dizzy spells due to low calorie intake?

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  • raquel_soto
    raquel_soto Posts: 11 Member
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    Everyone is advising on eating MORE, but it doesn't look like you stated how much you are generally eating. We know you are generally NETTING 1200, which means you are eating enough calories but might be, then, over doing the work outs.

    It can be a combination of things: not having enough water, not eating the right calories, working out to much, not having the right combination of nutrition.

    If you are eating enough calories then scale back the working out a bit and see how you feel then. Your weight might go up and down, but it does that so don't freak out.

    Right now I'm in maintenance so MFP advises me at 1720 but when I do some online searches it's more like 1500, I don't net down more than 1200 most days now, so sometimes I have to skip the working out all together because I ended up taking a brisk walk or two, which put me way to much in the green. I'm in toning mode but still need to watch not to net down so much or I have noticed that it's counter productive.

    Hope that helps!
  • cibilbee
    cibilbee Posts: 47 Member
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    Thanks for all the great advice so far, after reading all these I know the calories bump is the right call :). Right now I'm 5'7'' and 183 lb with about 28% body fat. I drink a ton of water and workout a lot. I try to eat about every 3 hrs so hopefully bumping up my snack calories will help. Thanks again! :)
  • Determined_21
    Determined_21 Posts: 17 Member
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    Very new to this calorie intake thing...wow...didn't think bringing up your intake could make u lose. I thought if anything you'd gain. Very interesting!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I drink a ton of water
    Sigh.
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
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    Thanks for all the great advice so far, after reading all these I know the calories bump is the right call :). Right now I'm 5'7'' and 183 lb with about 28% body fat. I drink a ton of water and workout a lot. I try to eat about every 3 hrs so hopefully bumping up my snack calories will help. Thanks again! :)

    Your BMR is about 1600. Try upping your calories about 100 every week and try to get close to 1600. Eat lots of fruits and veggies and other healthy foods. I think you'll start to feel better after that.
  • Determined_21
    Determined_21 Posts: 17 Member
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    Been feeling the same way lately =/
  • keyboardwench
    keyboardwench Posts: 121 Member
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    it's orthostatic hypotension. try upping your iron intake (could be anemia-related) as well. do you get a lot of salt/sugar/carbs in your diet? i'm not saying to eat high salt but if your diet is lacking in electrolytes (salt, potassium) it will affect your blood pressure.

    Also, if you're going to up your iron, up you fiber and water as well. High iron makes it hard to poop sometimes.

    Just a thought, if the op's blood test came back normal like stated, vitamin deficiencies/low iron wouldn't really be the issue. That's one of the standard things that is tested for when doing a blood test after a fainting spell. They ran my hemoglobin after I fainted in January (netting 1300) and it was low in hemoglobin, aka I had anemia, which required another test to distinguish which type of anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency rather than the normal iron deficiency).

    If your doctor gave you any advice, I'd take that. Ask him/her for diet advice, for the basics, but definitely eating more won't be that damaging to your weight loss progress.

    At 5"7', 183 and your age (just looked at your profile) as well as working a desk job (I have no idea what your activity is like so I just put in the basics), your BMR (calories needed to sustain your vital organs/systems, what you'd burn if you just laid in bed all day and did nothing) is 1892, your maintenance calories (cals you need to eat to maintain your weight) is 2272 and to lose at a steady deficit of 15% (.7lbs/week) you should be aiming for 1930 calories a day as per this calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ Check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group if you're interested in more about upping your calories.

    Honestly upping calories has been the best thing for me (health and sanity wise) and my weight loss. I wasn't losing much at 1300 calories or even 1600. At 1850 I can't hold onto the fat and I get to eat all the things XD Plus, no more fainting or even lighteheadness, that has completely passed for me!
  • tweakz20
    tweakz20 Posts: 152 Member
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    Blood pressure measures the strength of the heart contracting and can be used to diagnose several things.. Pump problem, fluid problem, or vessel problem. It doesn't give any indication of iron or vitamin deficiencies. Need blood work for that.

    I agree it sounds like dehydration, not something to do with calories. If you have cramps that go along with it, especially if you exercise out in the sun, drink a sports drink that has the essential electrolytes (sodium/potassium).
  • cibilbee
    cibilbee Posts: 47 Member
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    I actually had the doctor test for Anemia too because I have a history of that. Saldy my doctor is not to worried and told me to just stand up slower because its probaly a blood pressure issue from losing so much (I will looking for a new doctor). Thanks for the infomation it's very helpful :)
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
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    Thanks for all the great advice so far, after reading all these I know the calories bump is the right call :). Right now I'm 5'7'' and 183 lb with about 28% body fat. I drink a ton of water and workout a lot. I try to eat about every 3 hrs so hopefully bumping up my snack calories will help. Thanks again! :)

    Not to be rude, but how do you know your body fat%? Did you get it tested or are you going off of something computer based? I am 5'6.5'' and 132 and I eat 1500-1700 a day. I dont think you are eating enough at all.
  • cibilbee
    cibilbee Posts: 47 Member
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    Thanks for all the great advice so far, after reading all these I know the calories bump is the right call :). Right now I'm 5'7'' and 183 lb with about 28% body fat. I drink a ton of water and workout a lot. I try to eat about every 3 hrs so hopefully bumping up my snack calories will help. Thanks again! :)

    Not to be rude, but how do you know your body fat%? Did you get it tested or are you going off of something computer based? I am 5'6.5'' and 132 and I eat 1500-1700 a day. I dont think you are eating enough at all.


