Thought I was doing well, but then my hair started falling out....
nevadavis1
Posts: 331 Member
So I was doing really well with weighing/measuring my food. I had my calorie count and I'm really sure it was accurate because while weight loss might have been less one week and more the next, I was averaging out to exactly what MFP said I should be losing, which means I was averaging 1 lb a week over all.
Then for the past two and a half weeks I didn't lose any weight, but hey, I didn't gain, and stalls happen... But my hair has started falling out. Like I'll comb it and a big handful comes out. I did go to the doctor and she drew some blood and talked to me about what I was eating and my calorie count. She said she doesn't think my calories are too low at all (she was surprised it was as high as it was actually but I explained the exercise calories) and she thinks my food sounds nutritionally balanced, but she couldn't come up with any reason for my hair issues. She kind of shrugged and said "sometimes that happens when you're on a diet." BUT I thought that only happened if your calories are too low...
It has been hot as hades here, so could that be a factor? I have been stressed, does stress make your hair fall out?
I'd think if my calculations were off, either if I'm getting more exercise than I think or eating less calories than I think I'd be losing more weight, right? Like, if it's been working just like a math formula so far, that probably means my counts are pretty accurate?
I wasn't doing great on protein when I first started but I made a real effort to get that back up and my doctor said she thinks it's ok. She checked iron and that kind of stuff but I don't have results yet but I do take vitamins....
I've gotten really discouraged and haven't logged for a few days because I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I'm vain about my hair and I'd really like to keep it ... If I opened up my diary at this point you guys would just see some blank pages.
Anyone else experience this? Maybe it's totally unrelated to my weight loss efforts? It just feels connected because it's happening at the same time? Can it happen due to weight loss even if you're getting enough calories?
Then for the past two and a half weeks I didn't lose any weight, but hey, I didn't gain, and stalls happen... But my hair has started falling out. Like I'll comb it and a big handful comes out. I did go to the doctor and she drew some blood and talked to me about what I was eating and my calorie count. She said she doesn't think my calories are too low at all (she was surprised it was as high as it was actually but I explained the exercise calories) and she thinks my food sounds nutritionally balanced, but she couldn't come up with any reason for my hair issues. She kind of shrugged and said "sometimes that happens when you're on a diet." BUT I thought that only happened if your calories are too low...
It has been hot as hades here, so could that be a factor? I have been stressed, does stress make your hair fall out?
I'd think if my calculations were off, either if I'm getting more exercise than I think or eating less calories than I think I'd be losing more weight, right? Like, if it's been working just like a math formula so far, that probably means my counts are pretty accurate?
I wasn't doing great on protein when I first started but I made a real effort to get that back up and my doctor said she thinks it's ok. She checked iron and that kind of stuff but I don't have results yet but I do take vitamins....
I've gotten really discouraged and haven't logged for a few days because I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I'm vain about my hair and I'd really like to keep it ... If I opened up my diary at this point you guys would just see some blank pages.
Anyone else experience this? Maybe it's totally unrelated to my weight loss efforts? It just feels connected because it's happening at the same time? Can it happen due to weight loss even if you're getting enough calories?
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Replies
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My understanding is that the hair loss can happen any time you are losing weight. But it's temporary and will come back when you go to maintenance. Making sure you get sufficient fat and protein is supposed to help, as are certain supplements like MSM and biotin. It might not be anything you are doing 'wrong' it might just be how your body reacts to stress and losing weight is a stressor, even when it's good for your long term health.4
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I went through this a few months ago. Try taking Biotin or a b complex that has it.2
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If your energy feels good I'm not sure you have a problem with the diet, especially since you got your doctor's confirmation (who is probably more credible than me and the others on this board).
Stress can absolutely lead to hair loss - it's possible that you're going through a period of stress and that your efforts to limit calories is magnifying that stress for your body.
