Nausea after starting MFP
DebLaBounty
Posts: 1,169 Member
I've been on MFP for 10 days now, have lost 2 pounds. For the last 4 mornings, I have experienced moderate nausea and it's affecting my ability to eat breakfast. I'm starting with dry toast and a poached egg, have cut back coffee to 1 instead of 2 cups, sometimes add a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I'm 57 years old and 171 pounds, 5'6" tall. I've listed my activity level at "sedentary", which gives me 1200 calories a day. I've only exceeded calories + exercise calories twice. Most dinners are poached chicken with cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, and a huge bed of mixed greens. I'm not eating candy, pastries, chips, fried foods, etc. (which is a change for me). The only acidic foods are the cup of coffee and the tomatoes, I think. I'm drinking lots of water. Today I tried some fresh ginger tea, and that helped. Any other ideas? Today I feel mildly nauseous and it's nearly 2 p.m. Slight headache and fatigue, too, which I'm chalking up to cutting back the caffeine.
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Replies
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Have you set your calorie goal to lose 2lbs a week? You should be aiming for a pound as you don't have that much to lose.5
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DebLaBounty wrote: »I've been on MFP for 10 days now, have lost 2 pounds. For the last 4 mornings, I have experienced moderate nausea and it's affecting my ability to eat breakfast. I'm starting with dry toast and a poached egg, have cut back coffee to 1 instead of 2 cups, sometimes add a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I'm 57 years old and 171 pounds, 5'6" tall. I've listed my activity level at "sedentary", which gives me 1200 calories a day. I've only exceeded calories + exercise calories twice. Most dinners are poached chicken with cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, and a huge bed of mixed greens. I'm not eating candy, pastries, chips, fried foods, etc. (which is a change for me). The only acidic foods are the cup of coffee and the tomatoes, I think. I'm drinking lots of water. Today I tried some fresh ginger tea, and that helped. Any other ideas? Today I feel mildly nauseous and it's nearly 2 p.m. Slight headache and fatigue, too, which I'm chalking up to cutting back the caffeine.
the withdrawal from caffeine can cause headaches, but you should not be nauseated eating less, unless you are eating too little then than can cause fatigue and headaches. for someone your height and weight I would say 2lbs a week is too aggressive a goal and too little calories.Thats the minimum amount you should be taking in.4 -
Thanks, TavistockToad. I set it to lose 1 pound per week.2
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Did you used to eat breakfast?1
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How much did you eat before? Maybe you are cutting out too many calories at once. I get nauseated when I get really hungry.
Too much water is a thing and yes caffeine withdrawal can be tough.2 -
Thanks for all the input! I usually eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. Pretty much need to spread out the eating. I am guessing from what people are suggesting is that I should add in a few more calories!2
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I'd be sick from eating the same foods for ten days as well, at least when suddenly and completely changing what I ate.3
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I feel sick when ever I cut down my calories. My body takes a few weeks to get use to it. It should past or see your doctor about sugar levels2
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Good move reducing your weekly weight loss goal.
Also, your diet sounds way too "healthy" and not enough fat.
A lot of people find success on MFP by just eating the foods which would normally satisfy them but staying within their calorie limit.5 -
DebLaBounty wrote: »I've been on MFP for 10 days now, have lost 2 pounds. For the last 4 mornings, I have experienced moderate nausea and it's affecting my ability to eat breakfast. I'm starting with dry toast and a poached egg, have cut back coffee to 1 instead of 2 cups, sometimes add a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. I'm 57 years old and 171 pounds, 5'6" tall. I've listed my activity level at "sedentary", which gives me 1200 calories a day. I've only exceeded calories + exercise calories twice. Most dinners are poached chicken with cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, and a huge bed of mixed greens. I'm not eating candy, pastries, chips, fried foods, etc. (which is a change for me). The only acidic foods are the cup of coffee and the tomatoes, I think. I'm drinking lots of water. Today I tried some fresh ginger tea, and that helped. Any other ideas? Today I feel mildly nauseous and it's nearly 2 p.m. Slight headache and fatigue, too, which I'm chalking up to cutting back the caffeine.
