Weight loss, dizziness, short rant!

[HotMommy]

After being on Atkins for a year and returning to phase 1 to lose 15lbs I am very ambitious to get to my goal weight because I know how easy it will be to maintane...my first time around I stalled at 140 and gained to 145 when the glocogen (spelling?) stores were replaced. I lost from 175 to 140 in a month or so, then "settled".
This time I lost to 140 in 3 days (back to square one) and stalled again for around a week...I have grown to despise the number 140 and refuse to see it ever again...so I have been eating around 500 calories a day for about a week now. My carbs are fine. But this last weight won't go. My waist won't shrink below 26 inches.. and I feel dizzy and my vision black out when I move too fast/stand up from a sitting position.
I eat absolutely no artificial sweeteners
No flax seed
no more than 8 oz of coffee
All I do it is eat meat low in calories and veggitables.
What else can I do??
And anyone know whats with the dizziness, I'm assuming calories but I'm afraid to add anymore, I guess I just need clarification so I know something isn't actually wrong!
Thanks all!

[texastigerlily]

Sounds like this induction flu everyone talks about. I think your calorie intake is too low. Up your calories to 1000 and see if that helps. Do you exercise? Do you supplement? Are you drinking plenty of water?

[Diana]

Your starving yourself!!! 500 calories? Up your calories to no less then 1200. Never eat below 1200 calories, your body will hold onto the weight it will think oh my were not getting enough, we have to hold on to this so nothing happens.

[laureninva]

I would bet that the dizziness/blackout of vision is from drops in your blood pressure, it happens to me frequently and that's what my doctor said it was from. He recommended getting up more slowly, and it seems to help.

That said, 500 calories is WAY TOO LOW for anyone. If you continue eating that low of a level, your metabolism is going to adjust to that and then you won't be able to eat much over that without gaining.

What about trying a meat/egg fast, or fat fast to try to get things moving again? You really do need to get your calorie level up some.

[chiody]

Dizziness can be caused by low blood pressure as another poster has stipulated. Best to test when you wake up, during mid day, evenings before sleeping and if you exercise, before and after.

Have you tested your bodyfat levels with calipers and measurements? There may be a chance your frame size and weight is "ideal" right where you are at?

[HotMommy]

Ah! I can noramlly eat around 2500 without gaining I thought the decrease was a good thing. Thanks for the info and I guess it's time to do calorie research...I was under the impression the less you eat the faster you lose.

[Indychick829]

like everyone else said, you MUST increase your calories...low-carbing is about INSULIN and NOT calories...while calories do count - meaning if you eat 5000 calories a day but no carbs - you won't lose and you might gain because that would be too many...but like someone else said - the absolute LOWEST you should go is 1200.

I know that many calorie counters find out their "BMR" - Basal Metabolic Rate - which is basically the "number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day and where otherwise inactive.

this link should help: BMR Calculator

good luck and eat more!!

[MsWoods]

I agree, up your calories. I was thinking like you and thought the less calories I ate the quicker I would lose, but I just felt like crap at around 6-800 calories and I was actually not losing at all, and I had/have ALOT to lose. I got wise and trusted my low carb friends, added some butter and more food, and started losing and felt a lot better.

Also, how much water are you drinking? I was forcing myself to drink at least 120oz and when doing that I was getting really dizzy and light headed. By process of elimination I figured out it was the water I was forcing myself to drink, stopped forcing water, and started drinking when I was thirsty. I started feeling better and stopped getting dizzy.

[HotMommy]

Originally Posted by texastigerlily

Sounds like this induction flu everyone talks about. I think your calorie intake is too low. Up your calories to 1000 and see if that helps. Do you exercise? Do you supplement? Are you drinking plenty of water?

Yes. around 70oz of water and an hour of exercise that I combine cardio and strength training.

After reading the posts I realized I have gone wrong. I will enjoy eating more, to b honest I was incredibly miserable and seconds away from binging...

