is it normal to have daily headaches in a calorie deficit?
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Replies
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No, it's not normal to have a headache when dieting. I see several potential causes, some which are already mentioned.
- Caffeine withdrawal. - that should sort itself out in a couple days
- Exam withdrawal. - time for a party!
- Just not enough calories. - up your calories by at least 200 a day. You'll still lose and you'll have more energy.
- Anemia. Get more iron in. Raisin bran for breakfast, and steak for dinner.
- Electrolyte imbalance. Salt your food.
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I'd like to throw out that the weather can induce headaches in some people. I get bad headaches, not quite migraines, when there's a low pressure system sitting over the island.0
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TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »hello, I've been logging for 40 days on MFP, i am 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), my starting weight was 84 kg (185 lbs) and my current weight is 78 kg (172 lbs). i am eating the amount of calories as advised by my diary (1210 calories).
i also started running and doing indoor cycling, been doing good for the first 25 days but stopped because of my M.Sc exams, will start working out again next week.
my question is, i've been having a daily headache for the past week or so. is it normal? could it be related to my diet?
note that the weather got extremely hot in the past few days, i've been trying to stay hydrated throughout the day so i don't get dehydrated.
my boyfriend keep telling me that it is not because of the weather or exams and that it is normal and you should feel that way when you are on a low calorie diet. any help?
Are you eating back any exercise calories? If not, then that would explain the headaches. You're on a 1210 calorie diet but probably netting less than 1000 on most days.
i haven't worked out for over a week, but when i used to workout, i tend to eat just a few of my exercise calories, my average net calorie over the past week is 1054 calories
1054 when you are 5'8" - why?
Guess you have set an aggressive rate of weight loss and not eating back exercise calories is making your deficit excessive irrespective of headaches or not.
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robingmurphy wrote: »Are you hungry when you get the headache? For many people a headache is a sign of letting themselves get a little too hungry
no not really, surprisingly i don't get hungry that much (even before dieting, i sometimes eat a lot but most of the time i don't enjoy eating). some days i will be hungry but i can manage these days by choosing the right macros so i feel full.
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You're really tall to be at 1200 calories, especially with your average exercise. The headaches might be due to not eating enough?
You should look at your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Your BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to maintain functions--like brain activity, heart beat and breathing. You should not eat below your BMR without a doctor's supervision. Your TDEE is how many total calories you burn each day including exercise. You cut calories from this number to come up with your deficit for weight loss.
What's your goal weight? If you're at 1200 calories with your height, it sound like you might have set your weight loss to 2 pounds per week. That can be too aggressive if you have less than 50 pounds to lose and it seems that's likely.
Generally, if you have 50+ pounds to lose, you can try 2 pounds per week. 25-50, 1.5 pounds per week. Less than 25,1 pound per week. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it can be to lose and you really need to have tight logging. As people lose weight, they typically adjust their calorie allotment down, and you have no where to go from 1200. 1200 is consider the minimum due to being to meet basic nutritional needs.
You also want to give your body enough calories so you don't lose too much lean muscle mass.
I would guess the headaches could be caused by low blood sugar, due to not enough food.
Please take care of yourself and your body--you're all you've got!
i've calculated my BMR on three websites, it is around 1580. but i don't trust these calculators, i don't know. i feel like i need to know how do they know that this is the energy required for my body to function correctly. i will try to do some research after i am done with my exams next Tuesday.
also, my boyfriend is actually the one that is helping me in this process. he used to be a personal trainer "he is not qualified or anything" but he tells me if i choose to do this my way. i should stick to my way and not to ask him for help. so i am afraid i won't lose weight my way "upping my calories"0 -
It could be your eating pattern. I notice headaches if I fast too long. I didn't know that was what was causing them when I was working and not eating until I got home and assigned them stress and computer work. Since counting calories however and varying patterns to achieve 1200 most comfortably I have been able to correlate no eating in the day with afternoon headaches.
yeah, i think that my headaches are worse now since i am really busy with my exams, i don't really feel like i need to eat until i get home.0 -
No, it's not normal to have a headache when dieting. I see several potential causes, some which are already mentioned.
- Caffeine withdrawal. - that should sort itself out in a couple days
- Exam withdrawal. - time for a party!
- Just not enough calories. - up your calories by at least 200 a day. You'll still lose and you'll have more energy.
- Anemia. Get more iron in. Raisin bran for breakfast, and steak for dinner.
