consequences of not eating enough calories
 

What are the repercussions of not eating enough calories ? i am feeling light-headed lately and tired and breathe faster..

It sounds like you are in a situation like many of us have been in the past. Searching for answers, desperately trying to lose at any cost. :hug:

Please, educate yourself about nutrition. See a doctor and a registered dietitian if possible. Eat enough calories for you and your body (could be 1,200-2,600 or more depending on size, age, activity level and so on).

Be gentle with yourself!

If you're exhausted and light-headed, you're probably not eating enough.

Additionally, eating too few calories can send your body into "starvation mode," which is completely counterproductive when you're trying to lose fat.

I agree with SoulBliss - don't risk your health. Talk with someone who can help you establish a nourishing, sustainable eating plan.

im also having headaches.

Kaytlin, what did you eat today?

I can't say for sure what you are experiencing, but it sounds like you are experiencing low blood sugar symptoms like I used to get when I didn't eat enough in the past.

well here is what i ate:

breakfast: 1 toast with peanut butter

lunch: chicken noodles cup-a-soup (200 calories)

snack: half a big cookies

supper: one handfull of almonds, 1 hot dog with tofu sausage



i did run fast and did some jogging for about 30 minutes on a threadmil...that's the only exercice i did today.

Well, at most that's probably 1,000 calories and not very balanced at all. Do you eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans (other than soy) or legumes?

The cookie probably gave you a bit of a sugar rush and then, your blood sugar came down too fast. If you really want something sweet, have a protein bar. I also doubt the chicken noodle cup a soup had much nutrition to it (or protein). You might try a sandwich w/ chicken, avocado, sprouts or lettuce. Add some yogurt too (I like Fage 0% fat yogurt, found at Trader Joe's) with some strawberries. You might also think about buying some whey protein or hemp protein shakes. I hope you feel better soon. :)

Other symptoms of extended low calorie diets can be hair loss. I know when I've gone too low cal or too low fat in the past I can almost always tell by the amount of hair coming out when I comb it after a shower. When you don't eat a good variety of food you'll deprive your body of vitamins and minerals. As well you're far more likely to give up and binge when you can't keep going on what you're eating.

Another possible side effect of a too low calorie diet is having gallstones/gallbladder problems...and eventually heart problems. My mother had to have her gallbladder removed in the 80's...and the main cause was the super low calorie "fad" dieting that was popular in the 70's and 80's. Now, because she has no gallbladder, she gets physically ill if she eats too much fat in one sitting.

Another problem with eating too few calories is the amount of muscle mass you lose. It's hard to enough to maintain muscle /minimize muscle loss on a calorie restrictive diet, but if you go too low and starve your body muscle is the first thing you'll catabolize for energy. From an evolutionary standpoint, muscle is more expendable than fat, so your body holds the fat and eats the muscle. I'd definitely go with the diet suggestions people have made on here. Up your protein and get your calories up to 1200 at the very minimum. A cookie for a snack is just empty calories and, like it was already said, you'll experience a sugar crash shortly afterwards and probably feel shaky...lightheaded...etc.

You need well balanced nutrition. Add some more vegetables and protein to you diet, eliminate all the empty calories(ex: cookie). Think of your body like a machine that needs the right type of fuel so you can burn it adequately and be successful in weight loss.