Why do I feel sick so soon after starting my diet?

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vootoo
vootoo Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
About 3 days ago now, I decided to start a diet.

I weigh 88 kgs currently and decided it is high time to lose some weight. I've gone from eating 3000 calories (or thereabout) daily, to 1200. The first day, I felt hungry, but fine. Yesterday, I started to feel a bit sick, which went away when I drunk water.

Today, on the third day of my new diet, I've started to feel really sick. I feel quite lightheaded, even though I did eat a fairly large lunch 5 hours ago.

I wanted to know, is this normal? Is this my body just trying to adjust to less calories and will it go away soon?
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Replies

  • LilKip
    LilKip Posts: 19 Member
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    your used to eating ALOT more, so i guess your body is protesting?
    i was 86.5kg when i started. and i also ate a high amount of calories daily. i found it really hard at first, but i assure you your body does adjust. so does your mind! keep your water up as it helps flush toxins from fat etc breaking down. take a multi vitamin.
    dont give up! iv lost 14kgs so far :) slow n steady wins the race :)
  • FitLeahBee
    FitLeahBee Posts: 10 Member
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    i think the mistake that you are making is that you are cutting a drastic amount of calories a bit too soon. Don't let the sickness stop you, but try and do a little research instead of only sticking to the meal plan that myfitnesspal gave you. You should try working down to 1200 calories, because your body is probably in shock from the sudden caloric change. The amount you need to feed yourself really depends on your height and frame. I am a female with a medium frame who is 5 feet and 3 inches (165 cm I think) and I am okay with 1200 but I usually eat about 1350. So the amount of calories you need will depend on you since we are all different. You should also consider what you are eating. If you were eating a lot of empty carbs and sugars and junky food to all the sudden a very healthy, clean diet, your body will probably go into shock and your sickness is not abnormal. Don't be tempted to eat the junk again, just keep eating healthy foods and add more calories. 1200 calories is pretty low for even very small women.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
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    If you are feeling light headed you need to eat more.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
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    About 3 days ago now, I decided to start a diet.

    I weigh 88 kgs currently and decided it is high time to lose some weight. I've gone from eating 3000 calories (or thereabout) daily, to 1200. The first day, I felt hungry, but fine. Yesterday, I started to feel a bit sick, which went away when I drunk water.

    Today, on the third day of my new diet, I've started to feel really sick. I feel quite lightheaded, even though I did eat a fairly large lunch 5 hours ago.

    I wanted to know, is this normal? Is this my body just trying to adjust to less calories and will it go away soon?

    eat more, your body is clearly struggling with 1200 cals.

    I mean are you a short, older, relatively sedentary woman?
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
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    About 3 days ago now, I decided to start a diet.

    I weigh 88 kgs currently and decided it is high time to lose some weight. I've gone from eating 3000 calories (or thereabout) daily, to 1200. The first day, I felt hungry, but fine. Yesterday, I started to feel a bit sick, which went away when I drunk water.

    Today, on the third day of my new diet, I've started to feel really sick. I feel quite lightheaded, even though I did eat a fairly large lunch 5 hours ago.

    I wanted to know, is this normal? Is this my body just trying to adjust to less calories and will it go away soon?

    it's hunger, Eat.
  • CookingMamaAUS
    CookingMamaAUS Posts: 25 Member
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    Making a major change to your diet is bound to have some effects that you aren't used to. Might be a good idea to go visit your doctor, and show them your diary from the last few days. They can check out things like your blood sugars and blood pressure, and can tell you if there's anything you should adjust that will help you feel better and stay on track.

    Everyone's daily requirements are different - maybe aim for a slightly higher daily limit, like 1700, and once you're used to that, cut it back gradually until you get to a daily limit where you are losing weight, but feeling comfortable. If you think about it as a diet, you might give up after a week. Treat it instead as a permanent, gradual change. You're not dieting. This is just how you eat now - mindfully and with accountability.
  • frodopuppy
    frodopuppy Posts: 75
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    I need to snack 3 hours is the longest I go without eating or my sugar drops
  • otter090812
    otter090812 Posts: 380 Member
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    You're not actually trying to lose that much weight, but unless you are very short I'm going to guess you've set yourself on MFP to lose 2lbs a week? If that's the case I suggest you lighten up on yourself and set a slower rate of loss. Remember this needs to be sustainable. If you're feeling rough and finding it a struggle it doesn't seem sustainable.
    I've seen plenty of experienced people on MFP suggest a lower weekly rate of loss for people trying to lose less than 25lbs. I have more to lose than you and am a fairly average height, but have found this much easier since I took their advice, and I'm still seeing results.
  • nikijh
    nikijh Posts: 32 Member
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    This happened to me, I've gone from just eating whenever I feel like it, cut down to 1000 calories and not snacking at all just sticking to my 3 meals a day, around mid day is when I get the sicky feeling. I couldn't deal with the light headed feeling so now I just munch on a few strawberries or dried apricots, I think the sweetness in them somehow confuses my body that I'm having sugar and this seems to work for me..
  • Fenrissa
    Fenrissa Posts: 116
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    It sounds like you're not eating nearly enough and lowered your calories too quickly. You should rethink your current intake of 1200 calories per day and try for something more sustainable.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    This happened to me, I've gone from just eating whenever I feel like it, cut down to 1000 calories and not snacking at all just sticking to my 3 meals a day, around mid day is when I get the sicky feeling. I couldn't deal with the light headed feeling so now I just munch on a few strawberries or dried apricots, I think the sweetness in them somehow confuses my body that I'm having sugar and this seems to work for me..
    1000 calories is not enough for you and OP should be having more than 1200 for the weight she is at.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Eat more food
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
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    Well wait, now...