- Electrolyte imbalance. Salt your food.
thank you for your help
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CharlotteDiva wrote: »I have been on 1200 calories per day for about 2 months. I recently had the same problem with headaches. According to my Doctor, it might be due to a lack of magnesium. She prescribed magnesium as a supplement (1 tablet per day during breakfast). For the moment, no more headaches. Happy.
well, i will see what i can do about that thanks 0 -
TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »hello, I've been logging for 40 days on MFP, i am 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), my starting weight was 84 kg (185 lbs) and my current weight is 78 kg (172 lbs). i am eating the amount of calories as advised by my diary (1210 calories).
i also started running and doing indoor cycling, been doing good for the first 25 days but stopped because of my M.Sc exams, will start working out again next week.
my question is, i've been having a daily headache for the past week or so. is it normal? could it be related to my diet?
note that the weather got extremely hot in the past few days, i've been trying to stay hydrated throughout the day so i don't get dehydrated.
my boyfriend keep telling me that it is not because of the weather or exams and that it is normal and you should feel that way when you are on a low calorie diet. any help?
Are you eating back any exercise calories? If not, then that would explain the headaches. You're on a 1210 calorie diet but probably netting less than 1000 on most days.
i haven't worked out for over a week, but when i used to workout, i tend to eat just a few of my exercise calories, my average net calorie over the past week is 1054 calories
1054 when you are 5'8" - why?
Guess you have set an aggressive rate of weight loss and not eating back exercise calories is making your deficit excessive irrespective of headaches or not.
I agree. That's a crazy-low amount of calories for your height and weight.
I'm 5'8", currently 165. I started out with 1200 - long, long ago before I knew better. Once I learned more, I set a less aggressive deficit and added exercise calories and ate some of those. Last year I also bought a Fitbit (Charge model) and my deficit is based off of the burn provided by myFitbit. I lose (slowly, by choice) eating a daily average of probably around 1800, maybe closer to 1900.
I'm guessing you chose 2lb/wk. At your weight, you shouldn't have a goal of more than 1 lb/wk; .5 lb/wk would be better. Of course, it's also important that you log accurately in order to make sure you are actually creating the deficit you chose. Just be aware, everything is an estimate - some are just more accurate than others - and you need real world results before you will know how accurate the numbers are. That's true for everyone. Choose reasonable goals. Meet those goals for 4-6 weeks. Adjust as necessary.
And tell your boyfriend he's crazy if he thinks eating more than you are won't get you to your goals (unless I misread your statement).0 -
One vote for not eating enough0
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TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »hello, I've been logging for 40 days on MFP, i am 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), my starting weight was 84 kg (185 lbs) and my current weight is 78 kg (172 lbs). i am eating the amount of calories as advised by my diary (1210 calories).
i also started running and doing indoor cycling, been doing good for the first 25 days but stopped because of my M.Sc exams, will start working out again next week.
my question is, i've been having a daily headache for the past week or so. is it normal? could it be related to my diet?
note that the weather got extremely hot in the past few days, i've been trying to stay hydrated throughout the day so i don't get dehydrated.
my boyfriend keep telling me that it is not because of the weather or exams and that it is normal and you should feel that way when you are on a low calorie diet. any help?
Are you eating back any exercise calories? If not, then that would explain the headaches. You're on a 1210 calorie diet but probably netting less than 1000 on most days.
i haven't worked out for over a week, but when i used to workout, i tend to eat just a few of my exercise calories, my average net calorie over the past week is 1054 calories
1054 when you are 5'8" - why?
Guess you have set an aggressive rate of weight loss and not eating back exercise calories is making your deficit excessive irrespective of headaches or not.
I agree. That's a crazy-low amount of calories for your height and weight.
I'm 5'8", currently 165. I started out with 1200 - long, long ago before I knew better. Once I learned more, I set a less aggressive deficit and added exercise calories and ate some of those. Last year I also bought a Fitbit (Charge model) and my deficit is based off of the burn provided by myFitbit. I lose (slowly, by choice) eating a daily average of probably around 1800, maybe closer to 1900.
I'm guessing you chose 2lb/wk. At your weight, you shouldn't have a goal of more than 1 lb/wk; .5 lb/wk would be better. Of course, it's also important that you log accurately in order to make sure you are actually creating the deficit you chose. Just be aware, everything is an estimate - some are just more accurate than others - and you need real world results before you will know how accurate the numbers are. That's true for everyone. Choose reasonable goals. Meet those goals for 4-6 weeks. Adjust as necessary.