Why dry toast?
Why cut back on the coffee?
And where is your lunch?3 -
Seconding the opinion that your current diet sounds very low fat, and that your body could be reacting to that.
Also would like to add to the questions about why you are cutting the coffee. Two cups of coffee a day are good for you. If you were drinking eight, than sure reducing it would be good, but two?
Good luck on your journey. You have relatively little to lose and you can afford to do it gently and slowly.1 -
I will say this: when I am not eating all that stuff that "coats" my stomach, things like peppers, tomatoes, coffee, and even some salad stuff can bother my stomach. It could be that since you are eating so little, your stomach can be more sensitive to the acid. I never get heartburn but when acid is bothering me, I get nauseous. Everyone is different so they may not understand and it may not be your problem. For instance, and I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, but when I drink plain, black tea in the morning on an empty stomach, I get nauseous. If I add milk to it and take the bitterness out, I'm fine.0
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Are you truly sedentary?0
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I will say this: when I am not eating all that stuff that "coats" my stomach, things like peppers, tomatoes, coffee, and even some salad stuff can bother my stomach. It could be that since you are eating so little, your stomach can be more sensitive to the acid. I never get heartburn but when acid is bothering me, I get nauseous. Everyone is different so they may not understand and it may not be your problem. For instance, and I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, but when I drink plain, black tea in the morning on an empty stomach, I get nauseous. If I add milk to it and take the bitterness out, I'm fine.
maybe you have gastritis? I had those issues and had to have a scope and take meds for awhile to heal my stomach lining(I produce a lot of acid and that is what caused it) things like you mentioned can cause those issues and more.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I will say this: when I am not eating all that stuff that "coats" my stomach, things like peppers, tomatoes, coffee, and even some salad stuff can bother my stomach. It could be that since you are eating so little, your stomach can be more sensitive to the acid. I never get heartburn but when acid is bothering me, I get nauseous. Everyone is different so they may not understand and it may not be your problem. For instance, and I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, but when I drink plain, black tea in the morning on an empty stomach, I get nauseous. If I add milk to it and take the bitterness out, I'm fine.
maybe you have gastritis? I had those issues and had to have a scope and take meds for awhile to heal my stomach lining(I produce a lot of acid and that is what caused it) things like you mentioned can cause those issues and more.
Yep, I tend to get bouts of gastritis (been scoped before too). I actually took Prilosec for well over 10 years and finally got off of it about 1.5 years ago (and I feel fine). But apparently I have a touchy stomach.1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I will say this: when I am not eating all that stuff that "coats" my stomach, things like peppers, tomatoes, coffee, and even some salad stuff can bother my stomach. It could be that since you are eating so little, your stomach can be more sensitive to the acid. I never get heartburn but when acid is bothering me, I get nauseous. Everyone is different so they may not understand and it may not be your problem. For instance, and I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, but when I drink plain, black tea in the morning on an empty stomach, I get nauseous. If I add milk to it and take the bitterness out, I'm fine.
maybe you have gastritis? I had those issues and had to have a scope and take meds for awhile to heal my stomach lining(I produce a lot of acid and that is what caused it) things like you mentioned can cause those issues and more.
Yep, I tend to get bouts of gastritis (been scoped before too). I actually took Prilosec for well over 10 years and finally got off of it about 1.5 years ago (and I feel fine). But apparently I have a touchy stomach.
yeah I was taking something called sucralfate and had to stop it after 2 months as it was giving me stomach cramps,nausea and back pain(side effects). Im on prilosec too.0 -
you say you have stopped eating candies etc, are you eating enough sugar? too little sugar can cause it0
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I don't see much fresh (or dried) fruit on that diet. At 1200 calories per day and mostly protein and veggies....your blood sugar is probably really low in the morning. Especially if you're exercising. Don't be afraid to eat "sugar" as long as it comes from healthy fruits. Many contain fiber (blueberries and apples) and are a huge portion of your necessary vitamins and glucose.
