Up my calories or just something to get used to?

holly2234

Its day two of my diet change and ive been feeling terrible! Headaches all the time, feeling extremely tired and no energy. Im eating somewhere around 1800 calories a day at the moment and walking for 1-2 (sometimes more) hours a day, burning about 300 cals. I dont have a car so thats not something that i have just started doing, its been a regular thing even when i had a bad diet. The only change is diet. I feel like ive burnt out by lunch time! (I sleep 8 hours too). Is this just a feeling that will pass because of the change? Or is this something more calories will help with for now?

Thanks

michellekicks

It could be, or you could be coming down with a bug. Your net intake is about 1500, which might be okay... but I see you want to lose 50 lbs. so I assume you are somewhere between 150 and 200 lbs... you might be able to eat more and still lose. My advice would be to tough it out for the rest of the week. If you're getting sick you'll know in a day or two. If you're not, your body should adjust. If you lose a MASSIVE amount of weight in week 1 (like 6 lbs or more) you could consider increasing calories a bit... it's all about trial and error, I'm afraid.

mestop1

How is your water intake?

judy2888

Did you change how much caffeine you are getting?

holly2234

Thanks everyone. Im currently 215lbs (at first weigh in wednesday evening) and my goal is 165lbs.

My water intake is pretty good, 7-8 glasses a day at least.

Caffeine intake is a bit different. I used to eat a lot of chocolate. I still have some now every day, but in moderation and in line with the rest of my diet.

michellekicks

At 215 lbs, you're probably not eating enough. Do you have your goal set to losing 1 lb/week? Try switching it to .5 lbs/week and it will reduce the deficit, thereby giving you more to eat.

I did mine this way and I haven't lost a half pound yet...

W1 1.0 lbs
W2 0.8 lbs
W3 3.0 lbs
...
(the rest of my losses were from Weight Watchers prior to signing up with MFP)

aippolito1

If you cut down on your sugar or caffeine intake, you could be going through withdrawals. That usually happens when people cut desserts, coffee, or soda.

LadyKatieBug

I agree with the last poster I had the same thing happen when I was withdrawing from caffeine and sweets

Onesnap

You are burning more than that with that much walking.

I eat every 2-3 hours and I'm never hungry.

Hoakiebs

Sounds like dehydration. Make sure you're drinking about 100 oz. of water. Plus, if you're doing 2 hours of walking, that sounds like much more than 300 cals.

Hellbent_Heidi

It takes a few days to get used to eating less, and elminating a lot of junk food. Stick it out for a little longer and see how you feel....

evansproudmama

Try upping your protein and iron!! Also more fiber will help you be fuller longer.. If your body is used to eating alot (over 2000 cals) than it could take a little while for your stomache to shrink back dow... When I was 210 and started dieting I started at 1500 cals a day but most of it was lean meats lots of protien and fiber and it took about a week of eating like this to get used to it.. Good Luck

tenpets

Go to: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and figure out your TDEE. Then subtract 15%. That's what you should eat every day.

poledancing_ninja

If you ate a lot of sugary foods and foods with lots of chemicals in it's probably just withdraw I'd give it a whole week and if it doesn't improve, try something else

hellraisedfire

you need to be eating more, in my opinion. maybe up to 2000-2200 calories, and see how you feel. however, if you are used to having a lot of caffeine regularly, you could be going through caffeine withdrawal. did you stop cold turkey or ease off? same for the chocolate. if you switched to dark chocolate (in moderation of course) you might help with headaches as well.

Onesnap

Also, if you are eating clean you will not be burned out by lunch time.

Check out Everyday Food magazine (or website). Great recipes and easy to log.

Also, visit your local farmer's market (many start this weekend). That way you're meeting the folks that grow the food (or raise it in terms of meat). Grass fed beef has 1/2 the fat of factory farmed...so often the local whole foods are better for you.

Eat clean. You will not be wiped out by lunch.

