Headache help!!

chrissie1021
chrissie1021 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Hi all, this is my 5th day counting calories and exercising! I'm trying to loose those extra pounds to make me feel a bit better!!

Any way... I'm trying to eat around 1400 calories per day (this is what MFP suggested!)

I wondered if anyone else is suffering with these or if its just me. The only changes I can think I've made is cutting down my 9/10 cups of tea a day with 2 sugars in each to 2 teas a day with no sugar, but surely my head would have been aching before today?? I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep with the pain. Can anyone shred any light please.

Thank you!!

Also just to add I have been drinking 3-4 litres of water a day!

Replies

  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    I looked at your food diary, and if you're eating similar types of food (just less of them) than before, it's not the food. And 3-4L water daily is good (I aim for 4-5L myself, or more on sweaty workout days). It could very well be the cut in caffeine intake. I, for one, cannot, in no way, exist without my coffee (two very strong cups every day) plus a diet Pepsi daily, else the migraines emerge. Unless you are medically advised to reduce caffeine for a condition, there's no need to give up the tea.

    ETA: And, if it fits in your goals for the day (there's "room" on yours so far), a little lump of sugar or two in those teas (measured and journaled, of course) should fit in the total kcals.
  • muppet1501
    muppet1501 Posts: 46 Member
    I think it would be the amount of caffeine that your body was used to. Its like trying to quit an addiction and caffeine headaches are the worst!! Keep doing what your doing and drink plenty of water and after a few days the headaches will start to subside. If it gets unbearable then just use painkillers.
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
    It could be some kind of withdrawal from the sugar, rather than the caffeine. I went through a phase of eating lots of chocolate a few years ago, and then quit cold turkey and had really bad headaches for a couple of weeks afterwards.

    As the previous poster said, you can carry on drinking lots of tea if you like - cutting down the sugar is definitely a good move and will aid your weight loss, but if your headaches get very bad, it might be an idea to do it gradually. Perhaps you could move to having sugar in some of your tea, but not all, or halve the amount you have in each cup and gradually reduce down to having none.
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
    if you're cutting down on caffeine, that will do it and your headaches will subside. I gave up diet soda January 2012 and i was an addict! had headaches from it for a little bit (maybe a couple weeks) but then they went away. I have headaches for other reasons now - always had them always will.
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
    From what you have said, OP, it sounds like you've got a case of caffeine withdrawal. The headaches will pass soon, but make sure you stick to drinking lots of water. Take Tylenol if you must/if it becomes unmanageable. I get headaches when I cut back after massive caffeine intake, too.
  • muppet1501
    muppet1501 Posts: 46 Member
    just had a quick look at your food diary and your having a lot of sodium. This can be a trigger for headaches. What id do is look back on what you have eaten on the days you get the headaches to try and pin point what could be the cause.
  • nicjustine
    nicjustine Posts: 37
    Sugar and Caffeine headaches are the worst. You can either bear through it and deal with it going cold-turkey or attempt to wean yourself off of it slowly. Hope you feel better!
  • JaneLane33
    JaneLane33 Posts: 80 Member
    caffeine withdrawal is bad and can cause headaches and flu like symptoms. You can start by going back to what you used to drink minus the sugar and gradually cut down on the amount of tea you drink if you want or you can just deal with a headache for a few more days and be done with it. Unless there is a medical reason to cut down on caffeine you may want to just continue drinking it for awhile or cut back gradually.
    For a headache reliever go get some Excedrin it contains some caffeine. Just be careful with any pain relievers because too many days in a row can cause bounce back headaches.
  • chrissie1021
    chrissie1021 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you for all your answers!! To be honest if it I just a withdrawal headache I can live with it I just didnt know if I was eating something that was wrong. It's mad but since stopping the sugar in my tea my teeth feel clean all day and cutting the tea right down has made my teeth so white in such little time and definitely saved me £100 on having them whitened!! So it's not medical but definitely beneficial!!

    I will keep an eye on the sodium, it's not normally that bad but had a cheeky takeaway tonight that over punched it but I only have takeaway every other month and didnt wanna miss out :-)

    To anyone who did look at my diary is it ok? I mean I'm trying to balance everything as it should but its all so confusing!!

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