If anything, maybe boost your calories and see if it stops. Eat at maintenance or at a much smaller deficit for a week or so and see what happens. If you're still losing hair, then it's something else that needs addressing. As an added bonus, the diet break will give you a bit of a mental rest which could actually reduce some of the stress you've been feeling.3 -
Thank you. Sorry for others who experience this, but good to know I'm not alone!0
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Even if you up your calories, I'd encourage you to keep logging! Its a good habit to keep with, and then you'll have a record if/when things change with your hair. That really stinks, by the way - I'm sorry it's happening.1
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Did your doctor test your thyroid? I struggle with hypothyroidism and when it is acting up it is very hard for me to lose weight (I don't gain but cannot lose) and I lose chunks of hair, might be something to look into. Good luck
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Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »Did your doctor test your thyroid? I struggle with hypothyroidism and when it is acting up it is very hard for me to lose weight (I don't gain but cannot lose) and I lose chunks of hair, might be something to look into. Good luck
Thanks, I'll ask her. I'm not sure if she did or not.0 -
Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »Did your doctor test your thyroid? I struggle with hypothyroidism and when it is acting up it is very hard for me to lose weight (I don't gain but cannot lose) and I lose chunks of hair, might be something to look into. Good luck
Yes, hair loss was one of my symptoms before being diagnosed with hypothyroidism.2 -
did they check your thyroid?1
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I bought some collagen powder from Amazon that i've been taking. My hair was thinning and my nails were usually brittle. That powder helped with both.3
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Years ago I notice my hair was falling out at a pretty significant rate. I have a lot of thick curly hair so even though I noticed it falling out, no one else could tell. Anyway, it turned out to be a combination of a slight hormone imbalance and stress. No fun.
Best of luck to you!1 -
If your thyroid is off I have some good tips about how to deal with it when you are trying to lose weight I would be more than happy to share! 4
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STRESS can make hair fall out. I lost hair for almost a month after a highly stressful event. It comes back. I was also eating badly, not logging. I think my protein may have also been very low since when I stress, I lose appetite. I also added a multivitamin to my diet.
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If I remember correctly, you're vegan or plant-based, right? If your protein was low, you may have not been getting enough lysine. It can be an issue for people who don't eat animal products sometimes -- you can be getting sufficient protein, but not enough of this specific amino acid. This has been linked to hair loss. Vegans who are limiting calories can be especially vulnerable, I think.
It may be worth tracking your diet for a week or so on a site that helps you see your amino acids, not just your protein. This could let you know if you're getting enough lysine. Cron-O-Meter will let you do this.
http://veganhealth.org/articles/protein#lys
Or you could just boost higher lysine foods in your diet and see if that makes a difference.5 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »So I was doing really well with weighing/measuring my food. I had my calorie count and I'm really sure it was accurate because while weight loss might have been less one week and more the next, I was averaging out to exactly what MFP said I should be losing, which means I was averaging 1 lb a week over all.
Then for the past two and a half weeks I didn't lose any weight, but hey, I didn't gain, and stalls happen... But my hair has started falling out. Like I'll comb it and a big handful comes out. I did go to the doctor and she drew some blood and talked to me about what I was eating and my calorie count. She said she doesn't think my calories are too low at all (she was surprised it was as high as it was actually but I explained the exercise calories) and she thinks my food sounds nutritionally balanced, but she couldn't come up with any reason for my hair issues. She kind of shrugged and said "sometimes that happens when you're on a diet." BUT I thought that only happened if your calories are too low...
It has been hot as hades here, so could that be a factor? I have been stressed, does stress make your hair fall out?
I'd think if my calculations were off, either if I'm getting more exercise than I think or eating less calories than I think I'd be losing more weight, right? Like, if it's been working just like a math formula so far, that probably means my counts are pretty accurate?
I wasn't doing great on protein when I first started but I made a real effort to get that back up and my doctor said she thinks it's ok. She checked iron and that kind of stuff but I don't have results yet but I do take vitamins....
I've gotten really discouraged and haven't logged for a few days because I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I'm vain about my hair and I'd really like to keep it ... If I opened up my diary at this point you guys would just see some blank pages.
