Something scary happened to me last night

This past summer I was about 127 lbs, only a few pounds away from my goal weight, which was 125 lbs (I am just under 5'6", 20 years old). After returning to college in the fall I gained a few pounds back, which wasn't a big deal, but then I went home for the holidays, began binging, gained at least 2 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I'm at 133 now. After a particularly bad binge this past Saturday I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I was disgusted with myself, so I decided to go on a strict diet to get back to (or at least close to) where I was this summer. I know it doesn't seem like a huge difference, but I gained weight pretty fast.

I began the diet on Sunday, so I've only been doing it for two days. I have a sedentary lifestyle so I only burn about 1700 calories a day, so I've only been eating 1200 calories, give or take a few. Yesterday morning I was walking around the mall for two hours so I let myself have 50 or so extra calories.

I was really hungry when I went to bed last night but I didn't really want to eat anymore so I figured I'd just wait until the morning. I never fell asleep because I was so hungry, and about an hour or so after I went to bed I began feeling really sick. I felt nauseous, like I might throw up, so I went into the bathroom. I began sweating heavily and my pulse quickened, and when I got up to look in the mirror to see how pale I was, I fainted. I was only out for a few seconds but when I came to I realized I needed something to eat ASAP. I got up and tried to walk to the kitchen to get some cheese, but I fainted 2 or 3 more times in the process. My mom helped me into my bed and gave me some Cheez-its, and I finally felt better after I ate a bunch of those.

So my question is, what am I doing wrong? I know that I am obviously not eating enough, but I thought that the minimum for women was 1200 calories. Is it because my body has been used to eating a lot more than that? When I was dieting before this summer I wasn't quite this strict with myself because I ate 1300-1500 calories daily, but I also got more exercise. I'm going to eat more today so this doesn't happen again, but I still want to diet because I still want to lose my binge weight. What would be a safe amount to eat per day?

I'm sorry something as scary as this happened to you. But since you're under 21 the minimum you should be eating is 1500 calories, NOT 1200 calories. I'm sure others wil have more advice or recommendations for you. Hope you're feeling better today tho. You might want to see a doctor considering you fainted so many times in a short space of time.

Best wishes and good luck

I thought the 1200 minimum was for 18+?

Even IF you were 21+, 1200 is the bare minimum and that's only for a short, petite woman.  Most people actually need more than 1200.

As you are under 21, CC's tools are inaccurate and you should use this calculator instead: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html  It will be far more accurate for you.

On edit:  You did say you were sedentary, but many people don't really know what sedentary is.  It's literally when you are doing nothing but sitting in front of the TV all day.  Is it possible that you are doing enough activity to make you moderately active according to the calorie calculators?  Just a thought.

You need to see the doctor about this.  It could be hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

I hope you've learned from the experience.  Get yourself on a sensible meal plan that provides the nutrients and calories you need.  No need to try to lose a few pounds that fast and dangerously.

Perhaps it's what you've been eating, not how much. If you aren't eating a lot of healthy good foods rather then you mmight not be getting the nutririon you need.

yea, I would say that sounds like hypoglycemia to me too.  What has your diet been like over the past few days. You mentioned you were going to get some cheese, have you been avoiding all carbs and only eating 1200? If so, you probably had NO simple sugars in body to process and your brain got "sleepy". If you have noticed and muscle weakness, this is a sign of protein loss, meaning since you don't have anough carbs (body's #1 source for brain fuel) it starts using protein (aka your muscles) to fuel the brain. 

I would recommend upping your calories to at least 1500 and eating balanced, including carbs. Im sorry that happened though, MUCHO SCARY

I read the description for hypoglycemia, and I agree that it seems like that's what it was. Is it only a one time thing? As in, do I not have to worry about it again as long as I fix my diet? I am definitely not going to restrict my diet like that again, even if it was only for two days. I see now how stupid it was.

@sealion: I couldn't avoid carbs if I tried. On Sunday when I began the diet I had a blueberry bagel with cream cheese, an english muffin with peanut butter, a clementine, a pretty big chicken salad, a piece of garlic bread, a 100 calorie bag of popcorn, and a cup of unsweetened applesauce. Yesterday I had a cup of plain nonfat yogurt with high protein granola and cantaloupe, two scrambled eggs on a wheat bulkie roll, japanese noodles with stir fry and chicken, baby carrots with peanut butter, and a cup of unsweetened applesauce. I drank lots of tea and water in between meals and snacks to keep my belly full.

To me, that doesn't seem like I'm limiting nutrients, but I could be wrong. I think I was simply eating too few calories, especially because my body was used to having a lot more. Does that sound right?

There is something called reactive hypoglycemia.  I had it when I was younger. If I didn't eat frequent, small meals with some protein, my blood sugar would spike, then plummet.  It's a very uncomfortable feeling.  The way to tell is to have your doctor do a glucose tolerance test.

