What to do for shakiness/hunger?

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Replies

  • vinny76063
    vinny76063 Posts: 133 Member
    Great positive attitude and way to go getting after it this morning with a clean breakfast!!!! I started off at over 300 lbs and I use to get that shakey feeling i still do after about 4 hrs of not eating which is rare because i eat every 2-3 hrs just depends on if i get busy. Just take your time and get adjusted to the new diet, everybody is different and their bodies handle the change in diet differently. You will do great, & yes i agree up the calorie intake.
  • mapenguinkeeper
    mapenguinkeeper Posts: 191
    more protein and spread the calories over the day is what works for me. most days I don't eat half the carbs in my profile and most days I'm over on protein and I rarely have the "hangry" attacks anymore. That said, I did have one yesterday after just getting home and so snarfed down 3 pieces of cheese. Luckily that held me to dinner. Tomorrow's another day.:yawn:

    Lemon water also helps. 1/4 cup real lemon juice to 8 oz of water.

    Excuse me? I fast. I shake often, but I am far from needing to eat. I'm far from anorexic either. I can shake the moment I wake up. OP said she is not diabetic, so that rules out passing out from not eating sugar.
    Not so much I'm not diabetic and I've had these bouts b/c my blood sugar tanked.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Wow! Thank you all for the information, suggestions and sharing your experiences. I did some more research and yes, I do believe my calories are set too low. MFP has me set to 1200 calories which isn't a lot considering I have only been cutting back for a few days and was previously eating way more than 1200 calories a day (and eating lots of sugary snacks - i.e. halloween candy). I took your suggestions and have upped my calories to 1310 for now (and will possibly up more if I continue to feel so hungry or start to lose to fast). I am also going to stock up on some protein bars and other portable sources of protein for snacks. And I will try to eat more protein along with balanced carbs.

    This morning I had 1 egg scrambled + 2 egg whites and it is sticking with me much better than yesterdays breakfast meal of a banana/cereal. I also need to try to eat when i feel hungry and not let myself get to that shaky stage. I just had my blood tested and everything was normal. If shakiness continues I will follow up with my Dr.

    Thanks again to you all for your thoughts and advice.

    Oh, and in the future I will open my food diary. I guess I didn't realize it was not open. :)

    Well done on that breakfast! I'm glad to see you aren't so discouraged you're quitting.

    Eggs are great. I always feel good when I get eggs in the morning.

    Quick note on protein bars - make sure you get ones that aren't glorified candy bars! I love Quest bars - 20 grams of protein, 170 calories.
  • WannabeStressFree
    WannabeStressFree Posts: 340 Member
    HI

    I was starved at 1200 cals a day, and ended up bingeing. I have played with my cals, TDEE, and now I"m at 1600 net calories, meaning I eat back the exercise calories burned. It's good so far this week.

    I agree to add protein to every meal, it helps me a lot, eat small meals during the day. Don't be afraid of fruit and veggies. Eat lean. low sugar but I feel the best is to not feel deprived- if you open your diary, honest people will surely help.
    xo
  • canorth40
    canorth40 Posts: 5
    Hi - First - love yourself - you are worth treating well!
    Start again.
    The idea of eating lots of fruits when you get 'out of control' is really good.
    I am trying an old way - low calories one day and higher calories the next. From an older book by Sandy Sprung : Candy, Chocolate, Ice Cream and How to Lick'em. 1973 (The ON/OFF Diet)
    It worked once for me a long time ago.
    I am having trouble as it is my first day trying to stay around 1000 calories and I think I have 'sugar withdrawal'.
    Tomorrow I'm shooting for 2600 calories.
    Hang in there! :-)
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating.

    If she's feeling shaky, she is HUNGRY. This is terrible advice.

    I agree that you probably need to eat more, OP, and possibly different foods. Combine fat, carbs and protein with every meal and snack. An apple with some cheese or peanut butter is a great mid-day snack that will keep you feeling good and not blow your calories (and you can probably eat more than MFP suggests).
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Wow! Thank you all for the information, suggestions and sharing your experiences. I did some more research and yes, I do believe my calories are set too low. MFP has me set to 1200 calories which isn't a lot considering I have only been cutting back for a few days and was previously eating way more than 1200 calories a day (and eating lots of sugary snacks - i.e. halloween candy). I took your suggestions and have upped my calories to 1310 for now (and will possibly up more if I continue to feel so hungry or start to lose to fast). I am also going to stock up on some protein bars and other portable sources of protein for snacks. And I will try to eat more protein along with balanced carbs.