My guess is also that with that much walking you may be over training. 7,000 steps/day is suggested by the CDC. You can wear a pedometer to monitor your daily steps. 10,000/steps is what weight watchers suggests for an entire day. Walking that much you really need to fuel your body. With non-processed foods.

goldfinger88

You're getting quite a lot of calories. So that's not likely your problem. Could you be depressed? That will make you terribly tired and sap all you energy. Or, you could have a bug of some sort or there could be other things going on. Perhaps a trip to the doctor is in order. But, it's not likely it's the diet as you're getting a good lot of calories. Much more than many on here, including myself.

ashcky

I've been feeling the sme thing too and I think it has to do with not drinking soda as often. I know that's why I've been having more intense headaches, so I think the low energy has to do with that too. Have you limited your soda?

aldz00

Ensure your daily food intake is balanced with proteins and healthy snacks. I am 210lbs and eating 1880 calories a day and it took a few days to adjust to it but once you spread out the meals (350 cal per portion) its really doable. Hang in there, it gets easier. Don't underestimate the value of water!

chantels1

It could be your body adjusting to the lower calories. I get that for about a week. I cut out all caffeine and soda, and went on a diet, so I didn't have much energy and I was hungry, so I upped my calories to lose .5 calories per week and it really helped.

danifo0811

If you cut down on your sugar or caffeine intake, you could be going through withdrawals. That usually happens when people cut desserts, coffee, or soda.

I have this when I reduce sugar even if my calories stay the same or are more.

if after a week you still feel bad I would try upping.

momo2011Tuck

I weigh a bit more then you but not to much and if I walk two hours I burn at minimum 650 calories. I think you should try upping your calorie intake because you may be burning way more than you think, in return not eating enough to cover those burned calories.

holly2234

Thanks everyone, i will try to summarise a response to everyone, I have never drank soda so thats not really an issue for me. I try to eat 3 meals a day with two snacks. I havent cut out chocolate cold turkey, i eat a small amount still. No, im not depressed and i do not need to see a doctor. And the 300 cals is the average MFP has given me for the amount of exercise i put in time wise. Walking less is not an option, i cant get to where i need to be otherwise.

holly2234

Also, im not sure how the eating what you burn thing means. Do i need to eat at least 1200cals AFTER what ive burnt exercising? So if i ate 1500 and burnt 400, i wouldnt have had enough?

MinMin97

I see you have a baby, and it is normal to be tired when you have young children:yawn: Since this is your first child (I assume), you are used to having your energy and did not realize you would be so tired with a baby! Relax.

I don't think your food diary was open to look at it. But I would suggest you increase your calories so that your nursing is supplied (if you are)...I think by 400 calories? Also make sure you eat enough protein at your meals...say 20 grams per meal and snack, so that you are getting 100grams or more/day.

Maybe set the timer when baby takes a nap and rest also about 30 min. For exercise, it is really great that you walk!
You could also add in some basic calisthenics (sorry, spelling?) like 20 sit-ups/pushups and some yoga/stretching. Ironically, the more you challenge yourself with exercise, the more energy you have! Do you have an exercise DVD? Try to do some of it.

Drink your water! Place a cup on the counter with a piece of paper and pencil. make a tally mark for each cup you drink...at least 10 cups...more if you can. Log it at the end of your day.
:)MinMin

sabified

Have you changed what you're eating for breakfast?

This is going to sound silly, but when I started trying to eat better I started having grain type stuff for breakfast- bagels, cereals, that kinda stuff... and I started to feel like that. Then I switched to having more protein based stuff (egg and turkey bacon on a wheat wrap usually) and the difference was PHENOMINAL. Stopped feeling so laggy and dragged down... realized my body doesn't do as well with carbs as most other people.

Do you think that could be something?

heybales

Also, im not sure how the eating what you burn thing means. Do i need to eat at least 1200cals AFTER what ive burnt exercising? So if i ate 1500 and burnt 400, i wouldnt have had enough?

The suggestion is based on the way MFP works. Stick at your nice higher level that was suggested, very wise.

Normally, you would take all your daily activity, everything, see what it burns, and then take off a deficit to determine what you eat.
So say 2000 burned minus 500 is eating 1500. That means about 1lb week fat hopefully burned off, because you didn't replenish it.

