Dizziness is a common side effect of following certain types of diets to lose weight. However, you don't have to feel dizzy to achieve successful weight loss. In fact, you shouldn't feel dizzy if you're following a healthy diet and weight loss plan.
Causes
Dizziness can result from following certain types of calorie-restricted diets as well as from iron deficiency or other types of anemia, dehydration or other health conditions. If you're exercising to lose weight, make sure you're drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Consult your health care provider if you are experiencing dizziness when dieting, to help rule out potential health concerns.
Low-Carb Diets
If you're following a low-carbohydrate diet to lose weight, beware of a condition called ketosis. Ketosis, an accumulation of keto acids in the body due to insufficient energy intake and the subsequent breakdown of fat for energy, can cause dizziness. Low amounts of keto acids in your body usually won't cause dizziness, but large amounts of keto acid accumulation likely will. Very low carbohydrate diets containing less than 100 g of carbohydrates per day can cause ketosis. More research is needed to determine the safety of low-carb diets, although they have been successful for weight loss.
Severe Calorie Restriction
Restricting your calories is an effective way to lose weight. However, as with following a very low carbohydrate diet, severely restricting your calorie intake may lead to ketosis and dizziness. The American Dietetic Association encourages a rate of weight loss of 1 to 2 Ibs. per week, which has been shown to be safe and to best keep lost weight off long term. By reducing your energy intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day, you should be able to lose about 1 to 2 Ibs. per week.
Prevent Dizziness
To help prevent dizziness, drink large amounts of water when following any type of weight loss diet to help flush keto acids out of the body. Another way to avoid large amounts of keto acids from accumulating in your body is to reduce your daily calories by safe amounts only and to eat smaller, more frequent meals.
References
- Merck Manual of Medical Information; Diets; July 2008
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Nutrition for Weight Loss: Is a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Right for Me?; Dec. 2010
- American Dietetic Association; American Dietetic Association Publishes Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines for Registered Dietitians; Sept. 2006
