Low blood sugar / lightheadedness

ColoradoRobin

This morning when I got up and moving around I was a bit lightheaded. I had been surfing the web for a bit sitting in bed (lol, the iPad), and had no trouble until I started walking around more. I promptly sat myself down and had some food, figuring it was low blood sugar. I was out of my usual Greek yogurt, so I had a Kashi chicken entree with some whole grains, along with a can of V8. I'm feeling much better now that it's been an hour or so since I ate. I can't eat for an hour after I wake up due to taking my thyroid medication, so eating as soon as I wake up is not an option.

I have not felt this way very often since starting my diet towards the end of February, but it has happened occasionally before when dieting. I noticed this week I've definitely been feeling hungrier. Looking at my nutrition, I am wondering if I'm not eating enough for the increasing calorie burn of my EA Sports Active 2 workouts. My calorie burn is still low compared to the numbers quoted by people here in some posts.

I have been losing, until today when I was up a pound and a half since yesterday. It must be water, glycogen, muscle (which would rock!) or other random stuff, I know. Still it's discouraging to see the numbers go up not down. So it's hard to eat more when my loss has been slow already. My pants don't feel any looser, my waist is down only an inch, my body fat scale shows only a 0.6% fat loss. Eating *more* seems wrong, but I don't like feeling just a touch dizzy and unable to workout in the mornings.

LuckySe7en

I had this problem too, and for me to combat it i was suggested that an hour before bedtime, eat a small snack that will keep your blood sugar stable. Ideas include apples, peaches, grapes, yogurt, popcorn or one-half cup of cottage cheese. It really helped me.

NoAdditives

If you open up your food diary I can take a look at your food and exercise habits and can make some suggestions based off that. But since you're having problems in the morning, you might want to eat something before you go to bed. Try to avoid carbs as they will stop your body from burning fat because of the insulin release, eat some protein instead. (When I had gestational diabetes I was told to eat before bed to avoid really low blood sugar in the morning.)

infosynth

How's your blood pressure? Mine tends to be low, and I have to be careful not to stand up too quickly or I can become dizzy and unsteady, especially when moving from a lying position to standing up. In the morning, I just sit on the edge of the bed for a minute or so to let everything "equalize."

Also, are you drinking enough water? Dehydration can cause similar symptoms and even disguise itself as hunger. Try drinking more water with your morning meds and see if that helps. (I can't eat right after I get up either, for the same reason, but I do drink a full glass of water, sometimes more, when I get up.)

cbaylis

I am also hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). I kept a food diary prior to being on here because I am a PE Teacher and was almost passing out in class even though I was eating and I was gaining weight (which I didn't want). So after keeping a journal and speaking with my doctor I have discovered that I do MUCH better with most of my calories before 1PM. In addition, I eat throughout the day, not really 3 meals and my first morning meal is higher in protein and fiber. This lets me be able to go longer. When I get up I get ready and have my coffee on the way to work. I don't eat until an hour or so in the day. I then have another snack, usually a yogurt in another couple hours, then a granola a few more. Small lunch around noon. My workout is usually after lunch so this allows me not to pass out during my workouts.

I would try high protein and fiber foods in the morning. Hope this helps.

elzettel

I had this issue mostly after intense workouts. I made an appointment to see my Dr. and my blood sugar was low. He suggested getting more protein in my diet and cutting back on the carbs a bit. As soon as I upped my protein I was good and I can certainly tell on a day in which I haven't tried very hard. I do love my carbs and haven't been able to cut back as much as he suggested but just getting more lean protein and watching more carefully what carbs I eat has helped. Scary feeling though...if it persists I'd see the Dr. just to be safe.

Tattooedmom44

I suffer from hypoglycemia and have to eat small amounts often throughout the day. I also have to make sure that I eat something with protein each time to keep my sugars from dropping. I stick to a 1200 calorie diet and it took some time to balance the lower calories with the frequent eating, but eventually I figured it out. I have to have a snack before I go to bed, or when I wake up I am shaking and dizzy. Try to avoid foods that are high on the glycemic index (can google) as they burn fast and then cause your blood sugar to drop quickly.
Good Luck!!

ColoradoRobin

If you open up your food diary I can take a look at your food and exercise habits and can make some suggestions based off that.

Done. I am wondering if I had too many carbs last night, causing a spike and drop in blood sugar. My thought this morning was to have some good protein and low glycemic index carbs, but I have done well on low carb in the past. Maybe I need to cut back more on them, which makes me sad. I have been making sourdough breads for a year or so, with good whole wheat flour. They taste great and are hard to give up.

NoAdditives

Having looked over your diary it doesn't look like you're eating too many carbs. Maybe just try avoiding them at dinner. Also, try getting in more fresh fruits and vegetables and try to meet your calorie goal including eating your exercise calories. It looks like a lot of days you're not even getting 1200 calories.

BflSaberfan

I know eating more seems wrong but by doing that I lost 4lbs in 1 week.

queenmedusa

Thanks for posting this topic. I went to the docs for a 'new patient' check this week and they found that my blood sugar was low. Nurse told me that I needed to go home and eat breakfast but I'd eaten breakfast less than 2hrs before! Am going to take some of the suggestions and eat a little something before bed to try to prevent morning dizziness. So happy I found this discussion!