    This morning I had 1 egg scrambled + 2 egg whites and it is sticking with me much better than yesterdays breakfast meal of a banana/cereal. I also need to try to eat when i feel hungry and not let myself get to that shaky stage. I just had my blood tested and everything was normal. If shakiness continues I will follow up with my Dr.

    Thanks again to you all for your thoughts and advice.

    Oh, and in the future I will open my food diary. I guess I didn't realize it was not open. :)

    This is good to hear.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.
  • BettyBombshell6
    BettyBombshell6 Posts: 17 Member
    Man, I wish I liked eggs! And I love your positive attitude!
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Um, have you tried...I don't know...food?
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Hi,

    I just started using MFP and did really well yesterday and most of today. However I had a meltdown this afternoon. About 3 o'clock I started getting really shaky. (I do not have diabetes or any know sugar issues). I had logged all my food for the day and wasn't supposed to eat until dinner. I did have enough for a small low fat cheese snack. I ate the cheese and it didn't help quickly enough. Then I started eating everything in sight. I am so mad at myself. I am wondering if anyone has had any experiences like this? I am wondering if I need to do a sugar detox - focus on a lower carb diet for a while? When I have done Weight Watchers, you are allowed as many fruits/veggies as you want so if you get hungry you can "binge" on these and not go over your daily calorie allotment. Since I knew I had to count the calories not matter what, I made some bad choices.....darn Halloween candy! Ugh I am so frustrated. I feel like I have wasted my entire day. I am thankful that I exercised today. Thoughts?

    I eat regular meals and in fact think of them as protection against empty calorie food that can trigger a binge. Hunger is a danger sign that I can get into trouble. I eat stuff like steel cut oats with sliced apple for breakfast, lentils (18 g protein per cup) with brown rice and veggies for lunch, and something similar for dinner. Steamed kale and other greens are very filling. Soup is good for you, filling, and doesn't have a million calories. If you're hungry and shaky, eat a well balanced meal! Your brain and other organs and muscles need food to function.

    Exercise is the way to get around not being able to eat enough. Take a walk. Rake the leaves in your yard. Dance to a youtube video. Get moving and you can eat all you want.
  • Qski
    Qski Posts: 246 Member
    I used to get this a lot and sometimes still do, but not as much. I've found that eating better has helped (and I don't mean by just eating fruits and veggies, but just overall not stuffing my face at every meal) and working out.

    Same with me! It hardly happens to me any longer now that I am eating a bit healthier (less processed stuff and way less take away, making food from scratch instead of from jars. Also (and I do still drink it so please don't think I am saying don't have any at all) I find that diet coke (and therefore I believe any diet soda) can bring it on.

    When I do get it now, carrots and bananas are my go to food. Protein can make you fuller longer but it's carbs your body is asking for usually, so try to get something that has both and is low GI. I use carrots and bananas because they are sweet and stop me from diving head first into vats of chocolate.

    Also I am not diabetic and have been tested often, blood sugar tests always come back normal. but it is a horrible empty weak feeling and it does feel like a whole needs to be stuffed with everything edible in sight. Hang in there!
  • errorist
    errorist Posts: 142 Member
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!

    So when I'm maintaining my goal weight, I should regularly feel genuinely hungry? That's weird, because I've lost 15 kilos in 4 months, and I haven't felt hungry once.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.

    Ouch!
    Your second concern "or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention."
    This is just plain wrong. If you are "genuinely" hungry, you need to eat quick?
    What is the rationale behind that?
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!
    Learned behavior.
    You have to break the circuit.
    What would "fake" hunger be, by the way?

    WHAT???!!!! I am NEVER hungry. You DO NOT have to be hungry to lose weight. That mentality is how diets fail. When you eat, eat foods that fill you up. If you are hungry, snack on vegetables or fruit. Stay well hydrated - thirst is often confused with hunger.

    Hunger is a learned behavior or being hungry is a learned behavior - or are you saying you can teach yourself to be hungry and not eat? WHY? Why would you? If you body is hungry, FEED IT!
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    for me, that's a sign I need to eat RIGHT NOW.

    eating around 150g or less of carbs a day seems to help keep that under control (blood sugar from spiking) and I eat an apple during the day as a snack.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Morning hypoglycemia DOES NOT EXIST. Your glucose might be low-NORMAL, but it is still normal and at levels that are just fine. If your digestion has taken care of all the carbs you have ingested, then glucose can be supplied from glycogen, the storage form of glucose. And if glycogen levels are low, the body can MAKE ITS OWN GLUCOSE from the breakdown of labile (non-essential) protein.

    You should look up the Dawn Phenomenon and Somogyi phenomenon - morning hypoglycemia DOES exist!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!

    There is a HUGE difference between a twinge of hunger and being so hungry you're light-headed and shaky, as the OP described.