Anyone else experience this? Maybe it's totally unrelated to my weight loss efforts? It just feels connected because it's happening at the same time? Can it happen due to weight loss even if you're getting enough calories?
Yes, I'll shed hair like mad if my anemia is untreated. However, just getting iron in a multi doesn't fix this for me. I have to take way over the RDA and had some trial and error before I found a form of iron that got both my energy and iron levels back up, and stopped the hair loss.
Other deficiencies can lead to hair loss as well. Iodine is one of them. Wait for your test results before making any changes. Ask for a printout with everything that was tested and the results.
Would you please be more specific about protein? What % is your macro set to and how well do you hit it?0 -
My first thought was also thyroid. Don't let yourself forget to see if that was tested. An u derivative thyroid can cause you to gain weight, too, so the fact that you slowed your weight loss is also a red flag.2
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I also encourage you to keep logging your food. It can be helpful for your doctor as you look into timid. Plus (for me) it's hard to start up again once I stop.2
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I had some hair loss when I was in a calorie deficit. It was a small deficit and I lost weight very slowly. I ate plenty of protein. My doctor did blood tests as well, and nothing was abnormal...thyroid was fine. She told me that even if you lose weight at a reasonable rate and do everything right, some people still experience hair loss. The way she explained it to me: Your body wants to keep the status quo, even if that means being overweight or obese. When you disrupt the status quo, your body may "rebel", and hair loss is a common way of your body basically showing its displeasure.
After I reached my goal and was in maintenance for about 6 months, my hair started to grow back. It's completely back to normal now.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »If I remember correctly, you're vegan or plant-based, right? If your protein was low, you may have not been getting enough lysine. It can be an issue for people who don't eat animal products sometimes -- you can be getting sufficient protein, but not enough of this specific amino acid. This has been linked to hair loss. Vegans who are limiting calories can be especially vulnerable, I think.
It may be worth tracking your diet for a week or so on a site that helps you see your amino acids, not just your protein. This could let you know if you're getting enough lysine. Cron-O-Meter will let you do this.
http://veganhealth.org/articles/protein#lys
Or you could just boost higher lysine foods in your diet and see if that makes a difference.
Hey, good memory! Yes, I am vegan. Good thoughts on the lysine. I upped my soy intake and started putting pumpkin seeds on my salads to meet the protein, but when I'm restricting amounts to make a calorie goal, that could mean some amino acids are low.
As for the breakdown, I get 1270 calories a day but get more from exercise which varies day to day. MFP set my protein to 64 g and I usually get close to that--one day might be 60 another might be 70, but it's a rare day I'll get higher than that... Yesterday I got 69 but I went over my calories (went ahead and logged even though I ate some chocolate even though I'd had all my calories already).
I am definitely going to get back to the doctor about my thyroid and try getting some extra lysine and b vitamins. Also good thought on the iodine--I really only get it when I eat seaweed and admittedly I don't even eat it once a week.1 -
nevadavis1 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »If I remember correctly, you're vegan or plant-based, right? If your protein was low, you may have not been getting enough lysine. It can be an issue for people who don't eat animal products sometimes -- you can be getting sufficient protein, but not enough of this specific amino acid. This has been linked to hair loss. Vegans who are limiting calories can be especially vulnerable, I think.
It may be worth tracking your diet for a week or so on a site that helps you see your amino acids, not just your protein. This could let you know if you're getting enough lysine. Cron-O-Meter will let you do this.
http://veganhealth.org/articles/protein#lys
Or you could just boost higher lysine foods in your diet and see if that makes a difference.
Hey, good memory! Yes, I am vegan. Good thoughts on the lysine. I upped my soy intake and started putting pumpkin seeds on my salads to meet the protein, but when I'm restricting amounts to make a calorie goal, that could mean some amino acids are low.
As for the breakdown, I get 1270 calories a day but get more from exercise which varies day to day. MFP set my protein to 64 g and I usually get close to that--one day might be 60 another might be 70, but it's a rare day I'll get higher than that... Yesterday I got 69 but I went over my calories (went ahead and logged even though I ate some chocolate even though I'd had all my calories already).
