Malnutrition
blancoms
Posts: 165 Member
I've done some googling but didn't come up with any answers to my question.
How soon do signs of malnutrition appear? Say you're eating a lower calorie diet (1200) so its probably easy to not eat enough of certain nutrients. How soon could one tell?
Some background as to why I'm asking:
I feel like my eyebrows have suddenly gotten a lot thinner in the last few days and wondering if the two could be linked. I've been losing weight just under two months. I would say the last 2-3 weeks haven't been as nutritious as the first 5-6. All those ice cream posts certainly didn't help. Everyone's response was saying I/one could replace some calories with sugar filled dessert and be fine...lesson learned, don't listen to that nonsense. I do take a basic vitamin.
So if the eyebrow loss is a sign, is it more likely a result of the last 2 weeks? Or would it have to be longer, like when I began two months ago?
How soon do signs of malnutrition appear? Say you're eating a lower calorie diet (1200) so its probably easy to not eat enough of certain nutrients. How soon could one tell?
Some background as to why I'm asking:
I feel like my eyebrows have suddenly gotten a lot thinner in the last few days and wondering if the two could be linked. I've been losing weight just under two months. I would say the last 2-3 weeks haven't been as nutritious as the first 5-6. All those ice cream posts certainly didn't help. Everyone's response was saying I/one could replace some calories with sugar filled dessert and be fine...lesson learned, don't listen to that nonsense. I do take a basic vitamin.
So if the eyebrow loss is a sign, is it more likely a result of the last 2 weeks? Or would it have to be longer, like when I began two months ago?
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Replies
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Yeah, you can lose hair from malnutrition. Vitamins aren't meant to replace nutrients, it's supposed to be more of a supplement.0
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It depends.
Have a blood test and see if you are anemic. Do you feel weak? For me it took a LONG time at sub-1200 calories before it showed. But each person might be different.0 -
Hair loss, headaches, head rushes, getting sick all the time. It all depends on how sensitive your body is.0
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That is an excellent article and everyone who's trying to lose weight should read it, IMO. Thank you for posting it!queenliz99 wrote: »0 -
It depends.
Have a blood test and see if you are anemic. Do you feel weak? For me it took a LONG time at sub-1200 calories before it showed. But each person might be different.
I feel pretty good. I feel more energetic than I did in before, exercising even better. I will be getting annual blood work done shortly so I will be sure to have that ordered. It does seem like a few weeks is too soon, but I still want to be cautious cause I have a while to go (weight loss wise). I may go ahead and get an iron supplement in the mean time. I was taking a vitamin with iron but that along with the lower food volume made constipation worse
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queenliz99 wrote: »
I think I missed the part about malnutrition in the article, could you point me in the right direction?0 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Yeah, you can lose hair from malnutrition. Vitamins aren't meant to replace nutrients, it's supposed to be more of a supplement.
I'm hoping it helps with the lower calorie goal. I'm still trying to figure out how to get everything in a 1200cal diet (short is no fun food wise!) If I can't figure it out soon I may have to up the food and then exercise more.
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Fortunately I haven't noticed any of those other things. I've got such thick (volume) hair that I shed like crazy anyway, haha, I'd never notice til it was half gone.chelseascounter wrote: »Hair loss, headaches, head rushes, getting sick all the time. It all depends on how sensitive your body is.
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It depends.
Have a blood test and see if you are anemic. Do you feel weak? For me it took a LONG time at sub-1200 calories before it showed. But each person might be different.
I feel pretty good. I feel more energetic than I did in before, exercising even better. I will be getting annual blood work done shortly so I will be sure to have that ordered. It does seem like a few weeks is too soon, but I still want to be cautious cause I have a while to go (weight loss wise). I may go ahead and get an iron supplement in the mean time. I was taking a vitamin with iron but that along with the lower food volume made constipation worse
Wait until you get your blood test to buy iron supplements. I don't recommend taking iron pills unless you know for sure your iron is low.0 -
I have suffered from malnutrition twice in my life. Once when I was a practicing bulimic and once due to onset of Celiac disease. Both caused fatigue and anemia that I noticed long before my hair started falling out. (which happened both times)
Having said that, a friend of mine practices what she calls food variety meaning she never eats the same food two days in a row. So if you have grapes and cottage cheese and toast for breakfast today, you might have a banana with cereal and milk tomorrow, oatmeal with an apple the next day and granola, berries and Greek yogurt day 4. the goal is to vary the micronutrients in the food you eat to make sure you get what you need.
