Cheat Day = Bloated, Swollen, Sore Muscles, Headache

tiatiamaria

Hello MFP friends. Does anyone else experience this? I don't think I have a medical condition, but I do want to understand what is happeneing to my body so I can avoid it in the future. Every time that I have a cheat day, or overeat in the slightest , I experience face/finger/wrist swelling, headache, sore muscles and worst of all is the terrible brain fog and blah feeling I get. If I overeat (im not talking about binging- just eating more than my normal calories) , I feel like the food sits in my belly like concrete for days at a time. I just got back from vacation and wasn't eating my normal healthy food. I ate some fried stuff, I ate extra sugar, I indulged in a beer or two, but I did make sure I was drinking water too. Yesterday I was up 10lbs (in 9 days) and I seriously felt disgusting. Today I am only up 6, and my fingers are still balloons but I feel a little better. I guess the best way to explain the feeling is that I feel TOXIC when I eat like that. Is it possible that I am just holding a ton of water and toxins in my muscles? Your thoughts please

Lyadeia

Have you been tested to see if you have an allergy or sensitivity to certain foods?

Cheat meals and cheat days tend to leave most people feeling bloated, but not really all those other symptoms unless we eat something that we individually shouldn't (like a celiac eating bread, or a diabetic having alcohol, etc).

Mokey41

Too much sodium in processed foods, if you normally eat low carb you're getting a restore of glycogen and that retains water. Perfectly normal reaction to eating what you aren't used to eating and a deterrent to not do it again!

pinkraynedropjacki

So dont do a cheat day. Simple. I remember my re-feed day. Holy crap I thought I'd been drinking the day before I felt that bad. Headache, felt just like crap. Never had one again. I eat what I want when I want & still lose. My body is ok with that,

meredith1123

Perhaps its the sodium, or because maybe you ate processed foods? Drink water... lots and lots of water... after cheat day(s). It helps tremendously.

APalmieri2012

I eat what I want when I want & still lose. My body is ok with that,

Same here! Everything in moderation.

Jessica_D_Shadow

I'm not sure what all you were eating & drinking but with what you stated,

Sodium - Can lead to the swelling.
Processed Food - Can lead to the bloating/gas.
Caffeine! - Can lead to the sore muscles, headache, & the foggy brain feeling. Caffeine Withdrawal that is. If you had a lot of Caffeine & Sugar on vacation then stopped when you got home, that may be the Caffeine withdrawal giving you these symptoms.

I am NOT a doctor, by any means. I am just sharing with you the reason I get those symptoms when I overeat or have cheat days. Hope this may give ya a little insight into others with a similar problem.

lahlstephens

Your body has gotten used to eating healthy and doesn't want that bad stuff anymore, simple. After being on MFP for some time I have realized how much sodium and fat that is in restaurant food, prepackaged food, etc. When I eat out and have a cheat meal, I also feel like I have a food hangover the next day. The sodium content alone is astounding!!! Try tracking your cheat meals and see what is in them and this could be the cause of your problems. Great job on drinking lots of water on your vacation! Having a cheat meal is better than a cheat day, you might feel better the next day. Your scale could be showing a higher number due to water retention from the sodium you probably consumed during your vacation. Don't give up! Get back on track! This is a lifestyle change!!! You can do it!

tiatiamaria

thanks for the help guys! I've been pounding water, yesterday and today and its seems to be helping. It's crazy how feeding my body too much of the wrong stuff can make me feel so awful. The sad part is, nothing I ate was tasty enough to be WORTH the nasty feeling. It's just so hard to be away from home and away from my routine and still eat light and healthy. Thats one thing I still need to get the hang of.

Is 10 pounds of water rentention normal?? Granted I probably had a lot of salt, and it is close to TOM. It just seems insane to me.

takuwinds

My cheat day is on Saturday and I think I am enjoying myself but I end up feel yucky. Like and over dose on sugar and salt. I do feel bloated and very low on energy. I'm starting to think that only one or 2 cheat meals is better than cheating all day!

adorable_aly

Sometimes its just a sign of your body not being able to handle it, if you have been avoiding that type of food for a long time (I remember that after I had been dieting after several months, I had one little happy meal, and threw it straight back up) but sometimes it could be due to an intolerance. I think you should speak to your doctor.

chandanista

Due to a death in the family and an unscheduled long distance trip, with all included stress and lack of sleep, I am coming off a two day unplanned "cheat" now. Too much salt and sugar, last night I was bloated and in pain. About 5 pound difference from Friday. Pounding the water, ibuprofen and fresh plant based foods today. Every time I have something happen that causes this type of junky binge, I learn a little bit. Last time was on Memorial Day, I changed my barbeque eating habits for July 4th.

Now, if I have to take a sudden family emergency related trip, I know that I have to pack low cal caffeine drinks, or a refillable coffee cup (usable at any gas station in the US, lol). If I don't want to binge on donuts, I have to bring along fresh fruit; if my experience yesterday is any indication, most travel pit stops don't have good fruit offers (79 cents for a brown banana, really? ugh, no wonder I went for the donuts). Also, lack of sleep leads directly to sugar and salt binges...I don't know how to counteract that one yet.

Good luck. You should feel better after a couple days back in the saddle. I know I always do.