and I've seen amazing progress where gaining muscle is concerned. My main goal now is to lose the fat (whilst keeping lean tissue!) so my progress is more visible
So for a few days now I've been on 1400-1500 cals/day to lose the fat. The problem is whenever I go on a low calorie diet, I get really weird symptoms. Recently it's been loss of balance and coordination, feeling like the whole world's spinning. Often I'll be walking and I'll all of a sudden feel like the whole world dropped, like on a roller coaster. It's impossible to think straight and I struggle to concentrate. Sometimes I get blurry or tunnel vision. Sometimes these feelings creep up on me, other times time they hit me like a ton of bricks. When I get these feelings anxiety takes over and makes it a thousand times worse. Maybe if I could just relax, it would be bearable.
Anyways, does anyone else have this? Will my body adjust over time? Could it be low blood pressure or low blood sugar and if so, what are some ways to make this pass without abandoning my low cal diet?
I don't want to starve myself, but I don't think 1500cals/day is unreasonable! My TDEE says I should be averaging 1800.
Any advice or personal stories would be appreciated (:


Edit: Whoops! Conversion problem, I'm probably closer to 116 lbs (53kgs)

AJ_G

Why are you trying to lose weight when you're 5'4" and 112 lbs???

LadyTalulah

Why are you trying to lose weight when you're 5'4" and 112 lbs???

I want to lose fat but gain muscle! Although I'm far from being overweight, my main goal is to increase muscle mass whilst decreasing body fat %

Branstin

Decreasing body fat to what? How much do you have at 112 lbs.?

farfromthetree

Congrats on the strength training! I have a daughter your age, so I am saying this out of concern. At 18 years old, 5'4" and 112 lbs, you certainly do not need to lose weight, even if you have a "small frame". I know this is not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure most of your responses will be this. I think as far as your symptoms go, it could be any number of things, but I would go see your doctor.

dopeysmelly

I recall having something similar when I was your age, as did my sister. In our case, it was generally low blood sugar. I started carrying crackers or a banana with me, since I could tell when it was coming - I would feel a bit spacey and start perspiring. My sister's BF used to make her banana sandwiches and make her sit and eat them until the color came back into her face, since she didn't get warning signs.

As I got older I became a bit better at eating carbohydrates at regular intervals, and making sure they were all whole grains, which helps to release sugars more slowly into the bloodstream and prevented the spikes. To be honest, it was something we grew out of.

5' 4" 112 lbs is quite a low body weight to start with. Be careful.

LadyTalulah

Congrats on the strength training! I have a daughter your age, so I am saying this out of concern. At 18 years old, 5'4" and 112 lbs, you certainly do not need to lose weight, even if you have a "small frame". I know this is not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure most of your responses will be this. I think as far as your symptoms go, it could be any number of things, but I would go see your doctor.

As I said in the edit, I'm probably closer to 116 lbs, I converted in wrong from kgs! Thanks for your concern. (: But honestly, I'm not doing it to be dangerously thin or anything, I just want to lower my body fat %

LadyTalulah

I recall having something similar when I was your age, as did my sister. In our case, it was generally low blood sugar. I started carrying crackers or a banana with me, since I could tell when it was coming - I would feel a bit spacey and start perspiring. My sister's BF used to make her banana sandwiches and make her sit and eat them until the color came back into her face, since she didn't get warning signs.

As I got older I became a bit better at eating carbohydrates at regular intervals, and making sure they were all whole grains, which helps to release sugars more slowly into the bloodstream and prevented the spikes. To be honest, it was something we grew out of.

5' 4" 112 lbs is quite a low body weight to start with. Be careful.

Good to know, maybe it's just my age. My hormones might just be a bit crazy at this point haha

Jestinia

Congrats on the strength training! I have a daughter your age, so I am saying this out of concern. At 18 years old, 5'4" and 112 lbs, you certainly do not need to lose weight, even if you have a "small frame". I know this is not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure most of your responses will be this. I think as far as your symptoms go, it could be any number of things, but I would go see your doctor.

