WHY DO I HAVE HEADACHES SINCE STARTING MY DIET?

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  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    are you eating ENOUGH sugar? headache is the first sign of low blood sugar... especially if it goes away or gets better when you eat.
  • mollycivinskas
    mollycivinskas Posts: 9
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    That happens to me too, and I noticed it's usually when I exercise really, really long and hard, and don't eat very many calories. I, too, noticed that they tend to go away when I eat. So when I do eat, I am trying to eat more fruits and veggies, and during meals, I make sure to include lean protein. Please let ME know if you find any additional solutions. :)
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    Perhaps its a detox symptom. If prior to this diet, you ate crap and stopped suddenly, you may experience 'side effects' as your body moves these offenders out of your system. It should pass soon.

    Exactly. If you have cut way back on refined carbs/sugar those effects are not uncommon. And they are amplified if you have eliminated caffeine too.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    Have you been adding crystal light or any of those powders to make it easier to drink water? Those and the fake sugar they're made from can give you headaches.
  • mollycivinskas
    mollycivinskas Posts: 9
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    P.S. Too much water combined with a lot of exercise and sweating can also be bad. If you're exercising a lot, make sure you replenish your electrolytes with Gatorade or something like it (I like G2- it's very low calorie.)
  • PalmettoparkGuy
    PalmettoparkGuy Posts: 212 Member
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    I agree.
  • stephr2014
    stephr2014 Posts: 311 Member
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    Have you cut down on carbs/ Sugar? because this could be why your getting your headaches, but it will pass.
  • MAG2010
    MAG2010 Posts: 30
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    I get headaches something FIERCE when I detox off sugar!! Just drink lots and lots of water!!! It gets better I promise!!!!
  • MsLadyVirgo
    MsLadyVirgo Posts: 160 Member
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    Bump
  • AmeChops
    AmeChops Posts: 744 Member
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    Hopefully your headaches will calm down soon...making changes always upsets the body a bit, if it does carry on though maybe have a chat with your doctor...looks like you're making changes for the better though. good luck to you :-))
  • fitacct
    fitacct Posts: 238 Member
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    Same thing is happening to me, which is why I searched "headache" just now on the community forum (your post came up). I started a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet on Wednesday and have also cut back on sugar. My head has been hurting for two days now. I can barely stand the pain tonight. : ( I'm drinking plenty of water (approx. 10 glasses a day), so that's not the issue. I'm wondering if it's the sugar? I didn't realize how much sugar I consumed before until I had to start tracking it!
  • dakotared88
    dakotared88 Posts: 3
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    I personally get mire than enough water, which I have read a book on "water" and briefly why I have been getting headaches/migraines is a simple fix: salt. If you drink your recommended amount of water, mine is 10 - 8 oz glasses for my weight and activity level I was expelling all the salt in my body and not replacing it, thus causing my migraines. This mainly would happen right after or during my runs in heat. So hopefully this helps I prevent my headaches with a few grains of sea salt but reg table salt will work in a pinch. It's basically a mineral level issue when one drinks major water.
  • gandydancer
    gandydancer Posts: 171 Member
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    Hi, that has happened to me also..my doc told me to get potassium tablets at GNC and I take a half of one per day and drink more water and it works...beginings of any diet when you cut down on food intake a lot of it ends up being carbohydrates which hold water, that is why we lose more in begining as the water is released from stored carbs and it is an adjustment for your system and the loss of potasium causes the headaches...hoped this helped a little.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    You should see a doctor. I felt dizzy a lot in the past, and I would eat to feel better, and that put some serious weight on.

    I got some bloodwork done, and it turns out that I'm hypothyroid. Between a combination of some hormones and some preventative migraine medication, I feel a lot better, and I can do a lot better on less food.

    You could be hypoglycemic or anemic or deficient in some sort of nutrient.
  • Fancyfaceamanda
    Fancyfaceamanda Posts: 1
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    I just started my diet and exercise a week ago and I now have headaches too. ????
  • AndiGirl70
    AndiGirl70 Posts: 542 Member
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    I am prone to headaches. I find drinking lots of water and ensuring I eat enough protein each day seems to stave them off. I do enjoy my 1-2 cups of coffee a day and I don't really track my sugar.
  • FatOldBat
    FatOldBat Posts: 3,307 Member
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    I have been doing well for about a week, but I have a dull, achy headache almost constantly now. I am drinking more water, so I don't this I am dehydrated. It seems to get a little better once I eat. Any suggestions?

    **Allow me to update...
    OK, first off, WOW at the number of responses I got and quick!!!
    To answer some questions:
    a) I have not cut out caffeine, I only drink one cup of coffee a day anyway. NOT gonna happen!
    b) I don't know how to make my food log viewable but I''ll work on that.
    c) I have set myself to 2000 calories to start. I am trying not to set myself up for failure as I have some in the past, so I figure as I get used to this I will drop it a little to 1800, etc. I have been right at my goal, usually within 100 cal of my goal for the day. I know this will take time so I am trying to make smart changes!
    d) and yes, I had a very crappy diet before. I would eat out 3-4 times a week. BAD!!

    I think it may be the sugar as several of you have suggested...in keeping the journal I noticed REAL quick that I was getting a LOT of calories from sugar (especially in my morning coffee!), plus I am a sweet hound. Now I have drastically reduced my sugar intake to only what occurs naturally in food. I am using stevia instead of sugar in my coffee, and have had almost no chocolate in a week!

    Thanks for the ideas, y'all are great =)
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  • ahelms05
    ahelms05 Posts: 1
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    I have read before that too much vitamin A can cause headaches http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-QuickFacts/

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