Why am I getting the shakes so badly?

I have been watching what I eat for quite a while now, but just realized that was only living the illusion that I was eating well. I was eating less food, but the food that I was eating was loaded with sodium (Lean Cuisine is a farce btw.) and other crappy ingredients. Anyway. Now that I am actually eating good food, thanks to this site, I am finding that I get the shakes before my first large meal of the day.

I used to have things like from-concentrate orange juice with a pop-tart (Terrible--I know) or some other sugary cereal etc.

I am now having a glass of Strawberry-Banana Naked juice and an english muffin with some fat-free cream cheese.

Am I going through sugar withdrawls because I used to eat really crappy stuff or am I just not getting enough to eat? I am having a snack before dinner as well which is usually some vanilla yogurt with granola or like a Cliff-Bar.

Hope I gave you all enough information to at least point me in the right direction. I am on a computer all day so the shakes are pretty bad to have.

Thanks everyone!
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Replies

  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Sounds like you have hypoglycemia to me. You need protein at every meal to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Try greek yogurt or eggs for breakfast and don't wait too long before you eat in the morning and also don't go too long of a stretch between meals.
    So eat protein, eat/drink less sugar, and eat often. See if that helps.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    CheveuxNoirs hit some good points.

    You may be under eating in general. As a 24 YO male with 40ish pounds to lose, don't try to cut calories too fast. Shoot for a 500 calorie deficit off your maintenance calories (one pound a week by Myfitnesspal's goal wizard.)

    Under eating can easily cause the symptoms you describe.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I'm reactive hypoglycemic, meaning that after having carbs and sugar, a few hours later I get extremely low blood sugar levels. I break out in sweats, start shaking, and I have problems concentrating. I can't tell if you shake after your juice and english muffin, but I know I would. While it's "healthier", it's still mostly sugar. I found I did better skipping breakfast than having a bowl of cereal. Finally, I've settled on a breakfast of 2 tbsp of peanut butter, soy milk, and either an egg or protein shake. I find that if I want a sugary treat, even in the afternoon I'll react badly. I do best with a desert type treat late at night (I have no idea why, and I've not heard of anyone else reacting like this - so it's not a suggestion for anyone else per se).

    I would try to add in more protein and ditch the juice. Juice is one of the worst things you can have when you react badly to sugar.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I agree that the above is a possibility. The shakes could also be a reaction to something else in your life. Stress will give me the shakes, also anger and fear.
  • janetr11
    janetr11 Posts: 7
    I find that if I don't have fruit (eg. orange or apple) for my snack then I get the shakes and/or if I wait too long to eat, I get the shakes. Eggs, nuts, apples, oranges are my best in-between meal snacks because the protein and natural sugar are great to keep the shakes away!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    FYI, the strawberry banana naked juice has more sugar than the same amount of OJ.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    Well I can say pretty confidently that it isn't a lack of protein. I do have a protein shake in the morning and I eat cashews for most snacks. I am getting enough protein as far as I can tell. I honestly think it is the sugar that i am not getting, but i'm not health whiz so I will appeal to your expertise's.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Don't appeal to our "expertise." Appeal to your doctor's.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    FYI, the strawberry banana naked juice has more sugar than the same amount of OJ.

    Yeah, but it isn't the same kind of sugar. It is the "healthy" sugar. From-Concentrate OJ is just plain sweetened sugar.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    CheveuxNoirs hit some good points.

    You may be under eating in general. As a 24 YO male with 40ish pounds to lose, don't try to cut calories too fast. Shoot for a 500 calorie deficit off your maintenance calories (one pound a week by Myfitnesspal's goal wizard.)

    Under eating can easily cause the symptoms you describe.

    I am going at about 1500 calories per day so i'm right on par with what you are suggesting.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    Sounds like you have hypoglycemia to me. You need protein at every meal to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Try greek yogurt or eggs for breakfast and don't wait too long before you eat in the morning and also don't go too long of a stretch between meals.
    So eat protein, eat/drink less sugar, and eat often. See if that helps.

    It's not that. I was actually tested for hopoglycemia at my last physical. That and hyperthyroid.
  • PosterGuy1
    PosterGuy1 Posts: 163 Member
    I have been watching what I eat for quite a while now, but just realized that was only living the illusion that I was eating well. I was eating less food, but the food that I was eating was loaded with sodium (Lean Cuisine is a farce btw.) and other crappy ingredients. Anyway. Now that I am actually eating good food, thanks to this site, I am finding that I get the shakes before my first large meal of the day.

    I used to have things like from-concentrate orange juice with a pop-tart (Terrible--I know) or some other sugary cereal etc.

    I am now having a glass of Strawberry-Banana Naked juice and an english muffin with some fat-free cream cheese.

