hair loss with 1200 calories

sm_4ever17
sm_4ever17 Posts: 128 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi m on 1200 calorie diet bt m losing my hair i eat healthy like oatmeal for breaky, veggies, chapatis, milk, cereals weetabix bt m losing hair. does any1 knw why? iv recently started dieting so dnt knw if its coz of dat

height 5'1"
weight 139 pounds/63.2 kg
«134

Replies

  • stacetherainbow
    stacetherainbow Posts: 131
    You NEED more protein. Maybe more calories, but I'm not an expert
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    See your doctor.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Definitely see your doctor. It could be the diet, or there could be some other reason for your hair loss.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I looked at your diary, it's empty! How do you know you're even getting 1200 a day? I've seen other MFPers post about losing hair on 1200 or less - it's just not enough food for most of us. Even at 5'1", you should probably be eating a lot more.

    Start tracking your food, log everything, make sure you're hitting your goals for calories, and for carbs, fats and protein. Also make sure your settings in MFP aren't set to lose 2lbs a week - that's too aggressive a goal when you don't have 100+ lbs to lose. A half a pound or 1 pound a week at the most.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    Could you be eating less than that? I noticed you don't log so it may be possible you're netting way less. Add a protein shake to your day... maybe even some food. Hair loss = no bueno.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    You need to see a doctor regarding the hair loss, I would suspect it is from too few calories. I am 5'2 and eating almost 1600 calories a day.
  • mgnmsn1
    mgnmsn1 Posts: 12
    i went to a dermatologist. he had be use a medicated shampoo and i take biotin everyday. they did a lot of blood work and such so i would definitely get it checked out sooner rather than later.
  • MariaChele85
    MariaChele85 Posts: 267 Member
    Yup, 2 yrs ago when i lost the majority of my weight. I was on 1300- 1400 cal and I lost 75lbs in 10 months, along with it I lost alot of hair. My pretty, thick, natural hair thinned out so bad. I was malnurished. Im still self conscious about it till this day.
  • angievaughn
    angievaughn Posts: 655 Member
    My doctor told me that on 1200 calorie diet...the reason I was losing hair was because of not enough fat in my diet....not because of the low calorie amount. Now I am sure you will find other doctors who say different but that's what mine told me!!
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    you need to check your iron levels and thyroid.
  • HuneeBunee08
    HuneeBunee08 Posts: 168
    EAT MORE PROTEIN
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    When my mom was on dialysis, she was losing her hair rapidly, and the doctors told her it was because of low protein levels. Often times when people cut their calories, they cut too many proteins from their diet. So try to get at least 75 g of protein at the bare minimum. 100 g is better if you can get it in, and even higher if you are lifting weights and very active.
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 509 Member
    *blink*

    Well, if it started to fall out when you started starving yourself, I think the causation is pretty clear.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    EAT!!!!!!!!!!!! Same thing happen to me when I was doing 1200 cals, now I do 1700 to 1900 calories!!!
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    hi m on 1200 calorie diet bt m losing my hair i eat healthy like oatmeal for breaky, veggies, chapatis, milk, cereals weetabix bt m losing hair. does any1 knw why? iv recently started dieting so dnt knw if its coz of dat

    height 5'1"
    weight 139 pounds/63.2 kg

    I work in International Humanitarian Aid and we figure that IF the lack of food is the reason for hair loss it is because the person had consistently ( 6 month plus ) eaten less than 600 calories a day. It takes a very long time on an extreme low cal diet before hair starts to fall out.. At 1200 calories, I would say it's stress, hormonal or other reasons, but I don't think it's the lack of nutrients, IF your diet is balanced.
  • bethfartman
    bethfartman Posts: 363 Member
    See a doctor, of course. But in my experience- I thought I was losing my hair when I started losing weight and it freaked me out! I don't think I'm losing my hair anymore, so I don't know if I was freaking out for no reason and was just shedding my hair as one regularly does or what. To stop myself from freaking too much when I saw excess hair on my brush or falling out, I focused on my hair line/part for change in density (didn't change) and looking for bald spots (of which I had none), I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you see sparseness in your part or hairline or if you have new bald spots (I have some spots near my temple that have always been baldish, I imagine many people have that. )
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    *blink*

