Feeling lightheaded since cutting calories
Janellew86
Posts: 40 Member
The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
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Replies
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The calories don't seem too low - but are you getting enough balanced electrolytes? If not, maybe start drinking an electrolyte drink. Sometimes it matters what food you cut out and what food you are eating. In hot weather, salt is important...in the right doses. Especially if you've been drinking a lot of water/tea.2
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Electrolytes sound like a possibility (have you reduced your sodium intake?) or blood sugar (how many carbs are you consuming?).
Could be linked to how you spread your calories throughout the day (your job sounds pretty intense, so you may need more food in the day).
Wild guesses based on not much info 🙂1 -
I've been saving most of my calories for the evening. I probably need to be snacking on my work breaks. I start work at 6am break at 8:10, 10:10, and lunch at 12. I get off at 2:30 if no overtime. The other thing is the electrolytes....sometimes I have a gatorade. I salted my eggs this morning , which I haven't been salting my food. Im on haloperidol and that can cause low salt.Thank you for the replies.3
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2,000 isn’t that low. Did you lower carbs during the day? For most people that take in too many calories carbs are the first thing they lower and carbs are the body’s preferred fuel so lowering during the day can affect your energy level and brain function.
Your condition is most likely temporary until your body adjusts.2 -
It sounds like you need to bump up your calories. 2000 cals or less is not enough for someone who is active at their job. You said you are on your feet 8 hours a day 5 days a week. So maybe you're just under eating. I used to cut calories too severely a long time ago and it caused me to get very dizzy too with painful headaches. Please be careful and nourish your body.0
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Janellew86 wrote: »The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
I'm also female, 2" shorter than you. I had an on-my-feet factory job when I was a little younger than you and weighed a little bit less. I wasn't counting calories at the time, but based on my experience with calories and *sedentary jobs,* 2000 calories may be too low.
When I go to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided put in your stats, give you an Active job, and a weekly weight loss goal of 1.5 pounds per week, I get 2180 calories. You could try eating 200 calories more and see if that helps.
I don't recommend the more aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week because you are already feeling off.
You could also try to determine your maintenance calories. Plan to eat at maintenance for a month/full menstrual cycle assuming you have them. If you don't lose any weight in that time (not week to week, but the average) then you are eating at maintenance level. You can then subtract calories from that to obtain your daily calories.0 -
She weighs 245...I don't think the calories are too low, but may be blood sugar or electrolytes. Eating throughout the day is better than waiting all day to eat - but she has plenty of fuel on board in the form of body fat...ya'll are being alarmist with 2000 calories being too low for a 245 pound woman.5
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cmriverside wrote: »She weighs 245...I don't think the calories are too low, but may be blood sugar or electrolytes. Eating throughout the day is better than waiting all day to eat - but she has plenty of fuel on board in the form of body fat...ya'll are being alarmist with 2000 calories being too low for a 245 pound woman.
^^^^^ This x100
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cmriverside wrote: »The calories don't seem too low - but are you getting enough balanced electrolytes? If not, maybe start drinking an electrolyte drink. Sometimes it matters what food you cut out and what food you are eating. In hot weather, salt is important...in the right doses. Especially if you've been drinking a lot of water/tea.
🤦🏻♀️ thanks @cmriverside and @Lietchi
Y’all gave me a lightbulb moment.
Been feeling dizzy the past couple weeks and didn’t make the connection til I read your advice to OP.
Our AC wouldn’t come on when the weather warmed up, and we are still waiting for parts. I’ve been drinking a lot more water than usual, also craving salty snacks.
I think I know the source of my vertigo now. Don’t know why it didn’t click, but very relieved it has. Will postpone calling doc til I have a couple days of Nuun in me.
(That’s why I love these boards and the great members here! 🥰)
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cmriverside wrote: »She weighs 245...I don't think the calories are too low, but may be blood sugar or electrolytes. Eating throughout the day is better than waiting all day to eat - but she has plenty of fuel on board in the form of body fat...ya'll are being alarmist with 2000 calories being too low for a 245 pound woman.
She is not simply a 245 pound woman, but a woman with an 8 hour per day on-her-feet factory job.
To lose 1.5 pounds per week, that gives her 640 more calories than a woman with her stats and a sedentary job. I've done that factory job, and I've waitressed, which is one of the examples given for the Active activity level.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »She weighs 245...I don't think the calories are too low, but may be blood sugar or electrolytes. Eating throughout the day is better than waiting all day to eat - but she has plenty of fuel on board in the form of body fat...ya'll are being alarmist with 2000 calories being too low for a 245 pound woman.
She is not simply a 245 pound woman, but a woman with an 8 hour per day on-her-feet factory job.
To lose 1.5 pounds per week, that gives her 640 more calories than a woman with her stats and a sedentary job. I've done that factory job, and I've waitressed, which is one of the examples given for the Active activity level.
I've done those jobs, too.
2000 is plenty.2 -
If your job is very physical you are possibly having low blood sugar.
It might be worth looking at the macronutrient split of what you are eating.
If you are feeling lightheaded your carb intake might be low.
Your calories intake seems fine for dieting - but if you are feeling lightheaded you are maybe not having enough carbs. You can try and adjust your carb intake while keeping your total calories the same.
Spreading your intake out through the day may also help if its happening at specific times.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Janellew86 wrote: »The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
I'm also female, 2" shorter than you. I had an on-my-feet factory job when I was a little younger than you and weighed a little bit less. I wasn't counting calories at the time, but based on my experience with calories and *sedentary jobs,* 2000 calories may be too low.
When I go to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided put in your stats, give you an Active job, and a weekly weight loss goal of 1.5 pounds per week, I get 2180 calories. You could try eating 200 calories more and see if that helps.