As I said in the edit, I'm probably closer to 116 lbs, I converted in wrong from kgs! Thanks for your concern. (: But honestly, I'm not doing it to be dangerously thin or anything, I just want to lower my body fat %

Maybe you could find some people in the fitness section who are cutting (reducing body-fat, often for competition) and ask them about how to do it properly and any side effects. Almost sounds like that is what you are after. And maybe they can answer questions about how sustainable it is long-term and how much work it takes.

jlynnm70

I don't think she is trying to lose weight - just recomp - lose fat, gain/keep muscle mass.

I think it could be a low blood sugar thing. When mine gets too low, I get shakey, nauseous, blurred vision, etc. Usually something high sugar (hate to say it but Soda(regular not diet) seemed to correct the issues pretty quick).

Be careful - I have a daughter who is about your size, you probably don't have much to lose, You may actually want to try to 'gain' muscle first (which would increase calories) and cut later. You may have to Cycle it.

fushigi1988

Eat more, you can't gain muscle on such a deficit.

LadyTalulah

Congrats on the strength training! I have a daughter your age, so I am saying this out of concern. At 18 years old, 5'4" and 112 lbs, you certainly do not need to lose weight, even if you have a "small frame". I know this is not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure most of your responses will be this. I think as far as your symptoms go, it could be any number of things, but I would go see your doctor.

As I said in the edit, I'm probably closer to 116 lbs, I converted in wrong from kgs! Thanks for your concern. (: But honestly, I'm not doing it to be dangerously thin or anything, I just want to lower my body fat %

Maybe you could find some people in the fitness section who are cutting (reducing body-fat, often for competition) and ask them about how to do it properly and any side effects. Almost sounds like that is what you are after. And maybe they can answer questions about how sustainable it is long-term and how much work it takes.

Great idea! Maybe I'll join a bodybuilding website and ask about cutting there..!
Thanks!

Lleldiranne

You're at a low enough weight for your height. When you're strength training, you are retaining lean muscle (or building, depending on your eating ). At your weight, you do not need to cut down on calories to reduce the small amount of fat you have. Eat at maintenance (TDEE) or even slightly above, lift heavy, and be patient. Body recomposition is slower, but since you're already feeling dizzy and lightheaded and having other issues when eating only 1500, I would say it's for sure the better way to go (eating 1800-2000 calories).

FWIW, I'm female, 36, 5'1/2" and before I got pregnant was between 125 and 130 pounds, lifting heavy, and slowly recomping at 1800-2000 calories and doing fine (I was down to around 23% bf, too). If a old shorty like me can manage that many calories, I'm sure you can too.

LadyTalulah

I don't think she is trying to lose weight - just recomp - lose fat, gain/keep muscle mass.

I think it could be a low blood sugar thing. When mine gets too low, I get shakey, nauseous, blurred vision, etc. Usually something high sugar (hate to say it but Soda(regular not diet) seemed to correct the issues pretty quick).

Be careful - I have a daughter who is about your size, you probably don't have much to lose, You may actually want to try to 'gain' muscle first (which would increase calories) and cut later. You may have to Cycle it.

It could quiet possibly be my blood sugar, I think I should go have a general checkup…
For the last 6 weeks or so I've been on a higher calorie diet to gain muscle, and like I said, I've seen great progress. Of course, with that came a bit of fat, as expected. Now I just want to do a month or so of cutting (maybe more/less depending on how it goes), then I'm planning on eating at my TDEE to maintain for a while. I don't like the idea of my weight yo-yoing to be honest, so I'm looking forward for the cutting to be over!!
Thanks for the advice!

PaulVLJ

I get the same feeling when I’ve been working hard for days on low calories. Hope you get an answer. I agree with most post on here about your weight. Might consider a Hydrostatic Body Fat Test to see if you are going too far. It will accurately tell you how much fat you really have. I’m in central Texas which has a service, Body Analytics that does that but you would have to find one where you are.

echofm1

It's probably you're blood sugar, and without looking at your diary, I'd suggest eating more protein.

I have a similar issue and it's been one I've had periodically even before I started losing weight. Looking at what I'm eating just helped me pinpoint what was causing it. Sometimes I'd just get shaky and weak, feel like I needed to sit down. I knew I needed to eat something, but couldn't figure out why. When I started tracking I realized that the reason was because my day was packed with carbs. Then, when I wouldn't eat for awhile (like the 5-6 hours between lunch and dinner maybe), my body would crash. I didn't have any protein to keep me going and once the carbs were used, my body didn't really know how to handle it.

