trying to lose weight but have hypoglycemia?

xxgabriellaxxchanelxx
xxgabriellaxxchanelxx Posts: 62 Member
edited April 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Today I was doing so well. I ended my last meal at only 1300 calories for the whole day. And then my hypoglycemia attack hit and I started getting weak, tired, shaky, panic-y and devoured probably 300 extra calories just so i wouldn't pass out. I'm not diabetic btw, just hypoglycemic. How am i supposed to lose weight if i keep getting these attacks from a calorie deficit? Anyone else dealing with this?
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Replies

  • oh and i am eating a lot of protein each meal, so thats not the problem.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I'm not a doctor but as far as I'm aware hypoglycaemia is a symptom rather than an illness on its own. Your sugar can fall for some reason but not be low in general unless you are diabetic or have other conditions which can cause it to fall on certain occasions.

    Are you sure you got hypoglycaemic attack and not an anxiety attack?
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    What are your stats? Maybe you are cutting way too much.

    How tall? How much do you weigh? How much are you trying to lose a week?

    Honestly on 1300 cals I am ready to eat carpet and feel like crap.
  • gebeziseva wrote: »
    I'm not a doctor but as far as I'm aware hypoglycaemia is a symptom rather than an illness on its own. Your sugar can fall for some reason but not be low in general unless you are diabetic or have other conditions which can cause it to fall on certain occasions.

    Are you sure you got hypoglycaemic attack and not an anxiety attack?

    My hypoglycemia can get spiked very easily and crash very easily. If I don't eat enough it will become very low.
  • bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    What are your stats? Maybe you are cutting way too much.

    How tall? How much do you weigh? How much are you trying to lose a week?

    Honestly on 1300 cals I am ready to eat carpet and feel like crap.

    im 5'4 and 122.
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member


    My hypoglycemia can get spiked very easily and crash very easily. If I don't eat enough it will become very low.[/quote]


    Well there's your answer, you need to eat more.

    Set your MFP to lose 1lb a week and work out some to get more calories. Surely that will give you more than 1300 a day to eat. Spread your meals out carefully through the day too.
  • bogwoppt1 wrote: »

    My hypoglycemia can get spiked very easily and crash very easily. If I don't eat enough it will become very low.


    Well there's your answer, you need to eat more.

    Set your MFP to lose 1lb a week and work out some to get more calories. Surely that will give you more than 1300 a day to eat. Spread your meals out carefully through the day too.
    [/quote]

    true. i just want to lose weight faster, i guess. but you're right. i'll bump up my calorie intake.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I found that switching to a LCHF diet cured my hypoglycemia. I no longer rely on glucose (carbs) as my primary fuel so I do not experience blood sugar swings anymore.

    Pairing proteins with your carbs will help with BG spikes and dips too, although not nearly as much as eating a LCHF diet did for me.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's a tip from a T2 diabetic in remission. Get yourself some glucotabs from the pharmacy (on the shelf near diabetic supplies). These will get you out of the danger zone the fastest for the lowest calories. Then have a small handful (a tablespoon) of nuts for long lasting energy.

    You will need to allocate some of your calories for your snacks (say, 100 to 150 each) so your meals will have to be a bit smaller. Work to get all your macros, including fat, at every meal.
  • nvmomketo wrote: »
    I found that switching to a LCHF diet cured my hypoglycemia. I no longer rely on glucose (carbs) as my primary fuel so I do not experience blood sugar swings anymore.

    Pairing proteins with your carbs will help with BG spikes and dips too, although not nearly as much as eating a LCHF diet did for me.

    Interesting. Thanks for your input. I'll keep that in mind.
  • jgnatca wrote: »
    Here's a tip from a T2 diabetic in remission. Get yourself some glucotabs from the pharmacy (on the shelf near diabetic supplies). These will get you out of the danger zone the fastest for the lowest calories. Then have a small handful (a tablespoon) of nuts for long lasting energy.

    You will need to allocate some of your calories for your snacks (say, 100 to 150 each) so your meals will have to be a bit smaller. Work to get all your macros, including fat, at every meal.

    Very helpful! Thank you. I will definitely try following your advice.
  • HappyAnna2014
    HappyAnna2014 Posts: 214 Member
    edited April 2016
    I find that if I don't eat simple sugars, or at least minimize them, I don't have hypoglycemia problems.
  • HappyAnna2014
    HappyAnna2014 Posts: 214 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I found that switching to a LCHF diet cured my hypoglycemia. I no longer rely on glucose (carbs) as my primary fuel so I do not experience blood sugar swings anymore.

    Pairing proteins with your carbs will help with BG spikes and dips too, although not nearly as much as eating a LCHF diet did for me.

    And this, too. When I eat carbs, they are complex carbs.
  • I find that if I don't eat simple sugars, or at least minimize them, I don't have hypoglycemia problems.

    Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a try :)
  • lgoldfarb
    lgoldfarb Posts: 76 Member
    I'm hypoglycemic also ( non diabetic) I struggled with this in the beginning too (and still sometimes do). I find eating every 2-4 hours helps immensely. I try to have carbs and protein in every meal. I took quite a bit of playing around to get on a good schedule to keep my sugars even through the day, it changes daily depending on what workout I'm doing at what time.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
    I tend to get shaky when I don't eat every few hours, so I eat 5 times a day. Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, then dinner. I also make sure I get a good mix of protein, carbs and fat each time. This works for me. Definitely go for more complex carbs than simple sugars.
  • lgoldfarb wrote: »
    I'm hypoglycemic also ( non diabetic) I struggled with this in the beginning too (and still sometimes do). I find eating every 2-4 hours helps immensely. I try to have carbs and protein in every meal. I took quite a bit of playing around to get on a good schedule to keep my sugars even through the day, it changes daily depending on what workout I'm doing at what time.

