So... I've been on a 1500 calorie diet for the last 10 days. I've lost 7lbs and have been doing suprsingly well with controling my appitite. But at this moment I'm sittimg down with a batch of mashed potatoes with skins. I started having heart palpatations a couple days after starting my diet... And I finally figured out what it was.... Potassium! I wasn't taking in nearly enough... So I need to get supplements tomorrow. I just thought I would share my experience... I almost thought I was going to have to abandon my diet. Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon. But wanted to put this info out there in case anyone else is experiencing palpitations... Check your foods and make sure u are getting enough potassium.

spinach, sweet potatoes/yams are great sources of potassium.

Be very careful and see your doctor if it continues... in my case, caffeine was causing palpitations. Sugar can do it too.

Thank you lyn, I do not drink any caffeine or take in too much sugar. I think it may very well be potassium for me. I had the same issue at the end of my pregnancy... Turned out to be potassium then also. I plan on getting supplements tomorrow because I just blew my last 700 calories for the day on potatoes... But by doing this, I'm hoping the occasional palpitating stops and proves that's the issue.

Nomorejelly, thanks for those other food options. I went with the potatos because they are the highest in potassium. Hoping this process proves it to be potassim.

My palpitations were caused by anemia. I agree with Lyn. If you are having palpitations, I would be cautious about self-diagnosing. There are a number of serious things that can cause palpitations. You want to make sure you have the right one.

I too would encourage you to see your doctor. A while back I got the flu and when the doctor took my pulse she found irregular heartbeat and told me NOT to leave that office without calling the cardiologist, and gave me a recommendation.

I did... and it turned out I have PVCs -- which can be very serious if there is heart damage or disease... or no big deal otherwise. Fortunately mine are the latter but it was a wake up call to get myself into better health and get my weight off, etc.

Heart palpitations are not something to fool around with.

I just had a week of palpitations that, after going to the ER last week thinking that perhaps I had had another pulmonary embolism, I found out were just PVCs. In my case, they're harmless and I haven't had any extra beats for 3 days. Palpitations are definitely nothing to brush off, no matter how minor they may seem. In my case, my doctor and I have no idea why I had palpitations; all my blood work came back perfectly normal except for a minimally elevated white cell count which means I likely had an infection of some sort.

Better to be safe than sorry.

I have palps all the time. Mine is all related to stress.

Yeah, I've had them since I was a teenager (I'm 33 now). Mine are also stress related and I cannot drink beverages with high caffeine content (like coffee) or I'll be racing like crazy.