And tell your boyfriend he's crazy if he thinks eating more than you are won't get you to your goals (unless I misread your statement).
i am afraid i will feel guilty when i eat just a little more. i've had like two days in the past month when i ate more than 1500 "almost 1700". but other than that. when i eat even 100 calories more. i feel like i am not going to lose weight.
i am logging accurately, in the first week of logging, i didn't have a kitchen scale, but i've bought one to make sure i just don't eat more than i should.0 -
can someone explain if there's a difference between BMR and maintenance calorie intake? i thought they're the same thing. if i eat higher than BMR, i should gain weight and if i eat higher than maintenance calorie intake, i also gain weight, right?0
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You're losing weight at a pace of more than 2 lbs per week - that is very aggressive. Eat a little more, lose a little slower. Not eating enough plus the stress of exams would for sure give me daily headaches.
If you are afraid of eating more and feel guilty when you do, this is something you need to deal with now, before it gets out of hand. Those kinds of strong emotions should not be attached to how you eat. Food is fuel for your body, and something we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy.
I am 43, 5'4" and 130 lbs and am only lightly active. And I can lose weight eating 1500 cals. Best of luck0 -
@TinklesOdd, your Basal Metabolic Rate is the estimate you burn AT REST. If you are running the equivalent of 5 K daily those are all more calories you need to consume to remain in equilibrium.0
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TinklesOdd wrote: »can someone explain if there's a difference between BMR and maintenance calorie intake? i thought they're the same thing. if i eat higher than BMR, i should gain weight and if i eat higher than maintenance calorie intake, i also gain weight, right?
No. You gain weight when you eat above your TDEE, which is higher than your BMR. You quoted the person who already explained this:
"You should look at your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Your BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to maintain functions--like brain activity, heart beat and breathing. You should not eat below your BMR without a doctor's supervision. Your TDEE is how many total calories you burn each day including exercise. You cut calories from this number to come up with your deficit for weight loss."
While I don't agree about the eating below BMR without a doctor's supervision part, you really don't want to do that for a prolonged period of time. Especially because you aren't very overweight.
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TinklesOdd wrote: »can someone explain if there's a difference between BMR and maintenance calorie intake? i thought they're the same thing. if i eat higher than BMR, i should gain weight and if i eat higher than maintenance calorie intake, i also gain weight, right?
BMR is the calories your body burns if you stayed in bed all day. It is the minimum you should NET (meaning your calories eaten minus exercise calories). Maintenance are the calories you eat to maintain your weight. Again for an example, my BMR is 1350 and my maintenance is @ 1800. If I eat more than 1800 I gain, if I eat less than 1800 I lose. If I ate less than 1350 I would be undereating and stressing out my body.0 -
TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »hello, I've been logging for 40 days on MFP, i am 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), my starting weight was 84 kg (185 lbs) and my current weight is 78 kg (172 lbs). i am eating the amount of calories as advised by my diary (1210 calories).
i also started running and doing indoor cycling, been doing good for the first 25 days but stopped because of my M.Sc exams, will start working out again next week.
my question is, i've been having a daily headache for the past week or so. is it normal? could it be related to my diet?
note that the weather got extremely hot in the past few days, i've been trying to stay hydrated throughout the day so i don't get dehydrated.
my boyfriend keep telling me that it is not because of the weather or exams and that it is normal and you should feel that way when you are on a low calorie diet. any help?
Are you eating back any exercise calories? If not, then that would explain the headaches. You're on a 1210 calorie diet but probably netting less than 1000 on most days.
i haven't worked out for over a week, but when i used to workout, i tend to eat just a few of my exercise calories, my average net calorie over the past week is 1054 calories
1054 when you are 5'8" - why?
Guess you have set an aggressive rate of weight loss and not eating back exercise calories is making your deficit excessive irrespective of headaches or not.
I agree. That's a crazy-low amount of calories for your height and weight.
I'm 5'8", currently 165. I started out with 1200 - long, long ago before I knew better. Once I learned more, I set a less aggressive deficit and added exercise calories and ate some of those. Last year I also bought a Fitbit (Charge model) and my deficit is based off of the burn provided by myFitbit. I lose (slowly, by choice) eating a daily average of probably around 1800, maybe closer to 1900.
I'm guessing you chose 2lb/wk. At your weight, you shouldn't have a goal of more than 1 lb/wk; .5 lb/wk would be better. Of course, it's also important that you log accurately in order to make sure you are actually creating the deficit you chose. Just be aware, everything is an estimate - some are just more accurate than others - and you need real world results before you will know how accurate the numbers are. That's true for everyone. Choose reasonable goals. Meet those goals for 4-6 weeks. Adjust as necessary.
And tell your boyfriend he's crazy if he thinks eating more than you are won't get you to your goals (unless I misread your statement).
i am afraid i will feel guilty when i eat just a little more. i've had like two days in the past month when i ate more than 1500 "almost 1700". but other than that. when i eat even 100 calories more. i feel like i am not going to lose weight.
i am logging accurately, in the first week of logging, i didn't have a kitchen scale, but i've bought one to make sure i just don't eat more than i should.