I just had some cheese and tuna with mayo on top of the cabbage I was going to call lunch and I feel a lot better

[HotMommy]

Originally Posted by MsWoods

I agree, up your calories. I was thinking like you and thought the less calories I ate the quicker I would lose, but I just felt like crap at around 6-800 calories and I was actually not losing at all, and I had/have ALOT to lose. I got wise and trusted my low carb friends, added some butter and more food, and started losing and felt a lot better.

Also, how much water are you drinking? I was forcing myself to drink at least 120oz and when doing that I was getting really dizzy and light headed. By process of elimination I figured out it was the water I was forcing myself to drink, stopped forcing water, and started drinking when I was thirsty. I started feeling better and stopped getting dizzy.

Water? Really? I force myself to drink quart after quart fighting of hunger pangs and the desire to snack...I had a entire quart before 8AM this morning and that's when I stood up from my laptop and thought I might pass out!
Thank you for the info.
I will increase my calories.
I guess my goal isn't worth killing myself over

[MsWoods]

Yep, and now 4 months later, I drink about 24-48oz of coffee a day and at least half a gallon of water, but not forcing myself. Haven't got dizzy at all.

And yes enjoy your food, this WOE is for life so you might as well enjoy it!

[Houston Heather]

It's interesting. My goal is 160 for 5'7, because I have big bones, take medications that make me retain water, and carry a lot of muscle. At 140, maybe that's what your body WANTS to weigh. You are 5'8, and unless you have a very slender, boyish figure I would think that would be "fine".

My advice, if you want it, is don't get so hung up on the numbers. When I weighed 130-140 I looked GHASTLY. When my 5'7 husband got down to 129 people were asking me what was wrong with him, and wasn't I feeding him. The comments stopped when he got back up to 138, so that's his goal.

Take the other advice given about calorie intake, fat intake, etc. Weight loss means NOTHING if you cause yourself damage along the way.

[HotMommy]

Originally Posted by MsWoods

Yep, and now 4 months later, I drink about 24-48oz of coffee a day and at least half a gallon of water, but not forcing myself. Haven't got dizzy at all.

And yes enjoy your food, this WOE is for life so you might as well enjoy it!

That's funny the first thing I did to increase carbs was poor half a pot of coffee into a huge glass with about an ounce of cream and two truvia...it was amazing after being deprived of caffiene for a week!
I agree with you, about food, I can't see living more than another day the way I was. I was growing discouraged very fast.

[Stash'sWife]

Originally Posted by Houston Heather

At 140, maybe that's what your body WANTS to weigh. .

This is what I was thinking.

[HotMommy]

Originally Posted by Houston Heather

It's interesting. My goal is 160 for 5'7, because I have big bones, take medications that make me retain water, and carry a lot of muscle. At 140, maybe that's what your body WANTS to weigh. You are 5'8, and unless you have a very slender, boyish figure I would think that would be "fine".

My advice, if you want it, is don't get so hung up on the numbers. When I weighed 130-140 I looked GHASTLY. When my 5'7 husband got down to 129 people were asking me what was wrong with him, and wasn't I feeding him. The comments stopped when he got back up to 138, so that's his goal.

Take the other advice given about calorie intake, fat intake, etc. Weight loss means NOTHING if you cause yourself damage along the way.

Thank you for he advise. I have already had more calories and I feel a lot better. I don't have a slender figure! I'm meduim to large framed and VERY pear shaped...everywhere I look the BMI for my "healthy" weight is different. Some go as low as 121lbs which is clearly too low for me. That alone makes it difficult to choose a goal weight. Not to mention silly media advise on size which is much more confusing. All of this can drive a girl crazy!

[Amber_Baby]

Ditto everyone else's comments, that's some good advice there. I'm 5'9" and my goal is 150, I know I look good at that weight so I'd echo Houston Heather's words on that issue. Good luck.