    Well, if it started to fall out when you started starving yourself, I think the causation is pretty clear.
    starvation??? LMAO :laugh: 1200 calories is not starving. What an insult.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    There are lots of reasons to lose hair, stress, malnutrition, hormones (especially menopause), medications etc. Dr. gave me folic acid to treat mine (due to menopause and medication). If it continues see your Dr.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    See your doctor. Also, it can be difficult to get proper nutrition on that low of a calorie intake. Most people aren't getting enough essential fat and protein when they're eating this little...'cuz usually they think sucking on celery is the only healthy choice.

    Go see our doctor...start incorporating some more protein and fat into your diet.
  • mom2cmb2x
    mom2cmb2x Posts: 24 Member
    thyroid issues can make your hair fall out.
    See your doc
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    My hair has been falling out also, and I eat between 1,000 and 1200 calories. I thought mine was from stress, but now I can stress cause I am not eating enough!!!!!!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    *blink*

    Well, if it started to fall out when you started starving yourself, I think the causation is pretty clear.
    starvation??? LMAO :laugh: 1200 calories is not starving. What an insult.

    1200 calories is breakfast on some days....it's for the birds and if you're not at least NETting to 1200 it is likely you are not getting proper nutrition...lack of proper nutrition = malnutritioun = starving your body. "Starving" has nothing to do with whether you feel hungry or not....

    Most women can eat far more and still lose weight at a decent clip...unless you're 4 ft nothin' and 80 years old you should be able to eat more. But whatevs...enjoy.
  • Kristi858
    Kristi858 Posts: 31 Member
    This is your body telling you something! EAT MORE! No one can survive long term on that little of calories. Feed your body, please!

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • whitlisd
    whitlisd Posts: 85
    Protein!! Make sure you are getting like 70 grams worth a day and eat a few more calories.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    hi m on 1200 calorie diet bt m losing my hair i eat healthy like oatmeal for breaky, veggies, chapatis, milk, cereals weetabix bt m losing hair. does any1 knw why? iv recently started dieting so dnt knw if its coz of dat

    height 5'1"
    weight 139 pounds/63.2 kg

    I work in International Humanitarian Aid and we figure that IF the lack of food is the reason for hair loss it is because the person had consistently ( 6 month plus ) eaten less than 600 calories a day. It takes a very long time on an extreme low cal diet before hair starts to fall out.. At 1200 calories, I would say it's stress, hormonal or other reasons, but I don't think it's the lack of nutrients, IF your diet is balanced.

    What if OP isn't netting to 1200 though...if she's only grossing 1200 calories and doing **** tons of cardio, she could very well be netting 500-600 calories per day which would be a bad thing.
  • whitlisd
    whitlisd Posts: 85
    I have been told that you should not eat under 1200 otherwise you aren't getting proper nutrition. Try to aim for 1200-1500, otherwise your body goes into starvation mode.
  • SugarBaby71
    SugarBaby71 Posts: 3,630 Member
    I was on a super low calorie low fat low carb program for about 12 weeks. Lost a ton of weight instantly... also lost my thick lovely hair. It didn't start coming back (even after quitting the low everything diet) for years until I started really watching my nutrition. It's definitely a sign that things aren't right. You should get it checked out.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
    I've also heard or read that a very low-fat diet (in addition to the low calorie) can cause you to shed hair too quickly. Your body needs healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc. I would not only eat more, but also eat more of the nutrition your body needs.
  • TNEKEIA
    TNEKEIA Posts: 12
    You may not be eating enough fats and proteins. Im on 1200-1300 with no hair loss. Try taking a biotin supplement.
  • HeatherMN
    HeatherMN Posts: 3,821 Member
    Hair loss is common in women who are low calorie, low fat diets. I would recommend adding healthy fats into your diet.

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