I'm dizzy, not sure what to add to my diet

daniellerusbult2
daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I have about 40lbs to lose to be at an ideal weight, but I'm not really fat.

I've been working out hard in the past couple of weeks and watching what I eat, and in result, I've lost 6lbs. On Mondays, I have great, intense workouts, I'm assuming because I let myself eat less clean foods than what I try to stick to during the week. Later in the week, I find myself dizzy and unable to finish a workout. I'm sure it's due to calorie restriction, so I'll be adding more calories, but I want to do it the right way.

Bottom line, do I add more lean protein to my diet, more healthy fat, carbs or what? My goal is to lose fat and gain quite a bit of muscle (not goin for body builder though). I have a lifting schedule 4x/week (incorporating chest, legs, back, shoulders, bis, tris and abs) and do between 30-50 minutes of cardio each time.

Typical "diet" meals include the following: salmon, green beans, extra lean ground turkey, full fat cottage cheese, sandwich with turkey and olive oil mayo, a little cheese once in awhile, pork loin, chicken breast, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, apples, grapes...

Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Add whatever you are deficient on according to your goals. If you are undereating, you must be under at least one macronutrient. Generally protein helps preserve muscle and is satiating, but you don't want to eat so high protein that you create other deficiencies.
  • joneallen
    joneallen Posts: 217 Member
    Make sure you're well hydrated BEFORE you workout. Also, try and focus your carbs around your workout. See if that helps.
  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
    I've kept my macros pretty much on point... The food I eat is pretty low calorie, so I know I just gotta eat MORE which will be tough... But is it just that simple? Eat more of what I'm eating as long as my macros are good?
  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
    joneallen wrote: »
    Make sure you're well hydrated BEFORE you workout. Also, try and focus your carbs around your workout. See if that helps.

    I have been slacking a little on the water lately... I drink more during my workout than before. I'll try that and carbs before to see if I see a change. Thanks!
  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
    make sure you aren't dizzy for another reason such as an inner ear infection or sinus infection. carbs before usually helps, as the P.P. suggested. i went through that when i first started working-out because i wasn't used to it. make sure you aren't over-doing it if you are new to the gym/working-out.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    edited January 2015
    What is your calorie goal set at and do you eat exercise calories back?

    ETA: Opening your diary might help too
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    daniellerusbult2 wrote: »
    I've kept my macros pretty much on point... The food I eat is pretty low calorie, so I know I just gotta eat MORE which will be tough... But is it just that simple? Eat more of what I'm eating as long as my macros are good?

    Eat more.
  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
    No inner ear infection or anything like that! I get vertigo at times, but this was directly from pushing too hard without the proper energy.

    I know that I need to up my calorie intake, so I really just wanted to know which foods were best :) I think I've got my answer, though. I'm balancing my foods right, I just need to eat more of those foods!
  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
    And also not new to the gym or working out, just finally pushing to lose weight now lol. I know my limits, which is why I stopped when I started feeling dizzy and wasn't able to finish my sets like I should. Thanks! :)
  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
    daniellerusbult2 wrote: »
    And also not new to the gym or working out, just finally pushing to lose weight now lol. I know my limits, which is why I stopped when I started feeling dizzy and wasn't able to finish my sets like I should. Thanks! :)

    it sounds like you have it all nailed down. keep up the good work. :flowerforyou:

  • daniellerusbult2
    daniellerusbult2 Posts: 102 Member
    La5Vega5Girl wrote: »
    daniellerusbult2 wrote: »
    And also not new to the gym or working out, just finally pushing to lose weight now lol. I know my limits, which is why I stopped when I started feeling dizzy and wasn't able to finish my sets like I should. Thanks! :)

    it sounds like you have it all nailed down. keep up the good work. :flowerforyou:

    Thanks for your help!!
  • hmcbride68
    hmcbride68 Posts: 72 Member
    Yep, dehydration is really common. Make sure you are getting a healthy amount of salt and potassium along with it
  • a_candler
    a_candler Posts: 209 Member
    now that my school is back in full swing, my eating schedule is out of whack and I've been dizzier. The only time I felt this way is when I thought I needed to restrict down to 1200 to loose weight NOW! My point being, that up the calories and enjoy.
  • itzjulz
    itzjulz Posts: 57 Member
    Make sure you're eating enough before your workouts. I generally need to have about 200 cals about 2 hours prior or I can get shaky. I work out in the evenings after 10+ hour days at work, so I usually have something like a greek yogurt with granola about 2 hours before I'm scheduled to work out.