I don't recommend the more aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week because you are already feeling off.
You could also try to determine your maintenance calories. Plan to eat at maintenance for a month/full menstrual cycle assuming you have them. If you don't lose any weight in that time (not week to week, but the average) then you are eating at maintenance level. You can then subtract calories from that to obtain your daily calories.
firmly disagree that 2000 calories is too low for women with sedentary jobs. my weight is near normal although not where I want it and I maintain at 1600 without exercise.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Janellew86 wrote: »The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
I'm also female, 2" shorter than you. I had an on-my-feet factory job when I was a little younger than you and weighed a little bit less. I wasn't counting calories at the time, but based on my experience with calories and *sedentary jobs,* 2000 calories may be too low.
When I go to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided put in your stats, give you an Active job, and a weekly weight loss goal of 1.5 pounds per week, I get 2180 calories. You could try eating 200 calories more and see if that helps.
I don't recommend the more aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week because you are already feeling off.
You could also try to determine your maintenance calories. Plan to eat at maintenance for a month/full menstrual cycle assuming you have them. If you don't lose any weight in that time (not week to week, but the average) then you are eating at maintenance level. You can then subtract calories from that to obtain your daily calories.
firmly disagree that 2000 calories is too low for women with sedentary jobs. my weight is near normal although not where I want it and I maintain at 1600 without exercise.
Yep, I would argue your "average" woman might maintain, but almost certainly not lose, at 2000 calories. I think most people who balk at the 2000 or less calorie number tend to be men, or highly active, very athletic individuals.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Janellew86 wrote: »The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
I'm also female, 2" shorter than you. I had an on-my-feet factory job when I was a little younger than you and weighed a little bit less. I wasn't counting calories at the time, but based on my experience with calories and *sedentary jobs,* 2000 calories may be too low.
When I go to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided put in your stats, give you an Active job, and a weekly weight loss goal of 1.5 pounds per week, I get 2180 calories. You could try eating 200 calories more and see if that helps.
I don't recommend the more aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week because you are already feeling off.
You could also try to determine your maintenance calories. Plan to eat at maintenance for a month/full menstrual cycle assuming you have them. If you don't lose any weight in that time (not week to week, but the average) then you are eating at maintenance level. You can then subtract calories from that to obtain your daily calories.
2,000 in many cases is a surplus for a sedentary woman. Doubtful of it being a deficit and a decent sized deficit ever0 -
OP isn't sedentary, she has a factory job. She also weighs 245lbs and is 5ft8.
Even if she were sedentary with a desk job, her estimated TDEE would be between 2400
2660 calories. So even higher with a factory job.
So: is 2000 calories necessarily too low, causing her issues? No.
Is it also certainly too high to be in a (considerable) deficit? Also no.
Both are possible I would say.
Our own anecdotal experiences and opinions won't add much here, we have no way of knowing whether she is average or not, statistically speaking.
I do hope she comes back and gives us an update on how she's feeling.
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OP isn't sedentary, she has a factory job. She also weighs 245lbs and is 5ft8.
Even if she were sedentary with a desk job, her estimated TDEE would be between 2400
2660 calories. So even higher with a factory job.
So: is 2000 calories necessarily too low, causing her issues? No.
Is it also certainly too high to be in a (considerable) deficit? Also no.
Both are possible I would say.
Our own anecdotal experiences and opinions won't add much here, we have no way of knowing whether she is average or not, statistically speaking.
I do hope she comes back and gives us an update on how she's feeling.
The reality is we don't know if she's sedentary or not. She said she's "on her feet" all day, but if she's standing still, let's say like on a factory line, that would still be sedentary.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Janellew86 wrote: »The last few days I've been trying to eat 2000 calories or less and I've felt off... Has anyone else had this happen? I'm 36 female 5'8 245lbs. I work a factory job where I'm on my feet for an 8 hour shift Monday through Friday. I'm also wondering if it could be the heat. I'm drinking plenty of fluids.
I'm also female, 2" shorter than you. I had an on-my-feet factory job when I was a little younger than you and weighed a little bit less. I wasn't counting calories at the time, but based on my experience with calories and *sedentary jobs,* 2000 calories may be too low.
When I go to https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided put in your stats, give you an Active job, and a weekly weight loss goal of 1.5 pounds per week, I get 2180 calories. You could try eating 200 calories more and see if that helps.
I don't recommend the more aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week because you are already feeling off.
You could also try to determine your maintenance calories. Plan to eat at maintenance for a month/full menstrual cycle assuming you have them. If you don't lose any weight in that time (not week to week, but the average) then you are eating at maintenance level. You can then subtract calories from that to obtain your daily calories.
firmly disagree that 2000 calories is too low for women with sedentary jobs. my weight is near normal although not where I want it and I maintain at 1600 without exercise.
I didn't say "2000 calories is too low for women with sedentary jobs" but after reviewing my post I see how you could have been confused. As I said, I didn't count calories when I had a factory job. I was making the comparison to counting calories with a sedentary job. I know my calorie needs for the Sedentary setting, and that they would be higher with an Active job.
To maintain at 1600 calories, you must be considerably shorter and/or lighter than the OP. Well, definitely lighter, as you said your weight is "near normal."
The OP is 5'8", which is 2 inches taller than I am. At the OP's height of 5'8", weight of 245, and an Active job, she would maintain at 2930 calories. Taking sollyn's point that perhaps she is only standing and not moving around, 2570 with a Lightly Active job.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided
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Hey, I'm checking in. I found out it helps to have a light snack each break time. I've fallen off the wagon on my lifestyle change. I need to get back on.3
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