High protein makes you dizzy?

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LauraMarie37
LauraMarie37 Posts: 283 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey MFP!

So over the past two days, after reading people's thoughts and ideas here and links to some research people have posted, I've been trying to switch to a higher protein/lower carb diet - just to see what happens, and also because since I've started eating back my exercise calories I've been crazy hungry and someone suggested this might help.

The problem is that I've noticed I'm really dizzy! Not just when I stand up or sit up, but sort of all the time. Does this happen to anyone else?

I'm eating enough (within 100 or so of net calorie goal) and drinking a TON of water, so I don't think I'm dehydrated or hungry. My carbs are pretty much "good" (high fiber) carbs.

Yesterday my carb/fat/protein grams were 184/82/90 and so far today it's 150/32/72.

Any thoughts? I sort of want to just switch back, but maybe I'm doing something wrong? Or maybe an adjustment period like this is normal?

Replies

  • cjjones007
    cjjones007 Posts: 602
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    Sodium and Potassium LauraMarie...

    Congrats on adding more protein - it's great for helping you build/repair/tone muscles, and great for recovery after cardio as well...

    Don't go TOO low on carbs though - unless you are trying to go into ketosis (think Atkins) try to maintain at least 30%-35% carbs...

    but the main point I wanted to make was when I do high protein (especially if I do shakes) my sodium is very low for the day so I have to compensate or else I get dizzy or headaches...

    Potassium is another issue, I always munch some carrots in the morning, at lunch, and at night (great crunch like a chip lol) and they have super amounts of potassium - which can also make you feel "off", dizzy, etc...

    I hope that helps and if you have more questions, please don't hesitate to let me know - I want you to be healthy and happy - not skinny and sick LOL!
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    I agree about the sodium and potassium being a possible cause. When I was losing before I didn't know about that and as I had removed bread from my diet my sodium was way out of whack. I ended up in the hospital!

    I am careful to track them now, but they are still very low - eating low carb does that! Luckily the protein powder tends to add some potassium back in and I try to eat salty stuff now and again to bring the sodium up.

    Take care!
  • LauraMarie37
    LauraMarie37 Posts: 283 Member
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    Interesting...I'll try some salted almonds and see how that works. I AM only at 805 mg of sodium for the day right now, so maybe that is the issue.

    I just usually am a person who hates salty food and loves sweet food. This whole low-carb/high-protein thing be harder than I thought. =( I'm losing all of the sweets I love and having to eat more salty things!!!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Interesting...I'll try some salted almonds and see how that works. I AM only at 805 mg of sodium for the day right now, so maybe that is the issue.

    I just usually am a person who hates salty food and loves sweet food. This whole low-carb/high-protein thing be harder than I thought. =( I'm losing all of the sweets I love and having to eat more salty things!!!

    You don't necessarily have to eat a bunch of salty foods. When you cook chicken breast, for example, add a little salt in addition to your other seasonings. Unless you add too much, you won't hardly notice a taste difference.
  • nanjohnson12
    nanjohnson12 Posts: 1
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    I recently cut way back on carbs and have been upping my protein with shakes and I'm experiencing some serious vertigo. I never knew the two could be connected. Glad I checked. I can't imagine that my sodium is off though. .....
  • wonderbeard101
    wonderbeard101 Posts: 75 Member
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    What everyone else said-- if you're drinking higher than average water, your electrolyte intake needs to be higher, as well.

    Secondary to that, another thing to consider is that if you're doing zero carb consistently, your body will be lacking one of it's main energy sources, glycogen. As a result, many people can feel lethargic, light headed, weak, etc., especially for the first couple weeks as your body is adjusting to the ketosis state.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
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    Your carbs are currently relatively high and your protein is not super high. I've never gotten dizzy from eating lower carb but when I'm doing "low-carb" it's below 100 gm/day.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Opening your diary would really help us.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Bananas and dried apricots are a good source of potassium. Yes, they have carbs but you can always eat them in moderation and make them part of your diet, especially if you are drinking TONS of water.

    People don’t realize that drinking too much water is not necessarily good for the kidneys; it also dilutes the electrolytes too much and the blood pressure will hit rock bottom.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I don't think your macros are the culprit. How much water are you drinking?
  • supnicole
    supnicole Posts: 23 Member
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    Make sure you are eating enough fat. If you're eating low carb AND low fat, there's no amount of sodium or potassium that will help with dizziness. I've been eating keto for months and a little fat will do wonders.

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