    I got it tested at the gym. They have a machine you hold and squeeze and it gives you your body fat %.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Don't assume a dizzy spell is a lack of net calories (though it could be). The same could be caused by dehydration or an imbalanced diet.

    First, talk to your doctor to make sure there are no actual problems. It's reasonable to eat a little more quality food and drink more water and see if it goes away, but don't spend a lot of time self-experimenting resolving dizzy spells. (to OP: Yes, you've done this, and good job!, this is just more informational).

    Second, make sure you are drinking a reasonable amount of water. Skip the numbers and the slogans. In a normal healthy person, your urine should be pale yellow. If it's clear, you're drinking too much but you're good unless you are drinking A LOT of water (more than a couple gallons a day).

    Third, check your fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Make sure you are eating a reasonable balance of all three. Keep sugars to a reasonable minimum. Make sure you are getting iron, potassium, and sodium and not ridiculously overdoing any of the three. Check your other nutrients occasionally to make sure you are getting enough of each. It's OK to take a multivitamin/supplement if you're struggling with them and can't get it through food easily - just pick the multivitamin that gives you what you need and doesn't give you what you don't.

    Finally, remember that a couple hundred calories a day will slow your weight loss but aren't going to do you any real harm, so if you're otherwise healthy and you've gone through the above, eat a little more and see what happens.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
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    thats another good point, once your caloric intake hits a certain bottom point, your body goes into survival mode and starts hoarding every calorie it can get its hands on.

    So much misinformed well-intentioned advice on these boards...

    Contrary to what has been said, you CAN NOT go into starvation mode by lowering your calories like that... That is not how the body works... In fact, for most of us - a 20 day fast would not put us in starvation mode until we hit close to 7-8% bodyfat.

    Go research any of the IF authors and see their sources. These guys have to deal with this "but what about starvation mode" comments all the time. I've dropped my calorie intake to 1500ish per day & my TDEE is around 2800. All that means is you need to chose your calories wisely and make sure that you consume nutrient dense foods opposed to nutrient weak high carb foods that makes you hungry & knocks your insulin levels out of wack.

    Research actual starvation mode & make sure you're not reading articles from ppl on this site, or from people who don't know how to properly read & comprehend peer reviewed studies on starvation mode.
  • nanaloseweight
    nanaloseweight Posts: 9 Member
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    I drink a ton of water

    Not good for you at all!! Only drink what you need NOT what you think you need as this can be dangerous.
  • slim4health56
    slim4health56 Posts: 439 Member
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    Are you consuming anything different since starting your weight loss journey? I tried a well-known protein shake when I started out and it wrecked me...felt dead. Look at your food diary and pick out anything that you've added that you didn't normally consume. I do NOT want to start a flame war here, but some people don't respond well to artificial sweeteners either.
  • VBnotbitter
    VBnotbitter Posts: 820 Member
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    Well as it was over a year ago she's had time to sort it out by now
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    yep, happens to me all the time, I fast a lot.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    Holy Necromanced Thread, Batman!

    robin_01.jpg
  • TruckersWifeTruckersLife
    TruckersWifeTruckersLife Posts: 408 Member
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    I wasn't having problems with dizzy spells but I did up my daily calories from 1200 to 1400 a couple of weeks ago and it has made a huge difference
  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
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    thats another good point, once your caloric intake hits a certain bottom point, your body goes into survival mode and starts hoarding every calorie it can get its hands on.

    So much misinformed well-intentioned advice on these boards...

    Contrary to what has been said, you CAN NOT go into starvation mode by lowering your calories like that... That is not how the body works... In fact, for most of us - a 20 day fast would not put us in starvation mode until we hit close to 7-8% bodyfat.

    Go research any of the IF authors and see their sources. These guys have to deal with this "but what about starvation mode" comments all the time. I've dropped my calorie intake to 1500ish per day & my TDEE is around 2800. All that means is you need to chose your calories wisely and make sure that you consume nutrient dense foods opposed to nutrient weak high carb foods that makes you hungry & knocks your insulin levels out of wack.

    Research actual starvation mode & make sure you're not reading articles from ppl on this site, or from people who don't know how to properly read & comprehend peer reviewed studies on starvation mode.

    Thank goodness for a bit of sense! I am SOOOOO fed up reading about 'starvation mode' on this forum, it's a myth.

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