You can "feel" you won't lose weight all you want. What I think you should do is try to separate as much emotion as you can from this process. You need data, not feelings. Set your goal to 1 lb/wk. Log accurately - weigh solids (including packaged food) and choose correct entries. Log exercise. Eat 50-75% of those calories. Do this for about 6 weeks. You should see loss - then you won't "feel" like you won't lose weight, you'll actually see that you do.0 -
TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »TinklesOdd wrote: »hello, I've been logging for 40 days on MFP, i am 173 cm (5 ft 8 in), my starting weight was 84 kg (185 lbs) and my current weight is 78 kg (172 lbs). i am eating the amount of calories as advised by my diary (1210 calories).
i also started running and doing indoor cycling, been doing good for the first 25 days but stopped because of my M.Sc exams, will start working out again next week.
my question is, i've been having a daily headache for the past week or so. is it normal? could it be related to my diet?
note that the weather got extremely hot in the past few days, i've been trying to stay hydrated throughout the day so i don't get dehydrated.
my boyfriend keep telling me that it is not because of the weather or exams and that it is normal and you should feel that way when you are on a low calorie diet. any help?
Are you eating back any exercise calories? If not, then that would explain the headaches. You're on a 1210 calorie diet but probably netting less than 1000 on most days.
i haven't worked out for over a week, but when i used to workout, i tend to eat just a few of my exercise calories, my average net calorie over the past week is 1054 calories
1054 when you are 5'8" - why?
Guess you have set an aggressive rate of weight loss and not eating back exercise calories is making your deficit excessive irrespective of headaches or not.
I agree. That's a crazy-low amount of calories for your height and weight.
I'm 5'8", currently 165. I started out with 1200 - long, long ago before I knew better. Once I learned more, I set a less aggressive deficit and added exercise calories and ate some of those. Last year I also bought a Fitbit (Charge model) and my deficit is based off of the burn provided by myFitbit. I lose (slowly, by choice) eating a daily average of probably around 1800, maybe closer to 1900.
I'm guessing you chose 2lb/wk. At your weight, you shouldn't have a goal of more than 1 lb/wk; .5 lb/wk would be better. Of course, it's also important that you log accurately in order to make sure you are actually creating the deficit you chose. Just be aware, everything is an estimate - some are just more accurate than others - and you need real world results before you will know how accurate the numbers are. That's true for everyone. Choose reasonable goals. Meet those goals for 4-6 weeks. Adjust as necessary.
And tell your boyfriend he's crazy if he thinks eating more than you are won't get you to your goals (unless I misread your statement).
i am afraid i will feel guilty when i eat just a little more. i've had like two days in the past month when i ate more than 1500 "almost 1700". but other than that. when i eat even 100 calories more. i feel like i am not going to lose weight.
i am logging accurately, in the first week of logging, i didn't have a kitchen scale, but i've bought one to make sure i just don't eat more than i should.
You can "feel" you won't lose weight all you want. What I think you should do is try to separate as much emotion as you can from this process. You need data, not feelings. Set your goal to 1 lb/wk. Log accurately - weigh solids (including packaged food) and choose correct entries. Log exercise. Eat 50-75% of those calories. Do this for about 6 weeks. You should see loss - then you won't "feel" like you won't lose weight, you'll actually see that you do.
Thank you, i will do that.0 -
TinklesOdd wrote: »can someone explain if there's a difference between BMR and maintenance calorie intake? i thought they're the same thing. if i eat higher than BMR, i should gain weight and if i eat higher than maintenance calorie intake, i also gain weight, right?
BMR is the calories your body burns if you stayed in bed all day. It is the minimum you should NET (meaning your calories eaten minus exercise calories). Maintenance are the calories you eat to maintain your weight. Again for an example, my BMR is 1350 and my maintenance is @ 1800. If I eat more than 1800 I gain, if I eat less than 1800 I lose. If I ate less than 1350 I would be undereating and stressing out my body.
thank you for your help0 -
I am just here to not only agree with the sentiment that you need to eat more, but as experience as well.
I am 5'9", and used to get the same headaches back in the day. Daily, dull, and persistent. I would eat 1200-1400 calories. Started off about the same weight as your current. It wasn't until I upped them that I felt better. Even now, my diary is set to lose .5lbs a week and gives me 1620. But because I'm training for a marathon, I also run 5k a day or more so I eat about 2000-2200 and lose weight. So I'm here to say that you can up it and still lose weight, just not at the 2lbs a week which is too aggressive anyways. Just make sure that your log stays accurate using a food scale.0
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