I've been tested several times and don't have blood sugar issues or insulin resistance. It really was just a result of too many carbs before a "fast". Try eating more protein particularly in the beginning of your day. It'll help you keep muscle while you're trying to lose the fat as well.

LadyTalulah

I get the same feeling when I’ve been working hard for days on low calories. Hope you get an answer. I agree with most post on here about your weight. Might consider a Hydrostatic Body Fat Test to see if you are going too far. It will accurately tell you how much fat you really have. I’m in central Texas which has a service, Body Analytics that does that but you would have to find one where you are.

I would love to test my Body Fat % but still haven't found a place near where I live that does it!! But I'll keep on looking!

LadyTalulah

It's probably you're blood sugar, and without looking at your diary, I'd suggest eating more protein.

I have a similar issue and it's been one I've had periodically even before I started losing weight. Looking at what I'm eating just helped me pinpoint what was causing it. Sometimes I'd just get shaky and weak, feel like I needed to sit down. I knew I needed to eat something, but couldn't figure out why. When I started tracking I realized that the reason was because my day was packed with carbs. Then, when I wouldn't eat for awhile (like the 5-6 hours between lunch and dinner maybe), my body would crash. I didn't have any protein to keep me going and once the carbs were used, my body didn't really know how to handle it.

I've been tested several times and don't have blood sugar issues or insulin resistance. It really was just a result of too many carbs before a "fast". Try eating more protein particularly in the beginning of your day. It'll help you keep muscle while you're trying to lose the fat as well.

I know it's not the protein, because as a vegetarian that lifts heavy, if there's one thing I'm a bit obsessive about, it's protein! I make sure I get enough daily through shakes, eggs, yogurts, quinoa and so on! I know how important it is (and difficult without eating meat!!)
But will definitely look into the carbs as a possible cause (:

AliceDark

No matter what any website or calculator says, if you are having a negative reaction to 1400-1500 calories, it's not right for your body. End of story, full stop, no arguing

If you're sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations, it could be as simple as going too long without eating. It could be blood pressure fluctuations. I get a lot of the same symptoms when I go too low on calories and don't eat often enough. But the bottom line is that you should trust your body to tell you that it doesn't like what you're doing.

If your TDEE is 1800ish and you're just trying to do a small cut, you don't have to go down to 1500 to do it. Spend two weeks at 1700 and see how your body responds.

geebusuk

How long have you stuck to the low calorie diet? What sort of weight loss have you noticed if you have?

While people are expressing concern, you certainly seem to be going about it much more sensibly than others on here we often see do!

AliceDark

If you want more accurate information on bulking/cutting or even on body recomps, try posting in the Goal: Gaining Weight forum. There are a lot of people there with a lot of experience bulking/cutting, and you'd probably get some fantastic information.

MagnumBurrito

This is how I cut. Eat at maintenance level (without lifting), while continuing to lift. Get tons of protein, good fats, and about 50 g of carbs. Eat only veggies, dark leafy greens, and fruits for carbs. (note: if you binge on sugar one day, eat some more carbs or you will get light headed)

Fat melts off and muscle stays. When you get to your desired fat %, stay there for a couple of weeks. Your body with enter that new fat % as it's new baseline level.

Jestinia

Congrats on the strength training! I have a daughter your age, so I am saying this out of concern. At 18 years old, 5'4" and 112 lbs, you certainly do not need to lose weight, even if you have a "small frame". I know this is not what you want to hear, but I am pretty sure most of your responses will be this. I think as far as your symptoms go, it could be any number of things, but I would go see your doctor.

As I said in the edit, I'm probably closer to 116 lbs, I converted in wrong from kgs! Thanks for your concern. (: But honestly, I'm not doing it to be dangerously thin or anything, I just want to lower my body fat %

Maybe you could find some people in the fitness section who are cutting (reducing body-fat, often for competition) and ask them about how to do it properly and any side effects. Almost sounds like that is what you are after. And maybe they can answer questions about how sustainable it is long-term and how much work it takes.

Great idea! Maybe I'll join a bodybuilding website and ask about cutting there..!
Thanks!

