nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

MyFitnessPal Community

Feeling weak

katrinakoenig

Hello all! I'd like your input. I am aiming to lose 50-60 pounds, but in an attempt to jumpstart my metabolism and see immediate results and stay motivated, I am currently consuming 1200-1400 calories a day and spending 45-60 minutes in the gym (cardio and light weights) every day. There are times during the day when I feel a little light-headed and I think maybe I am not eating enough. Thoughts?

Replies

SueInAz

You aren't eating enough. Are you eating 1200-1400 calories plus your exercise calories? If not, you should start because you're probably netting far too few calories.

katrinakoenig

I never go under 1200, but I don't always compensate for exercise calories. Should I always? I read once here that if you don't include those calories, you lose weight more quickly. Not true?

SueInAz

Possibly but are you really going to lose weight more quickly if you're feeling light-headed and weak on a regular basis? More likely that would cause you to quit. I know it would me.

Why do you want to lose it quickly anyway? Are you planning to go back to eating the way you were before once you hit your goal weight? Plus, eating so little isn't going to jump start your metabolism. If anything, it'll slow it down if you continue.

ana3067

katrinakoenig wrote: »

I never go under 1200, but I don't always compensate for exercise calories. Should I always? I read once here that if you don't include those calories, you lose weight more quickly. Not true?

You will lose quicker, assuming under-eating (as you are doing now) doesn't negatively affect your energy levels. Which is clearly is if you are feeling weak.

MFP works off of setting up a goal without exercise included. Meaning you need to eat back the exercise calories you log (at least 50% of them) to maintain that same deficit. The only time you wouldn't eat them back is if you are doing TDEE method, which already includes your exercise calories, or you set your goal here to maintain and use exercise to create that deficit.

SueInAz

I'm not trying to be antagonistic with my questions and comments. I'm genuinely concerned for you. There's a lot of bad information out there on losing weight and we become victims to the whole low calorie/high cardio mentality when it's really not the best way to go about becoming fit and healthy.

redheadedyogi

Make sure your protein intake is high enough.

TimothyFish

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

katrinakoenig

I don't want to feel light-headed, hence the post.

I want to lose SOME weight quickly to feel like I am well on my way. I gained 10 pounds very, very quickly, which I just didn't expect. I generally eat very well, so going back to the way I was eating is actually a good thing. I lost 50 pounds and kept them off, but then suddenly gained 10 back.
About jumpstarting my metabolism, I meant with exercise, but you are right. Eating too little won't do that. Thanks, SueInAz!

cwolfman13

katrinakoenig wrote: »

I never go under 1200, but I don't always compensate for exercise calories. Should I always? I read once here that if you don't include those calories, you lose weight more quickly. Not true?

Sure you will lose quicker...because your deficit is bigger...which is what is making you feel light headed and weak...which is just one of the reasons why healthy weight loss isn't "quick".

ana3067

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

Yes, not eating enough WILL easily result in being light-headed. Or even fainting.

SueInAz

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

Low calorie intake could be and low blood sugar brought about by under-eating definitely can be.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/521199-signs-symptoms-of-eating-too-few-calories/

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-taking-calories-bad-you-2624.html

ana3067

katrinakoenig wrote: »

I don't want to feel light-headed, hence the post. I want to lose SOME weight quickly to feel like I am well on my way. I gained 10 pounds very, very quickly, which I just didn't expect. I generally eat very well, so going back to the way I was eating is actually a good thing. I lost 50 pounds and kept them off, but then suddenly gained 10 back.
About jumpstarting my metabolism, I meant with exercise, but you are right. Eating too little won't do that. Thanks, SueInAz!

And losing weight at a reasonable and healthy pace DOESN'T mean you're on your way to meeting your goals? Small changes and doing things that are sustainable will yield the best results, not aiming to lose like 10lbs a week or something. You gained 10lbs quickly because it was probably water weight. Or you felt that you gained it quickly when it really took a number of months.

katrinakoenig

SueInAz wrote: »

I'm not trying to be antagonistic with my questions and comments. I'm genuinely concerned for you. There's a lot of bad information out there on losing weight and we become victims to the whole low calorie/high cardio mentality when it's really not the best way to go about becoming fit and healthy.

Thanks! I know and I appreciate it. My brother is a triathlete, and he has a lot of opinions about how and what I should be doing.

katrinakoenig

redheadedyogi wrote: »

Make sure your protein intake is high enough.

Yes, good. I've heard that before. Thanks!

katrinakoenig

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

Ok, thanks. I think it's probably from lack of food.

Good to think about blood pressure levels, though. I am prone to high blood pressure, but my doctor told me once that when you are stabilizing your pressure at normal levels, you can also feel like it's low, because it is actually going down, which is a good thing, but you can still feel the same side-effects.

katrinakoenig

ana3067 wrote: »

And losing weight at a reasonable and healthy pace DOESN'T mean you're on your way to meeting your goals? Small changes and doing things that are sustainable will yield the best results, not aiming to lose like 10lbs a week or something. You gained 10lbs quickly because it was probably water weight. Or you felt that you gained it quickly when it really took a number of months.

Thanks, Ana. Yeah, it wasn't water weight. It was Christmas cookie weight, and it was over exactly 3 weeks, for real.

Thank you for your comments.

