Bad vertigo from to few calories?

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emilycarter963
emilycarter963 Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been eating about 1200 calories a day since March 2nd and done fine with it but here recently last couple days I've had some pretty severe vertigo and lightheadedness. I've almost pAss out numerous times and just overall don't feel right. My dr insists I stay under 1200 and said I won't loose weight if I eat more than that even though I go to the gym 4-6 days a week. Can to few calories cause me to have these issues?

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  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Yes, too few calories will cause lightheadedness.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,246 Member
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    I've been eating about 1200 calories a day since March 2nd and done fine with it but here recently last couple days I've had some pretty severe vertigo and lightheadedness. I've almost pAss out numerous times and just overall don't feel right. My dr insists I stay under 1200 and said I won't loose weight if I eat more than that even though I go to the gym 4-6 days a week. Can to few calories cause me to have these issues?

    Very much so. One way I know I have not had enough calories are those symptoms. I know that means I need to eat and eat NOW.

    Are you eating back exercise calories?

    When you say doctor do you mean your primary care physician? If so... I wouldn't take diet advice from them. They don't really get that much of an education in diet and nutrition. And if when they do, they don't seem to keep up with current science.

    What is your height/age/activity level? It is very possible you could eat more and still lose.
  • sanzza
    sanzza Posts: 60
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    i think you should go back to the doctors. get some tests done... dizzyness maybe yes but vertigo ? you shouldn't get vertigo.
  • ashandstuff
    ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
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    Back in the day when I would restrict my eating to dangerous levels, going from sitting at my desk to standing would give me tunnel vision I got so dizzy. Went to the doctor and my blood pressure was so low they made me sit there for half the day, forcing orange juice and peanuts on me. Thinking back on it really scares me, I was very close to being hospitalized.


    OP, please PLEASE go see your doctor and discuss this with them.

    It could be too few calories, but it could also be a symptom for something else (ear infection, dangerously low vitamin deficiency, etc.)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Extra salt may help - postural hypotension can occur when you lose sodium through restricting carbohydrates. There's no direct connection with calories per se, the body doesn't have calorie sensors.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    My dr insists I stay under 1200 and said I won't loose weight if I eat more
    I'd be considering a new doctor. Most GPs (which I assume this Dr is) only have a few hours of nutritional training. Have you actually put your numbers into MFP or Scooby workshop to see what they actually say. That would be my starting point if I was you
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
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    Get a new doctor and increase your calories.
  • crimsontech
    crimsontech Posts: 234 Member
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    This may not be a popular opinion but I had what you describe when I was a diet soda fiend. I can't consume aspartame without problems. :(
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
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    Sounds like mild low blood sugar or low blood pressure. They have similar symptoms.

    I've had both before... I get clammy, weak, a little irritable, lightheaded and the feeling of vertigo (like the room is unstable) if I remain standing. Sometimes my ears also ring.

    It goes away if I sit down and breathe deeply. I usually eat after. Something small.

    If you've noticed it happens after a long period of time where you haven't eaten, it's probably low blood sugar. If it's low blood pressure, you'd probably also get the vertigo feeling when you stand up quickly or when you exercise.

    If in doubt, see a doctor.

    What others have said about calorie recommendations from GPs is also true. Better to ask for a referral to a dietitian or to find one independently. I'm almost positive you can eat more than 1200 calories a day and still lose weight.
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,590 Member
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    Eat as many calories as you possibly can while still losing weight; 1200 is a very generic number that doesn't apply to everyone (very few in fact). Once you're eating the correct number of calories re-assess and if you're still getting dizziness then see your doctor again (about the dizziness, not your dietary needs).
  • sanzza
    sanzza Posts: 60
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    Vertigo is not caused by lack of food or a deficiency.. please see your doctor there is no point people suggesting it could be this or that on here, they are not doctors and it could be alot of things, some are serious , so better to be safe than sorry.

    SEE A DOCTOR ASAP!
  • verhunzt
    verhunzt Posts: 154 Member
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    Since you've already seen a doctor, I would suggest you look over what you spend those 1200 calories per day on.

    I don't know your diet, but I know that when I have a pretty calorie-heavy breakfast and maybe snack, I sometimes end up having consumed like 900 calories by noon already, which is why I end up not eating anything from noon to maybe 6 or 7 pm, which always makes me feel reeeeaaally dizzy.
    But when I snack on very light calorie foods like veggies and fruits all over the day I'm totally fine and feel healthier than ever on 1200 calories.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Personally, I would eat more.
  • Kagami_Taiga
    Kagami_Taiga Posts: 124 Member
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    Yep, it definitely can. Happened to me too a few times. I'd personally recommend you ignore the doctor this time.

    Increase your exercise intensity. If you're going to the gym that often and nothing happens then it probably means your body is too used to the routine now.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    I've been eating about 1200 calories a day since March 2nd and done fine with it but here recently last couple days I've had some pretty severe vertigo and lightheadedness. I've almost pAss out numerous times and just overall don't feel right. My dr insists I stay under 1200 and said I won't loose weight if I eat more than that even though I go to the gym 4-6 days a week. Can to few calories cause me to have these issues?

    Vertigo or light headedness? these are not the same thing. I have had both. Vertigo is not caused by too few calories and will not cause you to pass out. (You could fall from it and hit your head and pass out, but it is not caused by a lack of blood to your brain.) Light headedness is a different story. That can definitely be caused by too few calories. Raise your calories. And get a new doctor.

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