I agree 1200 is too low because I'm set on the same deficit. It works fine for me Monday through Friday when I workout hard and can eat back a large number of "earned" calories. But on weekends when I take off the Gym and have only 1200 total, I ALWAYS go over because it's just too low for any person to stay healthy.
Try adding fruits into breakfast daily. I load up on berries every morning along with Organic shredded wheat (kashi) and fat free, organic milk. And I've still lost 20 lbs since March without feeling awful. Stick to proteins later in the day and carbs/fruits in the morning and you'll probably feel better and have more energy for exercise.
I'm sure you'd rather lose a bit less "weight" on the scale, but add a bit of healthy muscle weight. It looks better than the dreaded "skinny-fat" and is healthier, too! Remember that your goal is to lose FAT not weight.1 -
WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »I don't see much fresh (or dried) fruit on that diet. At 1200 calories per day and mostly protein and veggies....your blood sugar is probably really low in the morning. Especially if you're exercising. Don't be afraid to eat "sugar" as long as it comes from healthy fruits. Many contain fiber (blueberries and apples) and are a huge portion of your necessary vitamins and glucose.
I agree 1200 is too low because I'm set on the same deficit. It works fine for me Monday through Friday when I workout hard and can eat back a large number of "earned" calories. But on weekends when I take off the Gym and have only 1200 total, I ALWAYS go over because it's just too low for any person to stay healthy.
Try adding fruits into breakfast daily. I load up on berries every morning along with Organic shredded wheat (kashi) and fat free, organic milk. And I've still lost 20 lbs since March without feeling awful. Stick to proteins later in the day and carbs/fruits in the morning and you'll probably feel better and have more energy for exercise.
I'm sure you'd rather lose a bit less "weight" on the scale, but add a bit of healthy muscle weight. It looks better than the dreaded "skinny-fat" and is healthier, too! Remember that your goal is to lose FAT not weight.
fat weighs something so to lose fat you will lose weight unless you are doing a recomp and on 1200 calories no one is going to be gaining much if any muscle.0 -
Could you be pregnant?1
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »I don't see much fresh (or dried) fruit on that diet. At 1200 calories per day and mostly protein and veggies....your blood sugar is probably really low in the morning. Especially if you're exercising. Don't be afraid to eat "sugar" as long as it comes from healthy fruits. Many contain fiber (blueberries and apples) and are a huge portion of your necessary vitamins and glucose.
I agree 1200 is too low because I'm set on the same deficit. It works fine for me Monday through Friday when I workout hard and can eat back a large number of "earned" calories. But on weekends when I take off the Gym and have only 1200 total, I ALWAYS go over because it's just too low for any person to stay healthy.
Try adding fruits into breakfast daily. I load up on berries every morning along with Organic shredded wheat (kashi) and fat free, organic milk. And I've still lost 20 lbs since March without feeling awful. Stick to proteins later in the day and carbs/fruits in the morning and you'll probably feel better and have more energy for exercise.
I'm sure you'd rather lose a bit less "weight" on the scale, but add a bit of healthy muscle weight. It looks better than the dreaded "skinny-fat" and is healthier, too! Remember that your goal is to lose FAT not weight.
fat weighs something so to lose fat you will lose weight unless you are doing a recomp and on 1200 calories no one is going to be gaining much if any muscle.
Yeah, definitely. I just meant it's better to lose less "weight" overall if you're retaining or building muscle and burning fat more than dropping water, muscle, AND fat.
Also yes...I do an average of 3 strength classes per day for every one cardio session and sip BCAA's to only *hope* to retain as much muscle as possible/strengthen what I already have until I've lost enough fat to actually build measurable muscle. I don't expect major gains. But at least my muscles will be "ready" and currently helping my body burn more fat.2 -
DebLaBounty wrote: »Thanks, TavistockToad. I set it to lose 1 pound per week.