    Thank you! I'm glad i'm not the only one dealing with this while trying to lose weight. i'll try eating more often.
  • I tend to get shaky when I don't eat every few hours, so I eat 5 times a day. Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, then dinner. I also make sure I get a good mix of protein, carbs and fat each time. This works for me. Definitely go for more complex carbs than simple sugars.

    Thanks for the input :) I'll give it a try!
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    Maybe plan out your meals so you're eating several more times a day. You can split your calories up accordingly. That helps keep your blood sugar more even throughout the day. I occasionally have issues with low blood sugar, and I've found eating more frequently, even if it's less that I'm eating at a time, helps keep things balanced.
  • dubird wrote: »
    Maybe plan out your meals so you're eating several more times a day. You can split your calories up accordingly. That helps keep your blood sugar more even throughout the day. I occasionally have issues with low blood sugar, and I've found eating more frequently, even if it's less that I'm eating at a time, helps keep things balanced.

    Thanks for the advice! :) Today I will try eating 4-6 meals a day instead of just 3 and see if that helps.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Given you have a medical condition, this is something you should discuss with your doctor and not strangers on an internet forum.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Yes, I've been having a problem with this lately.

    For me, the solution is to eat more early in the day if I know that I am going to get more than 2 hours of exercise at night. I've also been thinking about carrying protein bars so that I don't have to resort to restaurant/bar food.

    Personally, I just tough it out until I can get home, but that is walking a rather fine line sometimes.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    What are your stats? Maybe you are cutting way too much.

    How tall? How much do you weigh? How much are you trying to lose a week?

    Honestly on 1300 cals I am ready to eat carpet and feel like crap.

    im 5'4 and 122.

    At 5'4 and 122 pounds you shouldn't be trying to lose more than 0.5 pounds per week. Enjoy those extra calories!

    How old are you and what's your goal weight?
  • Yes, I've been having a problem with this lately.

    For me, the solution is to eat more early in the day if I know that I am going to get more than 2 hours of exercise at night. I've also been thinking about carrying protein bars so that I don't have to resort to restaurant/bar food.

    Personally, I just tough it out until I can get home, but that is walking a rather fine line sometimes.

    Interesting. And I'll have to get some protein bars! Thanks for your help! :)
  • kshama2001 wrote: »
    bogwoppt1 wrote: »
    What are your stats? Maybe you are cutting way too much.

    How tall? How much do you weigh? How much are you trying to lose a week?

    Honestly on 1300 cals I am ready to eat carpet and feel like crap.

    im 5'4 and 122.

    At 5'4 and 122 pounds you shouldn't be trying to lose more than 0.5 pounds per week. Enjoy those extra calories!

    How old are you and what's your goal weight?

    I'm 18 and my goal weight is 99. Yes, I know that sounds low. But I have very small bone structure and last time I weighed 99 I looked and felt my best (and the doctor said that was an okay weight for me).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I find that if I don't eat simple sugars, or at least minimize them, I don't have hypoglycemia problems.

    This. I have all the symptoms of hypoglycemia the week before my period and it's the only thing that helped get rid of them. If I have them after dinner though, it's usually fine. But if I start my day with even a slice of bread for breakfast, the day is shot.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    A few things:

    1. Do you have reactive hypoglycemia? If yes, then don't just eat more protein, eat fewer carbs. You can eat all the protein you want, but if you eat high carb and have reactive hypoglycemia, you will crash.
    2. When you are hypo, how are you treating? For a low calorie answer, eat as few of glucose tablets as possible to raise it to a safe level (low calorie:carb ratio) and follow it with something high in fat.
    3. How low are you going when hypoglycemic? If you are going off feeling, then you need to get a meter and manage based on actual BG, not from feeling.
  • Francl27 wrote: »
    I find that if I don't eat simple sugars, or at least minimize them, I don't have hypoglycemia problems.

    This. I have all the symptoms of hypoglycemia the week before my period and it's the only thing that helped get rid of them. If I have them after dinner though, it's usually fine. But if I start my day with even a slice of bread for breakfast, the day is shot.

    I am the same way! And I have noticed a correlation between the 'week before' and an increase in my hypoglycemia attacks. Very interesting. Thank you for the input! :)
  • A few things:

    1. Do you have reactive hypoglycemia? If yes, then don't just eat more protein, eat fewer carbs. You can eat all the protein you want, but if you eat high carb and have reactive hypoglycemia, you will crash.
    2. When you are hypo, how are you treating? For a low calorie answer, eat as few of glucose tablets as possible to raise it to a safe level (low calorie:carb ratio) and follow it with something high in fat.
    3. How low are you going when hypoglycemic? If you are going off feeling, then you need to get a meter and manage based on actual BG, not from feeling.

    1. Yes, I believe it's reactive hypoglycemia. And I will try the low carb thing :)
    2. I usually eat some nuts, but I will definetly look into glucose tablets.
    3. I don't have a meter, and I usually judge by feeling. But I will try to pick up a meter sometime soon.

    Thank you for your input. Very much appreciated :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    For what it's worth, eating a lot of beans/lentils seem to help too. Steel cut oats are fine but quick oats are not (for me). And increasing fat helps. I usually end up around 120-140g of carbs a day (all from veggies/grains, pretty much).

    Yeah it's pretty much refined sugars/flours that seem to be the culprit for me.