Good luck figuring it out.0 -
My hair loss from anaemia was not just my eyebrows but also my head hair. I loss more than 1/2 of it 0
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I lost hair from everywhere from hypothyroidism and I also have a ton of hair that shed a lot to begin with. Suddenly I was shedding triple, eyebrows, body hair all shedding. New med has them coming back but you might want to get thyroid levels checked too.0
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I lost hair from everywhere from hypothyroidism and I also have a ton of hair that shed a lot to begin with. Suddenly I was shedding triple, eyebrows, body hair all shedding. New med has them coming back but you might want to get thyroid levels checked too.
I do have hypothyroidism but its been under control for the last six years. I'm getting those labs done in the next two weeks in case my somewhat quick weight loss has had an effect on the dosage (hyperthyroid symptoms).0 -
I spoke to a doctor today who suspects the hair loss is an effect of removing my progestin birth control in January.
Still want all my blood work done though.0 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Yeah, you can lose hair from malnutrition. Vitamins aren't meant to replace nutrients, it's supposed to be more of a supplement.
I'm hoping it helps with the lower calorie goal. I'm still trying to figure out how to get everything in a 1200cal diet (short is no fun food wise!) If I can't figure it out soon I may have to up the food and then exercise more.
Why are you eating that low? If it's because you are on the small side, that likely affects the nutrients you need too, although talking to a RD might be a good idea if you feel like it's tough to get in needed nutrients. (And remember how MFP works is that you eat back exercise calories.)
In that hair loss tends to go along with low cals, I'd probably reconsider how aggressive my goals are and definitely talk to a doctor (as it's likely to be something else as at least a contributing factor: edit, and I see you've started that process, good).
I ate 1250 (plus exercise calories) for months with no problem, and mostly just focusing on eating a reasonable amount of protein and good variety of vegetables and healthy fats, nothing more than really just trying to eat a good overall diet.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »Yeah, you can lose hair from malnutrition. Vitamins aren't meant to replace nutrients, it's supposed to be more of a supplement.
I'm hoping it helps with the lower calorie goal. I'm still trying to figure out how to get everything in a 1200cal diet (short is no fun food wise!) If I can't figure it out soon I may have to up the food and then exercise more.
Why are you eating that low? If it's because you are on the small side, that likely affects the nutrients you need too, although talking to a RD might be a good idea if you feel like it's tough to get in needed nutrients. (And remember how MFP works is that you eat back exercise calories.)
I'm 5'2" and pretty sedentary without intentional exercise. So MFP gives me 1290 a day to lose 1lb/wk. I've just crossed into the overweight bmi from obese so I don't think I being too aggressive at this point, but I definitely had the wrong focus on total calories vs. macros (and micros). A "scare" like this certainly will kick me into paying closer attention to nutrients.
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Thyroid issues can also cause hair loss. Going off certain medications can cause it as well. There could be a hundred reasons why you're losing your hair.0
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Try VIVICAL, it's a miracle worker for my hair and nails ❤️0
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Try VIVICAL, it's a miracle worker for my hair and nails ❤️
I'd suggest a big "No." It has 56% of daily iron, 72% of daily Zinc, contains "shark powder" and "horsetail extract"...lolz. I know horses aren't endangered, but Save the Sharks!! Then it's just Biotin, Niacin and Vitamin C. For a mere $30 a month. I suppose horsetail could be a plant, dunno.
It's really not good to supplement heavy metals like iron without a doctor's recommendation, though.0 -
Horsetail:
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cmriverside wrote: »Horsetail:
The only plant that would survive a nuclear holocaust.0 -
@pootle1972
ha ha. I even have pictures of it on my phone because it has a really nice structure to it; it reminds me of a fair ride.
Now I know what it is and I know not to eat it (even though it appears to have quite a few medicinal uses) - it is used for helping to alleviate water retention, among other things. It's not proven to help with hair, though it is used for that. The more you know.
I'm standing by my "no shark powder" rule, tho.0 -
So its still a mystery regarding my slight hair loss. Along with my fuzzy/light headedness.
Blood work says iron, blood glucose, tsh t3/4 are all normal.
The only surprise came after he insisted for a blood pregnancy test which came back positive! (And I'd done a pee test the day before which was neg.)
I'm sure ill be getting lots of blood work done over the next few months. And of course my weight loss will be put on hold (bittersweet!)0 -
So its still a mystery regarding my slight hair loss. Along with my fuzzy/light headedness.
Blood work says iron, blood glucose, tsh t3/4 are all normal.
The only surprise came after he insisted for a blood pregnancy test which came back positive! (And I'd done a pee test the day before which was neg.)
I'm sure ill be getting lots of blood work done over the next few months. And of course my weight loss will be put on hold (bittersweet!)
Congrats!!!0
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