I am definitely going to get back to the doctor about my thyroid and try getting some extra lysine and b vitamins. Also good thought on the iodine--I really only get it when I eat seaweed and admittedly I don't even eat it once a week.
Since you might have something going on with your thyroid, I would discuss it with your doctor first, but iodine is easy to supplement. I wasn't having any issues, but I use sea salt and only have seaweed a few times a month. After discussing it with my doctor, I picked up a liquid supplement (made from kelp) and put it in my water a few times a week.0 -
If your energy feels good I'm not sure you have a problem with the diet, especially since you got your doctor's confirmation (who is probably more credible than me and the others on this board).
Stress can absolutely lead to hair loss - it's possible that you're going through a period of stress and that your efforts to limit calories is magnifying that stress for your body.
If anything, maybe boost your calories and see if it stops. Eat at maintenance or at a much smaller deficit for a week or so and see what happens. If you're still losing hair, then it's something else that needs addressing. As an added bonus, the diet break will give you a bit of a mental rest which could actually reduce some of the stress you've been feeling.
Lots of good advice in this thread. Just wanted to comment that I also support the idea of a diet break while you work on figuring this out. But I think eating at maintenance for a few weeks would probably be necessary, not sure just one week would do a whole lot.0 -
There is a lot of good advice here, I don't think I can add anything but moral support. I started to lose a little hair a few years ago. But, I wasn't on a diet. It's just because I'm a dude.6
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Just want to chime in with the support. You've gotten good advice, and looks like it's just a matter of figuring out which supplements you'll need.
Although it could just be the stress.0 -
candjmunoz wrote: »I also encourage you to keep logging your food. It can be helpful for your doctor as you look into timid. Plus (for me) it's hard to start up again once I stop.
Also, once you get a good streak going it's great motivation to keep at it (at least for me). When I first started I was crushed to break a streak of just over 100 days - now I'm over 200 and going strong!0 -
THYROID. I always have lost hair when losing weight. Every single time (yo-yo over the years). My calories were never below 1500, ate back exercise as well. However the overall deficit, along with undiagnosed hypothyroidism the first time, and I lost SO much hair. The second time I lost >20 lbs years later, I still was losing a good amount of hair but got my thyroid in check and lost less than before. However, I still always deal with that when I lose weight. Try biotin, make sure to take a multi.2
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The first thing that happens to me when I am stressed is hair loss. You have some great advice here to go with, good luck!1
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I had this happen to me. It took 6 months of extreme dieting for it to start happening to me, but when it did it was bad. I would literally take a shower and I would have to clean the drain 3-4 times to unclog it each time. Handfuls of hair were coming out.
I was severely protein deficient as well as other vitamins. I started taking multivitamins (high dosage) and upped my protein intake to about 250 grams per day! Within 2 weeks my hair stopped falling out, I had a ton of energy and my hair started to regrow even thicker! 1 -
How much fat and protien are you consuming daily?1
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nevadavis1 wrote: »Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »Did your doctor test your thyroid? I struggle with hypothyroidism and when it is acting up it is very hard for me to lose weight (I don't gain but cannot lose) and I lose chunks of hair, might be something to look into. Good luck
Thanks, I'll ask her. I'm not sure if she did or not.
A less known, but very common hormone problem is the parathyroids too.2 -
I don't know if this applies to you or not. But I've been a vegetarian for 10 years. I tried to go vegan for a year of that and lost about half my hair, luckily I have a lot of hair! I went to the doctor and they did blood tests and said everything was perfect. I discovered on my own that I wasn't getting enough dietary fat, it was the only explanation. I was healthy and I felt great but I guess I wasn't eating enough nuts/seeds and oils. I went back to just a lacto/ovo vegetarian diet and my hair issues resolved. So, check that you are eating enough fat! Lots of people are successful on a vegan diet, but some of us may have a harder time getting it right.1
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