Cutting out junk triggers severe migraines. Help!

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0rangeRocket
0rangeRocket Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
So in the last year or less I've really let myself go and I'm feeling absolutely rubbish about myself.
I've gone from 9 stone to 12 stone. I'm about a size 16 which is the biggest I've ever been and I'm covered in stretch marks which makes me even more angry at myself as I didn't even get stretch marks during pregnancy but I've managed to give them to myself due to my poor lifestyle.

Anyway, I've been trying to get on top of my diet for a while now but I always fall off the wagon as whenever I start to eat clean it triggers the world's worst migraine. The kind that makes me nauseous and the pain is so bad I can't do anything but lie down in bed and sleep it off. Obviously this isn't practical with a toddler.

Today I've decided that I've had enough of feeling rubbish about myself and I want to get back to my old self and to eat healthily again.

I'm consuming around 1700 calories a day in an effort to not cut too many out too suddenly. I have also gone from multiple cups of tea a day to just one cup. I'm not eating any junk or sugary treats so I wonder if it's caffeine and sugar withdrawal if that's even a thing?

Does any one have any advice how to get through this without the headaches?
Will the headaches eventually subside when my body gets used to it's new healthy diet?

I really want to turn things around for me but these headaches always make me give up before I've gotten more than a week in.

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • phx92
    phx92 Posts: 87 Member
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    It could definitely be caffeine especially if you’re going from many cups of tea to one (assuming the tea is caffeinated). Maybe drink the same amount to see if that helps but have less sugar/milk in them?

    Sugar gives some people headaches if they normally eat a lot and cut it drastically. I personally get migraines if I go too long between meals so looking at the spacing of meals also might help

    Maybe try just reducing the amount you eat but keep the same types of food so you can adjust your diet more gradually and not cause yourself pain
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    Some people do better starting off by making small changes, depending on what your diet was before mfp.

    I didn't have to change much food wise. For me, it was just lopping off calories.

    You are cutting back on caffeine which, as mentioned above, can cause withdrawal symptoms.

    I have chronic headaches. Drinking water helps. I can also recommend ice packs on your forehead.

    Great information in the above posts.

    Feel better soon. 🌷
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    Caffeine pills are a great substitute for the usual cups of tea or coffee. Just pop one with water (you can get them at Walmart) in the morning and then whenever you feel the need for caffeine throughout the day.
  • tracybear86
    tracybear86 Posts: 163 Member
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    I would agree with figuring out if it is caffeine withdrawals. But maybe also consider if you have added any new foods to your diet that could be triggering the migraines? There are quite a few healthy foods that I love but can't eat frequently (or at all) because they trigger my migraines. A few for me are bananas, broad beans (lima, butter), sugar snap peas, red wine and tempeh. A couple interesting articles below on food triggers.

    https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9648-headaches-and-food
    https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/understanding-migraineliving-with-migraine-diet-and-migraine/

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