MFP works a tad different, to encourage you to do the exercise, or to confuse everyone, they leave exercise out of the equation until you do it and log it.
And then you get credit to eat it back again, so the deficit is still there.
So say 1700 minus 500 is eating 1200 plus exercise 300 is eating 1500 total.

Math comes out the same, when it happens changes. Those figures were just examples, have no idea on your suggestions.

Oh, for better estimate of that calorie burn on walking, which can be very accurate estimate, you can correct MFP suggestion with your own. Try this calculator, ask for the Net figure.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html

Now, what else you can do, is change your Activity level up to the level that includes on your feet a decent part of the day - Lightly Active or Active - and then don't worry about logging the normal walks which are great workouts, but they'll be included in the math already.

holly2234

Thanks everyone, my daughter is almost 15 months old so im used to running around after her and i dont nurse so no extra cals needed there. She sleeps 14 hours at night (im very lucky i know!) so its not even like i get disturbed sleep or anything. Unfortunately she doesnt normally nap. She saves it all up for bed time i think! If she does nap its in the stroller while im walking anyway.

Yes i have changed what i eat for breakfast, it used to be a bar of chocolate or some other ridiculous thing. Now ive been having 2 slices of brown toast with jam and 2 cups of water. I have 2 at a time normally because we only have gigantic cups! I think i used to run on sugar all day long before.

Thanks heybales for clearing that up, it all makes sense now. I think i might go and have a banana now thanks to that! :bigsmile:
My activity level is lightly active right now i think. I put it as that because thats how i am in the house. The walks are just extras that vary in length every day. I walked very nearly 2 miles today and just couldnt walk the 1.5 miles back home! I was just so burnt out i had to get on the bus! Normally that walk isnt a problem.

heybales

Yes i have changed what i eat for breakfast, it used to be a bar of chocolate or some other ridiculous thing. Now ive been having 2 slices of brown toast with jam and 2 cups of water. I have 2 at a time normally because we only have gigantic cups! I think i used to run on sugar all day long before.

Thanks heybales for clearing that up, it all makes sense now. I think i might go and have a banana now thanks to that! :bigsmile:
My activity level is lightly active right now i think. I put it as that because thats how i am in the house. The walks are just extras that vary in length every day. I walked very nearly 2 miles today and just couldnt walk the 1.5 miles back home! I was just so burnt out i had to get on the bus! Normally that walk isnt a problem.

So you can leave your activity level, and just use that calculator for the walks. Might suggest, weigh stroller/daughter, and count half that weight in the calc - because you are moving it along with yourself.

Also, to what someone else said regarding carbs. If you have sensitive insulin response spiking badly, bread hits your bloodstream faster than table sugar in fact, faster than a candy bar.
You may have had no effect with chocolate before, but could now.
That over response for many also means a bad drop to blood sugar levels - there goes the feeling of energy as body recovers that correctly.

Might test, pick up a couple Zone or Balance bars, and just have 1 of those for breakfast with water, see how it goes.
If much better, that was the problem. Don't have to keep eating those that was just test, but try to get protein/fat into each meal, and eat that before the carbs if possible, never carbs first.
If you have that bad of a response, you are also staying in the resulting fat-storing mode longer than normal.

momo2011Tuck

.

holly2234

The stroller with my daughter in it is probably close to 50lbs. And when its full of groceries its probably closer to 70 or 80lbs.

I will have to try something like that for breakfast. I cant get them here in the UK but ive Googled it and know of similar things that i can get hold of

I have dieted before in a similar way (when i first joined this site and failed with the diet!) i dont remember feeling this way. I ate similar things to what i do now, just one slice of toast for breakfast rather than two, but i found i needed (or felt like i needed!) the extra slice this time. So it seems quite likely thats whats causing it. Because i also go on to have a sandwich for lunch. I felt better for half an hour after eating it then back to normal.

Ive used the calculator on the link you posted too and it says 236cals for 60 minutes of walking. Not sure what to do about adding the stroller weight though. Just add 50lbs to my 215lbs?