    Am I going through sugar withdrawls because I used to eat really crappy stuff or am I just not getting enough to eat? I am having a snack before dinner as well which is usually some vanilla yogurt with granola or like a Cliff-Bar.

    Hope I gave you all enough information to at least point me in the right direction. I am on a computer all day so the shakes are pretty bad to have.

    Thanks everyone!

    I would try apples or some kind of fruit.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Don't appeal to our "expertise." Appeal to your doctor's.
    Agreed...it sounds like low blood sugar to me as well (as I have this problem too), but you keep responding "no, its not that" to everything everyone is suggesting here.

    There's clearly something wrong (or something has changed since your last tests were done)..go see a doctor. Good luck!
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    Don't appeal to our "expertise." Appeal to your doctor's.
    Agreed...it sounds like low blood sugar to me as well (as I have this problem too), but you keep responding"no, its not that" to everything everyone is suggesting here.

    There's clearly something wrong..go see a doctor. Good luck!

    I am only saying its not a lack of protein and not hypoglycemia. I eat enough protein since I am above and beyond what myfitnesspal recommends and I was tested for hypoglycemia. I'm not trying to say people dont know what they are talking about. I am just helping rule things out.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    I have been watching what I eat for quite a while now, but just realized that was only living the illusion that I was eating well. I was eating less food, but the food that I was eating was loaded with sodium (Lean Cuisine is a farce btw.) and other crappy ingredients. Anyway. Now that I am actually eating good food, thanks to this site, I am finding that I get the shakes before my first large meal of the day.

    I used to have things like from-concentrate orange juice with a pop-tart (Terrible--I know) or some other sugary cereal etc.

    I am now having a glass of Strawberry-Banana Naked juice and an english muffin with some fat-free cream cheese.

    Am I going through sugar withdrawls because I used to eat really crappy stuff or am I just not getting enough to eat? I am having a snack before dinner as well which is usually some vanilla yogurt with granola or like a Cliff-Bar.

    Hope I gave you all enough information to at least point me in the right direction. I am on a computer all day so the shakes are pretty bad to have.

    Thanks everyone!

    I would try apples or some kind of fruit.

    I do eat apples and fruit, but usually in the afternoon. I could try eating fruit in the morning instead of yogurt and see if that changes anything.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Don't appeal to our "expertise." Appeal to your doctor's.
    Agreed...it sounds like low blood sugar to me as well (as I have this problem too), but you keep responding"no, its not that" to everything everyone is suggesting here.

    There's clearly something wrong..go see a doctor. Good luck!

    I am only saying its not a lack of protein and not hypoglycemia. I eat enough protein since I am above and beyond what myfitnesspal recommends and I was tested for hypoglycemia. I'm not trying to say people dont know what they are talking about. I am just helping rule things out.
    I was just editing my response to add that its possible something has changed since your last tests were run too - especially if you've drastically changed your diet (how long ago were you tested for hypoglycemia?), I find that if I eat a lot of carbs (like a bagel), I crash hard and get the shakes (this is "reactive hypoglycemia), but some people have the fasting type, and depending if you were given a fasting or non-fasting bloodtest, you could have the other type..

    Either way...you should get checked out again. Getting the shakes is a strong indication that something isn't right.
  • rnprincess
    rnprincess Posts: 103 Member
    Not sure what your overall health is, but a good idea is to check with your doctor, and get a baseline physical with labs so you know where you are starting. It could be hypoglycemic episodes but they do not generally just happen without an underlying issue.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    No idea what to add. Clearly you didn't want to hear anything anyone else already said because you've already explained why none of it can possibly be right. You win. Move on.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    Don't appeal to our "expertise." Appeal to your doctor's.
    Agreed...it sounds like low blood sugar to me as well (as I have this problem too), but you keep responding"no, its not that" to everything everyone is suggesting here.

    There's clearly something wrong..go see a doctor. Good luck!

    I am only saying its not a lack of protein and not hypoglycemia. I eat enough protein since I am above and beyond what myfitnesspal recommends and I was tested for hypoglycemia. I'm not trying to say people dont know what they are talking about. I am just helping rule things out.
    I was just editing my response to add that its possible something has changed since your last tests were run too (how long ago were you tested for hypoglycemia?), I find that if I eat a lot of carbs (like a bagel), I crash hard and get the shakes. I've never been tested for it, so I'm not sure what a blood test would show...or if I'm just borderline.

    Either way...you should get checked out. Getting the shakes is a strong indication that something isn't right.

