Weight Loss

I've cut my calorie intake down to 1200-1400 a day plus light to moderate exercise (I walk everywhere, probably about 2hrs of walking a day).  Ever since this calorie cut I have been feeling extremely weak at certain times of the day.  Not particularly hungry, just very weak... the way you feel when you get out of a long hot bath.  Does that make sense?  My husband's diabetic so he checked my blood sugar and it's kinda low (80) but not *that* low.  So I am wondering what's going on with my body.  Could it be that I was used to eating twice as many calories and this is just a normal reaction?  I am sure I was eating close to 3000 cals a day before I began counting.

Ideas anyone?

Have you checked your BMR?  1200-1400 might be too low. 

CC "checked" my BMR and suggested 1400 a day if I want to go from 140 to 115 by mid November.  Should I have it checked by a nutritionist or doctor?

I agree, you are probably not eating enough, given your activity level. It is hard to say without knowing what your BMR is, but that 2 hours walking/day could be adding enough to make your calorie deficit pretty big.

I get low blood sugar when I go too long without eating sometimes-I think of it like the light blinking on my dashboard when my gastank is low! I shouldn't, and usually don't, let it get that low (on my body, that is) but when it does, my body lets me know!

If my calorie intake is too low then how come I'm not losing? :(

I just did the calculations and it looks like 1400 is about right.  It's about 500 less than what I should eat to maintain my weight with a BMR of 1418.8.  Am I just a wimp maybe?  And although I've been trying to eat 1200, 1400 is usually what I end up with at the end of the day.

At any rate, if I do manage to do 1200 a day and start eating smaller meals more frequently (to avoid the low blood sugar) will that be harmful or will it just make me lose faster?

I am feeling the EXACT same way. I don't necessarily feel hungry, just weak and low on energy. I'm trying to eat a little more today to see if I feel any different.

If my calorie intake is too low then how come I'm not losing? :(

These two things can go together!  If your calorie intake is too low, your body can also go into "conservation mode" and slow your metabolism. In that case you won't lose weight even if you're eating fewer calories.

It seems counter-intuitive but it's true. Try upping your calories to 1400-1500 per day. See if you feel better.  Try it for two weeks and see if you lose weight.

cc sometimes recommends a higher deficit (500-1000 calories) if you want to lose weight faster. Personally I've never been able to tolerate more than a 500 calorie deficit or I feel too hungry and weak.

 

What you are eating for those calories may be making you weak - are you getting enough protein, grains and fruit? and water?

I was going to ask the same question as Katann. You may be dehydrated, or you may be getting most of your calories from simple carbs (white bread, pasta, sugars). Don't forget that you also need fats-especially (or exclusively) unsaturated fats, so olive oil, nuts etc. Also, maybe you are depriving yourself of needed minerals. Are you getting enough sleep? If it's none of the above, I'd see a doctor. 

If it's none of the above, and you are burning about 2000 calories and eating about 1300, I would encourage you to try adding a bit more food to your diet before seeking a medical explanation for why you are feeling weak.

Keep in mind that BMR is just what your body needs to run it's processes. As soon as you get up in the morning and start moving around, you need more calories. A BMR is a basal level - meant for if you were lying stationary all day and not moving at all.

Your maintainence calories are probably closer to 2000, so if you eat around 1600, you will still lose weight.

I felt exactly how you describe just last week.  I cut down my calorie intake form  a lot - sometimes more then 3000 down to the recommended 1550, sometimes slightly more per day.  I felt weak but now I feel excellent.  I think the body has a chance to detox a bit when it isn't burdened with too much food all the time.   I did though cut down a lot on meat and now eat it once a day, and I do not overeat at any one sitting.

Thanks for all the advice!  I don't mean to sound obnoxious, but my eating habits are healthier than pretty much anyone I know.  Even when I was eating 3000 cals a day it was all healthy food.  I eat nothing processed, a LOT of local fruits and veggies, lots of whole grains (I can't remember the last time I had white bread or pasta) and I'm drinking water constantly.   I'm a vegetarian so I pay close attention to my protein intake and make sure to get enough pressure-cooked beans and tofu etc.

Also, the question about eating only 1200 was hypothetical.  I've been trying to keep my intake at around 1400.  I have failed at this several times (mainly because I like cheese, olive oil, and avocados a bit too much... good fats) and ended up with daily totals of 2000 or more a couple of times.  My average calorie intake for the 10 days I have been counting carefully is about 1700. 

And yet... still the physical weakness.  I woke up this morning, for example, after a 1500 calorie day yesterday and felt like I was going to collapse while I was making my bowl of 10 grain hot cereal!

The detox suggestion makes the most sense to me so far.  I do a yearly detoxification fast with my husband and remember having a similar feeling from that.  So maybe my body is getting rid of all the excess junk it has in it...

In any case, it doesn't feel good and I'm surprised it's still going on.  Maybe I should see a doctor.

If you are eating healthy and averaging 1700 carefully counted calories, and still feeling weak, you should definitely go see a doctor. 

Is it possible that maybe you are a bit anaemic?  Or lacking in some or other mineral, pottasium (bananas), magnesium.   I'm with you on the avocados and olive oil - I hate logging those as much as I love eating them!

I am not an expert. My advice is from my own experience. Maybe you should have more frequent meals or snacks between meals. I used to eat strictly 3 meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would get really weak in between the meals, and couldn't even workout normally. However, as soon as I started eating less at regular meal time and having healthy snacks instead, the problem was gone.

Good luck!