The main thing I had to avoid was simple sugars, like candies and desserts.  That would cause an immediate spike and I'd have lots of fast energy.  Then I'd crash with dizziness and the shakes.   As I got older the problem disappeared, so I don't know if it can be a lifetime thing or not.

The thing is, this is the first time I've ever had anything like this happen to me. Sometimes (and I mean pretty infrequently) if I get up quickly I'll get a head rush and I'll be a little dizzy for a few seconds, but I think that's pretty normal. Either way this is the first time anything like this has happened to me, as far as I can remember, so it doesn't seem like a recurring thing. I've never had any problems eating lots of sweets (unfortunately :P).

hey there, im also sorry to hear that happend you. i  think (like everyone else) you suffered a hypoglycaemic attack. maybe this was a big drop in cals for you. and sounds like 2 hrs in a mall merited more than 50 cals! i had an attack like that once. i also suffered from anorexia where i had below 500 cals with 10 miles running each day for a few months-but i didn suffer that attack during anorexia.

it happened when i was in good health, ran out the door to my first day at a job and while serving a customer began to feel the symptoms you described. i didnt faint but i was TERRIFIED I would. i went to the doctor and he said it can happen if you've been stressed out with poor nutrition added to it

It's simple - you burned a LOT more than fifty calories in two hours of mall-walking... so you ran out of gas in the evening when your bloodsugar bottomed out! If you are really hungry in the evening it won't hurt you to eat something, and it will avoid a nasty low-blood-sugar attack like you experienced.

Hiya there, I am sorry that you had such a scary thing happen to you.  

I do agree with the others that it's probably diet related,  however you mentioned something that caught my attention and that is that you've been getting dizzy when you stand up to quickly.

Now, I don't want to scare you more, so please don't over react, but it could be a heart valve prolapse.  Women at about 20-21 are often diagnosed with it at your age.

When I was 19 I started passing out and had no idea why.  I left it a few years because I got used to it, however once I realized it could happen any time ( in the car, at work so on) I decided I needed help.

After a buncha tests, they hooked my brain to a monitor and such, they then hooked me to a heart machine and found the very small prolapse.  It's so small that Dr's can't hear it when they listen to my heart !  So I was a hard one to diagnose.

It's easy to treat and take care of, but it can effect your life in small ways.  I don't take the meds and I can't do the surgery 'cause I have a low immune system so for me it's troublesome, but for most people with it, they totally forget it's there !

Like I said, most likely you had a diet issue, but it wouldn't hurt to ask about a heart prolapse.

I wish you luck !

Original Post by patriciaj102:

This past summer I was about 127 lbs, only a few pounds away from my goal weight, which was 125 lbs (I am just under 5'6", 20 years old). After returning to college in the fall I gained a few pounds back, which wasn't a big deal, but then I went home for the holidays, began binging, gained at least 2 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I'm at 133 now. After a particularly bad binge this past Saturday I looked at myself in the mirror and realized I was disgusted with myself, so I decided to go on a strict diet to get back to (or at least close to) where I was this summer. I know it doesn't seem like a huge difference, but I gained weight pretty fast.

I began the diet on Sunday, so I've only been doing it for two days. I have a sedentary lifestyle so I only burn about 1700 calories a day, so I've only been eating 1200 calories, give or take a few. Yesterday morning I was walking around the mall for two hours so I let myself have 50 or so extra calories.

I was really hungry when I went to bed last night but I didn't really want to eat anymore so I figured I'd just wait until the morning. I never fell asleep because I was so hungry, and about an hour or so after I went to bed I began feeling really sick. I felt nauseous, like I might throw up, so I went into the bathroom. I began sweating heavily and my pulse quickened, and when I got up to look in the mirror to see how pale I was, I fainted. I was only out for a few seconds but when I came to I realized I needed something to eat ASAP. I got up and tried to walk to the kitchen to get some cheese, but I fainted 2 or 3 more times in the process. My mom helped me into my bed and gave me some Cheez-its, and I finally felt better after I ate a bunch of those.

So my question is, what am I doing wrong? I know that I am obviously not eating enough, but I thought that the minimum for women was 1200 calories. Is it because my body has been used to eating a lot more than that? When I was dieting before this summer I wasn't quite this strict with myself because I ate 1300-1500 calories daily, but I also got more exercise. I'm going to eat more today so this doesn't happen again, but I still want to diet because I still want to lose my binge weight. What would be a safe amount to eat per day?

Your body type kind of sounds like mine. I have a seditary lifestyle. I'm about 5'5, 128lbs, but tommorow i know i'll weight more because i binged so bad tonight! uhg. Did you dramatically change your calorie intake? I know what you mean, sometimes i'll stand up and get all light headed, kind of like a blackout. Ps im starting to eat 1,200 calories a day... except today must of been 34549067. Good luck to you!