Losing Weight with Hypoglycemia

amr122393

Any of you MFPers out there losing weight with hypoglycemia? I've been trying to lose weight and that obviously involves lowering calories, but sometimes when I get on the lower ends I start to suffer shakiness/dizziness/fatigue etc, which I attribute to my reactive hypoglycemia. Any of you out there have some tips or meal plans that work well for preventing hypoglycemia?

jamielynnmobile

Yes! I struggle with balancing between keeping my blood sugar stable but also not eating over my calorie limit for the day. It's tough.

About 5 years ago, I got really into strength training and was lifting a split program 5 days a week and eating 1g protein per pound every day. This naturally meant that my carb intake dropped (helping stabilize my reactions) and I was in GREAT shape, with only the occasional episode (if I was out running errands and forgot to pack a snack, for instance). For the past 12 years or so, I've eaten every 2-4 hours to try and control the reactions. Protein seems to be the key for me, which leads me to my current dilemma...

I gave up meat (which was only turkey & chicken anyways) a few years ago, and I have struggled to find meals/snacks that will keep me stable WITHOUT killing my calorie limit. Yes, I consume all the typical recommended fare for vegetarians needing protein: protein powder, cheese, nuts & nut butter, beans, greek yogurt, etc. Fats have inadvertently replaced protein for me, and I have yet to decide if that has been more harmful than beneficial. I won't go back to eating meat, but I do have to be much more cautious about having food on hand with me at all times.

My advice? If you are a carnivore, eat lots of protein with every meal! Stick to chicken, turkey, or whitefish for low calories and decent protein content. You'll be able to go a bit longer between meals and your reactions should be more subtle. And LISTEN to the small signs and eat something before it gets out of control! I can go from fine to blackout/roadrage/seizureshakes in five minutes sometimes.

I hope you find what works best for your body!

(Note: there are a couple other threads in the forums you can search about hypoglycemia, but nothing helpful--just caves full of trolls)

RodaRose

For snacks in between meals have something like a piece of fruit with nuts.