AliceDark

A quick rate of loss that is also safe and sustainable, based on you wanting to lose 60 pounds, is 1.5 pounds per week. Maybe 2 in the beginning, but no more. Getting light-headed is a sign from your body that you are doing something that isn't good for you. If it happens while you're working out, it's a great way to set yourself up to get hurt. Surely it's better to lose a little bit more slowly than push yourself too hard and injure yourself?

katrinakoenig

Thanks everybody! I just looked at my report on Net Calories and I am way under 1000 calories a day on some days, so that opened my eyes for sure. I think I need to eat more.

katrinakoenig

Gotcha, AliceDark, thanks!

ana3067

katrinakoenig wrote: »

ana3067 wrote: »

And losing weight at a reasonable and healthy pace DOESN'T mean you're on your way to meeting your goals? Small changes and doing things that are sustainable will yield the best results, not aiming to lose like 10lbs a week or something. You gained 10lbs quickly because it was probably water weight. Or you felt that you gained it quickly when it really took a number of months.

Thanks, Ana. Yeah, it wasn't water weight. It was Christmas cookie weight, and it was over exactly 3 weeks, for real. Thank you for your comments.

Unless you were eating a LOOT of food you didn't gain 10lbs of fat though. Most of it would have been water weight (sodium from Christmas food makes sense) and a little bit of actual fat.

But you should not be aiming to lose weight ASAP. You should be aiming to eat enough to live well and feel good, while still losing a lb or two (or less, if you only have 10lbs to lose? Or did you want to lose more now?) every week. You might want to go back to your settings and change your weight loss goal to 0.5 or 1lb/week, and when you do exercise be sure you eat back at least half of those. Lots of people just log half the time they exercise so that they aren't left with extra calories in their diary and for easier math, but you can always eat more than 50% of them if you are hungry in the evening and just need a bit more food.

leooftheyear

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

....REALLY?!? Dating myself here, but look at the episode of Full House where DJ wants to look good in a bikini so she stops eating and starts increasing her exercise then she faints at the gym.....

ketorach

leooftheyear wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

....REALLY?!? Dating myself here, but look at the episode of Full House where DJ wants to look good in a bikini so she stops eating and starts increasing her exercise then she faints at the gym.....

Lol. Since I'm feeling nostalgic, do you also remember the scene from Saved by the Bell when Jessie is taking caffeine pills and freaks out? I'm so excited!!!

leooftheyear

ketorach wrote: »

leooftheyear wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

....REALLY?!? Dating myself here, but look at the episode of Full House where DJ wants to look good in a bikini so she stops eating and starts increasing her exercise then she faints at the gym.....

Lol. Since I'm feeling nostalgic, do you also remember the scene from Saved by the Bell when Jessie is taking caffeine pills and freaks out? I'm so excited!!!

YES!!!!! there needs to be a like button on posts

TimothyFish

leooftheyear wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

....REALLY?!? Dating myself here, but look at the episode of Full House where DJ wants to look good in a bikini so she stops eating and starts increasing her exercise then she faints at the gym.....

Low blood sugar can cause light-headedness, but so can high blood sugar. Hence my statement. It isn't the lack of calories that causes light-headedness but the improper balance of nutrients in the blood. Sure, eating more might solve the problem, but so might increasing the carb intake without increasing the number of calories. Or maybe eating more salt or potassium, as the case may be. Maybe just drinking more fluids.

peleroja

leooftheyear wrote: »

ketorach wrote: »

leooftheyear wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

There are several causes of feeling light-headed, but I'm not sure that calorie intake in one of them. However, things like low sodium can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration can also. Occasional light-headedness is normal, but if it is frequent you should check with a physician.

....REALLY?!? Dating myself here, but look at the episode of Full House where DJ wants to look good in a bikini so she stops eating and starts increasing her exercise then she faints at the gym.....

Lol. Since I'm feeling nostalgic, do you also remember the scene from Saved by the Bell when Jessie is taking caffeine pills and freaks out? I'm so excited!!!

YES!!!!! there needs to be a like button on posts

There was a Degrassi (original, not the next generation) where Michelle did that too! Lol.

JenniferIsLosingIt

katrinakoenig wrote: »

Gotcha, AliceDark, thanks!

Alice is awesome!

AliceDark

jenjay8045 wrote: »

katrinakoenig wrote: »

Gotcha, AliceDark, thanks!

Alice is awesome!

Awww *blush*

It's really just that I have done stupid things at the gym and hurt myself many, many times, just because I was tired or not 100% focused. There's no way I would push myself to work out if I were having issues with light-headedness, because I would die.

BWBTrish

I eat around the 1200+ calories a day.
And never feel light-headed.

But i make sure i get the right nutrition and enough
When i exercise i eat about 25% back from my burned calories. So i end up around the 1300 calories a day.

Everybody is different and being light-headed means ( when it isn't a medical thing) that you dont get enough food/nutrition's.
You need more so eat more. Also drink enough.

Listen to your body. There are times that my body wants more fuel, lol and than i eat more.

When you eat healthy and give your body the right nutrition's you should feel energetic Specially when you lose a lot of weight.
I feel reborn with what i am doing. And i lost a lot of weight in 91 days. I am like a hawk watching what i eat for the right amounts. It is even priority to my amount total allowance of calories.

katrinakoenig

Thank you, Owlhouse!! I definitely get enough fluids, sleep enough and I eat a very balanced diet. Maybe it's not enough, but I will work on that. It might be my body adjusting to a new way to life, I suppose. I do have a lot of energy. Just occasionally I feel like maybe I need more fuel, like you say. Thanks!

ketorach

katrinakoenig wrote: »

Thank you, Owlhouse!! I definitely get enough fluids, sleep enough and I eat a very balanced diet. Maybe it's not enough, but I will work on that. It might be my body adjusting to a new way to life, I suppose. I do have a lot of energy. Just occasionally I feel like maybe I need more fuel, like you say. Thanks!

More sodium, more potassium. See how you feel then.