I feel weak...

[dreamofdaughter]

Ok. What happens sometimes is that when you're not tracking, it can be easy to cut back without really even realizing it. And as you get used to less food, it's really easy to eat a little less at meals without intending to since it doesn't feel like a super huge restriction like it does at the start. It doesn't take much, because the LE Diet is already lower limits, to fall below the limits and at BMI of 18 we can't do that. So I want you to track again just for a couple days and see how it adds up. Also, go to the store and get some coconut water or V8 juice or orange juice and have a good size serving of that every day to be sure you're getting enough potassium.

Since you aren't doing dairy (right?) I want you at 6-8 eggs a week instead.

Thanks atomic! I will do all this. Yes, I think you're right that I probably fell below the limits but I am pretty used to not eating a lot now so it doesn't feel as difficult - my stomach has definitely shrunk so much, it's hard to fit in a lot of food at each meal! I love eggs so I can definitely do that (yep, no dairy )

Thanks again!

[atomic sagebrush]

Exactly!! I have done this with dieting in the past - not even with LE Diet but just with weight loss. I would realize "wow I'm really not eating much and I get full fast" so I'd be putting half-plates of food back in the fridge or tossing out the last few bites of every meal. Even though it was rarely much food all at once, when you're already eating 1500 cals a day, a few bites here and there and then the occasional half-meal added up and this was the only time I ever had diet affect my cycle! So just be sure you're getting the potassium foods and then try eating a bit more and keep us posted how it's going.

[atomic sagebrush]

Something else occurs to me, which is anemia. So let's try to rule that out (or solve it if it's there). Get an iron supplement of 18, 30, or 60 mg (any of these will be fine, no higher though) and I want you to take this daily for 2 weeks. You may feel profoundly better, in which case you should continue taking this daily for 6 weeks then reduce to 3x a week (but if you notice a return of symptoms, then please reup to daily)

Continue this even into pregnancy until such a point you have your iron levels tested, usually in the first trimester sometime. If your iron levels are normal then you can wean off at that point.