I lost an average of 2-2.5 pounds a week and I'm fine.0 -
@WendyLeigh1119 Thanks for the advice on adding fruit! I've not experienced any nausea since I added in that sugar. What a relief! PS everyone: I'm 57 years old and not pregnant; what a surprise that would be!4
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Good move reducing your weekly weight loss goal.
Also, your diet sounds way too "healthy" and not enough fat.
A lot of people find success on MFP by just eating the foods which would normally satisfy them but staying within their calorie limit.DebLaBounty wrote: »@WendyLeigh1119 Thanks for the advice on adding fruit! I've not experienced any nausea since I added in that sugar. What a relief! PS everyone: I'm 57 years old and not pregnant; what a surprise that would be!
Oddly enough, this was my first thought. Maybe you needed to add in a bit more sugar and/or fat. Glad you did and it seems to be helping.
Fried food is not necessarily bad food as long as that isn't the only thing you eat. Fats and sugars are good for you too!
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DebLaBounty wrote: »@WendyLeigh1119 Thanks for the advice on adding fruit! I've not experienced any nausea since I added in that sugar. What a relief! PS everyone: I'm 57 years old and not pregnant; what a surprise that would be!
You're welcome! I'm so glad to hear it helped! Nausea is the worst! People tend to forget that some sugar is OK and necessary and if you can get it from healthy fresh fruit, even better!0 -
WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »WendyLeigh1119 wrote: »I don't see much fresh (or dried) fruit on that diet. At 1200 calories per day and mostly protein and veggies....your blood sugar is probably really low in the morning. Especially if you're exercising. Don't be afraid to eat "sugar" as long as it comes from healthy fruits. Many contain fiber (blueberries and apples) and are a huge portion of your necessary vitamins and glucose.
I agree 1200 is too low because I'm set on the same deficit. It works fine for me Monday through Friday when I workout hard and can eat back a large number of "earned" calories. But on weekends when I take off the Gym and have only 1200 total, I ALWAYS go over because it's just too low for any person to stay healthy.
Try adding fruits into breakfast daily. I load up on berries every morning along with Organic shredded wheat (kashi) and fat free, organic milk. And I've still lost 20 lbs since March without feeling awful. Stick to proteins later in the day and carbs/fruits in the morning and you'll probably feel better and have more energy for exercise.
I'm sure you'd rather lose a bit less "weight" on the scale, but add a bit of healthy muscle weight. It looks better than the dreaded "skinny-fat" and is healthier, too! Remember that your goal is to lose FAT not weight.
fat weighs something so to lose fat you will lose weight unless you are doing a recomp and on 1200 calories no one is going to be gaining much if any muscle.
Yeah, definitely. I just meant it's better to lose less "weight" overall if you're retaining or building muscle and burning fat more than dropping water, muscle, AND fat.
Also yes...I do an average of 3 strength classes per day for every one cardio session and sip BCAA's to only *hope* to retain as much muscle as possible/strengthen what I already have until I've lost enough fat to actually build measurable muscle. I don't expect major gains. But at least my muscles will be "ready" and currently helping my body burn more fat.
BCAAs are good if you workout fasted or dont get enough protein but they arent needed if you get enough protein in your diet. you retain muscle if you eat enough protein and do a resistance training,you lose some lean mass otherwise while losing.you wont get major gains until you start eating in a surplus and then being female it will take time and a progressive lifting program along with enough calories. and a lb of muscle only burns about 6-10 calories extra so its not that much.But lifting does change your body a lot.0 -
My first thought was that you weren't eating enough fat, and I see others have weighed in on that. Adding a few nuts or a bit of nut butter is an option, or a little salmon, olive oil or avocado with your salad. Don't let the high calories of fat scare you. The fat calories will keep you satisfied longer and keep your memory and focus strong.
Good luck with the caffeine withdrawal. I had to do that earlier this month because of dizziness and overactive bladder. It was rough for a few days, but I'm feeling much better now and so glad I cut it out. I thought I wouldn't have as much energy after cutting out caffeine, but I'm feeling great! And calmer.
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