    For a quick fix if I know it's been a few hours since I've eaten before a workout, I eat a fruit strip or something with less than 100 calories that is mostly just plain 'ol sugar/simple carbs. I am certain it's helped keep me from getting dizzy or shaky during at least a few workouts. I like Target's Simply Balanced fruit strips -- they're cheap, only 45 cals each, and don't upset my stomach even if I eat one immediately prior to my workout. Other options would be something like Gu, Clif shot blox, or Gatorade chews.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    If it were me, and it has been, I'd make sure to eat post workout, something after you cool down, then a regular meal an hour or 2 after that. Post workout is when I get to eat peanut butter and a half banana. Its like instant (almost) recovery. I'd make sure to have carbs in the next meal too after that. It feels like walking a tight rope between too much food and not enough sometimes. But too much calorie restriction and the ensuing exhaustion overtime is what has made me fall off the wagon so many times.

    Get adequate rest, fluids and also in my case, actually HAVE salt. I don't add salt to most foods and with a touch of low blood pressure it led to dizziness and vertago.
  • cameramanbj
    cameramanbj Posts: 29 Member
    I had the same issue, what I did was on heavy workout days (around 2 hours in the gym 1500 calories burned) eat and drink more earlier in the day and a bar an hour of starting.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    daniellerusbult2 wrote:
    I have about 40lbs to lose to be at an ideal weight, but I'm not really fat.
    It's so strange to read that, because I'm at about 35 to go and my self-image hasn't caught up, changing from "fat" to "a bit overweight, but basically OK".
    Last Monday my doctor told me "you're a success story!". :grinning:
    I'll be adding more calories, but I want to do it the right way... do I add more lean protein to my diet, more healthy fat, carbs or what? My goal is to lose fat and gain quite a bit of muscle
    Building muscle takes protein, so you might want to increase your macro of that to the top of the recommended range (35%).
    And studies have shown that a lower-carb & higher-protein diet leads to more weight loss, so moving your carb intake toward the bottom end of the healthy range (45% is the _minimum_) would help.

    But in general, yes, just eat a little more of what you're already eating.
    You will lose the fat by consistently having a calorie deficit. Figure out your healthy weight, eat 10x that in calories (or a little less, if you're not losing), and ignore exercise calories. That's what my doctor & dietician told me to do, and it's worked well for me so far. (About 2/3 of the time I'm under my goal; have to improve that.)

    51637601.png
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Can't see your dairy so I'm guessing but I would say what you need to add is calories.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I'm on a cut but I need about 700-800 calories before my workout to avoid dizziness. That's why I cut really slow nowadays.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    daniellerusbult2 wrote:
    I have about 40lbs to lose to be at an ideal weight, but I'm not really fat.
    It's so strange to read that, because I'm at about 35 to go and my self-image hasn't caught up, changing from "fat" to "a bit overweight, but basically OK".
    Last Monday my doctor told me "you're a success story!". :grinning:
    I'll be adding more calories, but I want to do it the right way... do I add more lean protein to my diet, more healthy fat, carbs or what? My goal is to lose fat and gain quite a bit of muscle
    Building muscle takes protein, so you might want to increase your macro of that to the top of the recommended range (35%).
    And studies have shown that a lower-carb & higher-protein diet leads to more weight loss, so moving your carb intake toward the bottom end of the healthy range (45% is the _minimum_) would help.

    But in general, yes, just eat a little more of what you're already eating.
    You will lose the fat by consistently having a calorie deficit. Figure out your healthy weight, eat 10x that in calories (or a little less, if you're not losing), and ignore exercise calories. That's what my doctor & dietician told me to do, and it's worked well for me so far. (About 2/3 of the time I'm under my goal; have to improve that.)

    51637601.png

    You can't build muscle on a deficit.
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