    I totally understand where you are coming from. I was tested in Feb. It is possible that something is wrong, but since it is my diet is the only thing that has changed I am kinda thinking it is related to that and not something major. I really did used to have a lot of sugar so my first guess is actually some sort of a withdrawl from sugar. Although i'm not sure if that is even possible or at least to the extent that I would get the shakes.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    also- just in general, whenever you change your diet your body will react in some way. sometimes it just takes a bit for your body to adjust
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I have been watching what I eat for quite a while now, but just realized that was only living the illusion that I was eating well. I was eating less food, but the food that I was eating was loaded with sodium (Lean Cuisine is a farce btw.) and other crappy ingredients. Anyway. Now that I am actually eating good food, thanks to this site, I am finding that I get the shakes before my first large meal of the day.

    I used to have things like from-concentrate orange juice with a pop-tart (Terrible--I know) or some other sugary cereal etc.

    I am now having a glass of Strawberry-Banana Naked juice and an english muffin with some fat-free cream cheese.

    Am I going through sugar withdrawls because I used to eat really crappy stuff or am I just not getting enough to eat? I am having a snack before dinner as well which is usually some vanilla yogurt with granola or like a Cliff-Bar.

    Hope I gave you all enough information to at least point me in the right direction. I am on a computer all day so the shakes are pretty bad to have.

    Thanks everyone!
    How is 29 grams of sugar at 160 calories (Naked Juice) much better than 194 calories and 13g sugar (Poptart) pasteurized juice isn't that healthful also considering they enrich it... meaning they add back the vitamins they strip from it to make it shelf stable. Sodium isn't bad for you. I think you've been duped by things people label as "healthy" and "not."
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    No idea what to add. Clearly you didn't want to hear anything anyone else already said because you've already explained why none of it can possibly be right. You win. Move on.


    .......all I did was rule out possibilities.....I was just tested for hyperglycemia so it is possible, but unlikely. I eat enough protein so I am safely assuming it isn't that. I have been all ears here. I was just ruling out possibilites that are unlikely.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    I am going at about 1500 calories per day
    Found the problem...

    I get the shakes most days if I am under 2400 calories...... You're a man, so eat like a man.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    No idea what to add. Clearly you didn't want to hear anything anyone else already said because you've already explained why none of it can possibly be right. You win. Move on.

    Get out of my head. :laugh:
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    No idea what to add. Clearly you didn't want to hear anything anyone else already said because you've already explained why none of it can possibly be right. You win. Move on.

    Get out of my head. :laugh:

    I apologize for infiltrating your mind :bigsmile:
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    low blood sugar or in other words hypoglycemia could be the problem. Eat some toast or drink some juice.
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    Probably not withdraw from sugar. I don't think I ever shook to the point of worry when cutting out gross sugary foods. Caffeine withdraw, yes I shook. Did you cut out caffeine? Do you have a lot of stress? I shake really bad when I'm stressed out too.


    Only probably I could see with the sugar idea you have is low blood sugar. Otherwise, no idea. Go to the doctors if it is bad enough to worry about.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    don't drink juice, eat the fruit.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    You clearly need to eat pop tarts again. God hates you for cutting them out of your diet.
  • dollada06
    dollada06 Posts: 41
    I have been watching what I eat for quite a while now, but just realized that was only living the illusion that I was eating well. I was eating less food, but the food that I was eating was loaded with sodium (Lean Cuisine is a farce btw.) and other crappy ingredients. Anyway. Now that I am actually eating good food, thanks to this site, I am finding that I get the shakes before my first large meal of the day.

    I used to have things like from-concentrate orange juice with a pop-tart (Terrible--I know) or some other sugary cereal etc.

    I am now having a glass of Strawberry-Banana Naked juice and an english muffin with some fat-free cream cheese.

    Am I going through sugar withdrawls because I used to eat really crappy stuff or am I just not getting enough to eat? I am having a snack before dinner as well which is usually some vanilla yogurt with granola or like a Cliff-Bar.

    Hope I gave you all enough information to at least point me in the right direction. I am on a computer all day so the shakes are pretty bad to have.

    Thanks everyone!
    How is 29 grams of sugar at 160 calories (Naked Juice) much better than 194 calories and 13g sugar (Poptart) pasteurized juice isn't that healthful also considering they enrich it... meaning they add back the vitamins they strip from it to make it shelf stable. Sodium isn't bad for you. I think you've been duped by things people label as "healthy" and "not."

    Very very possible. I am not a nutritionist by any means. I read on different sites that there is a difference in the type of sugar and that the sugars in natural fruit juices are actually not bad for you. They still need to be in moderation, but they aren't bad like if it were from high-fructose corn syrup. I don't blindly follow everything I read on the internet, but I guess it did make some sense to me when they say sugar from fruit isn't the same as sugar from a pop tart or something with corn syrup. I really don't know. WasI duped here?