    I have not been overweight the vast majority of my life. I have not been an overeater ever. I feel hunger every day. I do know the difference.

    I never said feeling hungry is bad. But when you're so hungry you can't function, you need to eat.

    If you think otherwise, you might want to consider that you have a very unhealthy relationship with food.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.

    Horrible, horrible advice. This is the type of advice anorexics give to each other.

    If you are shaking, you need to eat! Shaking is what happens to me right before I hit the deck because my blood sugar has dropped to a dangerous level. Passing out is never fun.

    I agree with those who suggest you may have your allowance set too low.

    Excuse me? I fast. I shake often, but I am far from needing to eat. I'm far from anorexic either. I can shake the moment I wake up. OP said she is not diabetic, so that rules out passing out from not eating sugar.

    What is horrible advice to you? The drinking water part & waiting to see if OP is really hungry or just eating because they think they need to at the time, or the part where waiting to see if you are hungry rather than eating because of a time of day?

    I'm not diabetic but I do get hypoglycaemic and it IS dangerous. If I get to that point and dont eat I could slip into a coma - luckily I've not had that happen but have fainted once or twice.
  • kymarai
    kymarai Posts: 3,702 Member
    I recommend eating protein with EVERY meal even snacks. Protein keeps you full longer and if you are getting shaky eat a small snack like celery and almond butter or a cheese snack to hold you over.Drinking alot of water or tea really helps keep you satisfied,too.

    This. I know if I don't eat enough protein or skip a meal, I do the same thing! Everything becomes fair game. Try readjusting some of your calories.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
    I got the shakes initally because my body was craving soda and I was depriving my self of it. Drink more water and have a piece of fruit it might help
  • Nissi51
    Nissi51 Posts: 381 Member
    Open your food diary! It will be hard for anyone to help without that visibility!
  • nickijhughes
    nickijhughes Posts: 18
    I've learned there is no reason to go hungry when you are trying to lose weight. Check out the wild rose detox. Even if you are not interested in taking the supplements the diet is amazing. I'm on day 5 of a 12 day cleanse and I've been having trouble eating all my calories and all I feel like I've been doing is eating. I have changed the privacy settings on my food diary so that its public so feel free to check it out. And don't beat yourself up about having a bad day. As long as you continue to make more good choices than bad choices and move your body everyday you will be just fine.
  • madaboutmitch
    madaboutmitch Posts: 27
    This happened to me for the first week on my diet. But it went away. Try eating a "healthy snack" like baby carrots or celery when you start to get shaky. Hopefully yours will go away with time like mine did.
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.

    Ouch!
    Your second concern "or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention."
    This is just plain wrong. If you are "genuinely" hungry, you need to eat quick?
    What is the rationale behind that?
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!
    Learned behavior.
    You have to break the circuit.
    What would "fake" hunger be, by the way?

    Lets see... I lost 125 lbs and have been maintaining for a year and never felt hungry. Honestly this sounds like something one would see on a pro anna site.
  • LB2812
    LB2812 Posts: 158 Member
    Wow! Thank you all for the information, suggestions and sharing your experiences. I did some more research and yes, I do believe my calories are set too low. MFP has me set to 1200 calories which isn't a lot considering I have only been cutting back for a few days and was previously eating way more than 1200 calories a day (and eating lots of sugary snacks - i.e. halloween candy). I took your suggestions and have upped my calories to 1310 for now (and will possibly up more if I continue to feel so hungry or start to lose to fast). I am also going to stock up on some protein bars and other portable sources of protein for snacks. And I will try to eat more protein along with balanced carbs.

    This morning I had 1 egg scrambled + 2 egg whites and it is sticking with me much better than yesterdays breakfast meal of a banana/cereal. I also need to try to eat when i feel hungry and not let myself get to that shaky stage. I just had my blood tested and everything was normal. If shakiness continues I will follow up with my Dr.

    Thanks again to you all for your thoughts and advice.

    Oh, and in the future I will open my food diary. I guess I didn't realize it was not open. :)

    So glad to see you've got the right attitude about this. Finding the right combo of foods and calories and all of that does take some tweaking in the beginning. Also, go slow! If you're used to eating 2000 calories a day and now you're dropping to 1200? Yes, you're hungry! Also if exercising is a new thing, you'll have to account for that. I don't often workout so when I do, I'm starving those days and eat more.

    I agree about protein at every meal/snack... it really helps fill you up. I also need to have a protein filled breakfast. On the days I eat something lighter (like cereal or oatmeal or something) I'm extra hungry all day (even if my lunch and snacks are the same). I also know that there's no way I can have lunch at noon and not get hungry before dinner at 7 (my lunches are generally 400cals or so). So I try to account for that and bring another small snack/meal to have in between if I'm hungry. If my lunch fills me up then great!