You're welcome! Don't forget to tell your symptoms to whoever you ask for advice from. You might need to check in with a doctor if changing things up with your diet or calories or routine or whatever doesn't help.

LadyTalulah

No matter what any website or calculator says, if you are having a negative reaction to 1400-1500 calories, it's not right for your body. End of story, full stop, no arguing

If you're sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations, it could be as simple as going too long without eating. It could be blood pressure fluctuations. I get a lot of the same symptoms when I go too low on calories and don't eat often enough. But the bottom line is that you should trust your body to tell you that it doesn't like what you're doing.

If your TDEE is 1800ish and you're just trying to do a small cut, you don't have to go down to 1500 to do it. Spend two weeks at 1700 and see how your body responds.

Maybe you're right! To be honest, I was kind of hoping someone would tell me it's normal and to push through because it would get better soon :P That's something I'm working on, listening to my body rather than my mind.
I should listen to "You need to eat." rather than "You'll go over you're calories!!" or "You're full." rather than "That cake looks good…"
Haha (:
Thanks for the advice!

LadyTalulah

How long have you stuck to the low calorie diet? What sort of weight loss have you noticed if you have?

While people are expressing concern, you certainly seem to be going about it much more sensibly than others on here we often see do!

My weight has fluctuated over the last 18 months. When I first started losing weight at around 145lbs, I did it the unhealthy way by drastically cutting my calories and no exercise. I lost over 30pounds in a few months but also ended up in the emergency room after collapsing. Physically I felt terrible but it was more mentally that my diet was taking its toll. When I decided to take control of the situation, I started eating properly and lifting so I wouldn't gain it all back in fat. Since then, I went up to 120 then back down to 110 and now I'm around 116!
I think the only reason I'm doing it sensibly is because I've done it the wrong way before and I've experienced the terrible effects of the beginning of an eating disorder. Sure, I'm not completely better, but I refuse to go back to where I was before!
That's why anxiety takes over when I get a little light headed, I'm afraid of collapsing again.. But I'm teaching myself some relaxation techniques (:

LadyTalulah

This is how I cut. Eat at maintenance level (without lifting), while continuing to lift. Get tons of protein, good fats, and about 50 g of carbs. Eat only veggies, dark leafy greens, and fruits for carbs. (note: if you binge on sugar one day, eat some more carbs or you will get light headed)

Fat melts off and muscle stays. When you get to your desired fat %, stay there for a couple of weeks. Your body with enter that new fat % as it's new baseline level.

Sounds like a great plan! Just calculated without lifting, TDEE says 1550cals/day. Will bump it up to 1600 and see if that makes a difference!
I'll try this if my current cutting plan doesn't work after applying all the tips everyone else gave me!
Thanks (:

geebusuk

Since then, I went up to 120 then back down to 110 and now I'm around 116!

Did you have the same symptoms when you went 120->110 before?

Do you have an idea of what body fat you are on now? I do wonder if it's a case of the body not wanting to release enough fat for energy, so you end up generally lacking in energy.

For me the worst I've had is general lethargy/hunger and that's as a fair bit bigger and male eating similar amounts - but probably mostly at higher (for my sex) body fat.
Blood sugar and thus keeping an eye on what you eat and when seems to make sense.

Do you do any cardio? Do you eat back any extra cardio calories you burn?

LadyTalulah

Since then, I went up to 120 then back down to 110 and now I'm around 116!

Did you have the same symptoms when you went 120->110 before?

Do you do any cardio? Do you eat back any extra cardio calories you burn?

At times, but not as severe as now. I'm also under a great deal of stress though, as I have exams coming up and problems at home.

I'll very rarely do cardio. I enjoy HIIT but even when I was on a high calorie diet, it was impossible to integrate into my workout routine without giving up a weight training day so I stopped.

geebusuk

I was about to blame the bogey-hormone cortisol, but doing a little googling, it seems it's likely innocent in reality.

I'm presuming you are lower body fat now, so it does make sense symptoms would be worse just because of that.

Nothing I've really looked in to myself, as not had the issues, but if it was me, I'd be tempted to get a blood sugar testing thing (common for diabetics, I presume would offer you similar help) and see if there's a correlation.