    What is this "diet"

    Is it just counting the calories you eat? Is it a specific diet? (Paleo, South Beach)?
  • MaritzK
    MaritzK Posts: 66 Member
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    I would recommend you downsize your calorie intake slowly. At the moment your body thinks it starving. Try to stick with 2000 for 2 weeks, then 1800, 1500 and then 1200. You wil already be losing weight but on a healthy way
  • silverteacup
    silverteacup Posts: 46 Member
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    I am thinking the dramatic reduction in food might be making you feel ill. I experienced the same thing until I made a "graze" box and filled it with lots of very low calorie veggies. Sugar snap peas, jicama, green beans ( yes raw) grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots a little nibble here and there helped a lot. I also found hot tea to be mentally clarifying and helped curb hunger. I found that eating a bite or two of veggies every couple of hours helped me stay on track and didn't push me over my calorie allowance and it kept me from feeling ill.
  • Amanda_Gx6
    Amanda_Gx6 Posts: 320 Member
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    I am thinking the dramatic reduction in food might be making you feel ill. I experienced the same thing until I made a "graze" box and filled it with lots of very low calorie veggies. Sugar snap peas, jicama, green beans ( yes raw) grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots a little nibble here and there helped a lot. I also found hot tea to be mentally clarifying and helped curb hunger. I found that eating a bite or two of veggies every couple of hours helped me stay on track and didn't push me over my calorie allowance and it kept me from feeling ill.

    ^^ this and drink tons of water. I think the leap might be too far. Perhaps you should try upping yourself to at min 1800 so that your body has a bit to adjust? Good luck!
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
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    I couldn't deal with the light headed feeling so now I just munch on a few strawberries or dried apricots, I think the sweetness in them somehow confuses my body that I'm having sugar and this seems to work for me..

    You do realise that fruits, especially dried ones, actually are pretty high in sugar?

    OP: Look for an online TDEE calculator, calculate your estimated TDEE -5% to -20% (depending on how much you have to lose), eat that amount for a couple weeks and adjust from there.
  • 4MissRose
    4MissRose Posts: 49
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    People seem to forget that when you start with a regularly high calorie intake, any decrease in calories will make a difference. If your intake is a steady 3000 cals per day, dropping it to 2000 cals per day would create a deficit of 1000 cals per day. If 3500 cals equals one pound, you would lose a pound in 3 days. Of course, this won't work forever as your body will eventually adjust to your new, lower calorie intake, but this tells you that a drastic drop from 3000 cals to 1200 cals is not necessary to start your weight loss journey. It looks like your body is protesting big time, and not without reason.
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
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    People seem to forget that when you start with a regularly high calorie intake, any decrease in calories will make a difference. If your intake is a steady 3000 cals per day, dropping it to 2000 cals per day would create a deficit of 1000 cals per day. If 3500 cals equals one pound, you would lose a pound in 3 days. Of course, this won't work forever as your body will eventually adjust to your new, lower calorie intake, but this tells you that a drastic drop from 3000 cals to 1200 cals is not necessary to start your weight loss journey. It looks like your body is protesting big time, and not without reason.

    This would mean that 3,000 cals is your maintanence, though. If OP was eating 3,000 cals a day and was gaining weight, dropping cals to 2,000 a day doesn't even have to mean they're in any deficit at all.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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    Instead of altering your old diet or nutritional standards, you simply jumped directly into a mode that sends your body into panic.
    Homeostasis is normal.
    you've disrupted it.
    My recommendation is to quit dieting, and simply make small adjustments to your old routine, eventually working out of the bad and into the good.

    I've seen people lose fat by sticking with what they used to eat, but changing sleep habits (8hours a night) or adding high quality fish oil 3x a week (nordic naturals) or simply having more sex.
    PM if you need help.

    or

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1187899-in-place-of-a-roadmap-short-n-sweet-reposted

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