    And if you are caught off guard and hungy - fruits and veggies are certainly better splurges than candy... but try to get some protein in there too if you can. I always have some granola or protein bars stashed away just in case!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.

    Ouch!
    Your second concern "or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention."
    This is just plain wrong. If you are "genuinely" hungry, you need to eat quick?
    What is the rationale behind that?
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!
    Learned behavior.
    You have to break the circuit.
    What would "fake" hunger be, by the way?

    Steve, I may have been a bit harsh but I am not wrong. If you are so hungry you are shaking, you need to eat something.. There is a difference between hunger where you're just hungry and hunger where you are shaking. Doesn't that indicate something is off? Maybe blood sugar, maybe cutting food too drastically when starting to make changes?

    The only time I've shaken when I'm hungry is when I've had my blood sugar bottom out and I am NOT a diabetic. Eating a little something, and I'll guess it might have been something with protein, eliminated the shaking.

    As for your question about fake hunger--what're you talking about?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.

    Ouch!
    Your second concern "or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention."
    This is just plain wrong. If you are "genuinely" hungry, you need to eat quick?
    What is the rationale behind that?
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!
    Learned behavior.
    You have to break the circuit.
    What would "fake" hunger be, by the way?

    Lets see... I lost 125 lbs and have been maintaining for a year and never felt hungry. Honestly this sounds like something one would see on a pro anna site.

    Right. If you're eating well you are not supposed to be hungry. I eat between 1,700 and 2,000 calories a day, have lost 26 pounds, exercise almost every day, eat six small meals a day to keep my blood sugar level, and I have been losing weight consistently. There is no reason to be hungry, especially so much so you get the shakes.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Drink some warm water & embrace the hunger feeling. You could have been eating just for the sake of eating. So many people on here eat just because they see the time of day & think they need to eat at that time. Drink the warm water & wait 20 mins, then do it again. My bet is that you are not hungry at all.

    Then wait till dinner, know what hunger feels like so then when you feel it again you know it's real hunger & not just 'time' to eat.
    This is very poor advice. Hopefully you are not a healthcare professional.

    The OP was shaking. Either she was having a blood sugar reaction or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention.

    Besides this, how do you know "people on here just see the time of day & think it's time to eat"? I mean really....

    OP, it seems to me you need to eat more, and perhaps more often. I am not diabetic either but if I don't eat smaller meals throughout the day I have been known to get shaky.

    Ouch!
    Your second concern "or she was genuinely hungry. Either would require appropriate attention."
    This is just plain wrong. If you are "genuinely" hungry, you need to eat quick?
    What is the rationale behind that?
    To successfully keep weight off long-term, a person has to get used to being a little hungry, or maybe even "genuinely hungry."
    After a while, you will actually discover that you can function on an empty stomach AND YOU WILL NOT DIE!
    Learned behavior.
    You have to break the circuit.
    What would "fake" hunger be, by the way?

    WHAT???!!!! I am NEVER hungry. You DO NOT have to be hungry to lose weight. That mentality is how diets fail. When you eat, eat foods that fill you up. If you are hungry, snack on vegetables or fruit. Stay well hydrated - thirst is often confused with hunger.

    Hunger is a learned behavior or being hungry is a learned behavior - or are you saying you can teach yourself to be hungry and not eat? WHY? Why would you? If you body is hungry, FEED IT!

    And to add to this, I'd say that learning how to be hungry to lose weight is that old diet mentality. You're right, diets don't help us at all. I will never diet again. :smile:
  • musicboxes
    musicboxes Posts: 133 Member
    I don't have sugar issues, but have had my blood sugar drop a few times. Haven't had the shakes but become suddenly fatigue for hours. I have also tried everything, but the only thing that works for me is drinking a cup of MILK, sometimes 2 if really bad & it has almost immediate results.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
    I also get the shakes if I don't eat for a long period of time. I plan my day in the morning. I plan food for every, at least, 2 hours throughout the day until dinner. Make sure you're making choices that will fit into your day. Try planning in the morning... that helps me. Then I can alter as I go if something changes. I eat breakfast when I first get to work, I have a snack or two about 2 hours later, lunch is 2 hours later, one or two snacks mid afternoon, then dinner.... the only time now that I get really hungry is on weekends because there's no structure. If I'm really busy or out and about all day, I don't eat the way I eat during the week. It isn't planned or structured. I find planning my work days ahead of time really helps in this area.

    Also, WHAT you're eating really helps with hunger. Choose snacks that are high in protein. Eat often so you don't allow your body to get to the state of shakiness.

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