Headache on 1200 cals?

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heykatieben
heykatieben Posts: 398 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Since I started MFP, eating a 1200 calorie diet, I've gotten a dull headache from time to time (eating mostly veggies and fruits). This week while I'm eating normally - carbs, meat, alcohol, whatever, no calorie counting (bc of US Thanksgiving) - it's completely gone away. I've consistently drank plenty of water and exercised, so it seems like it's because I'm eating more (or maybe differently).

Aside from the fact that I'm blowing my diet this week, when I get back to calorie counting - should I increase the number of calories I eat on a daily basis? Wait for my body to adjust to a lower number of calories? Eat more carbs? Something else? Thanks :)

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    malnourished!
    1200 calories is a bad idea unless your doctor tells you too.
    For a lot of people its way too low.
    Eating below your BMR will not give the nutrients your "Vital Organs" need.
    Eat higher calories and youll feel better.
  • Sweetchaos66
    Sweetchaos66 Posts: 59 Member
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    Not an expert by any means but are you getting enough protein. I never thought anyone my weight could live on so few calories but the protein seems to make the difference.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    I think 1200 is too few, but that's just me. Are you eating fibrous vegetables and some whole grains? I get headaches every now and then and I know it's because I need carbs. I think I've adjusted to my current low-carb menu. I make every low-carb count.
  • andrialindsay
    andrialindsay Posts: 55
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    Sometimes when you greatly reduce sugar/processed foods your body goes through a type of detox and goes into withdrawls, so when you start eating that stuff again the headaches go away. Along with the low cals that will give you a headache for sure.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I have been prone to headaches my entire life. When I reduced my calories to 1200 I had one each day. I then added exercise and ate back those calories, and the headaches went away. I consistently lost 1 pound a week eating approx 1500 cals a day.

    Also, I find with more protien my headaches went away.

    Keep up the good work, you will not be sorry you did!:flowerforyou:
  • heykatieben
    heykatieben Posts: 398 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Cool, I'll experiment with these ideas and see what works for me :)
  • hotforcollege
    hotforcollege Posts: 34 Member
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    Up ur calories!
  • gumigal82
    gumigal82 Posts: 350
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    MFP tells me to eat 1200, but I also add back the calories I use up in a workout. (So on a workout day ALWAYS eat more than 1200...I aim for 1400-1500) Also, make sure to pack in lean protein to every meal.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Most of the time dull headaches mean malnutrition or dehydration. It's kind of a general alarm, to say that something is wrong, but it's not limited to one specific area of the body.
  • nicrus24
    nicrus24 Posts: 12 Member
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    A lot of times you can also get headaches from your body going through a detox, especially if you go from eating crap to eating all good foods.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Withdrawal doesn't last for more than a week. If its been longer than that, there are other problems happening.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I stopped losing weight when I dropped to 1200 calories. I'd recommend going up to 1300, minimally.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Considering how little weight you have to lose (based on your profile), you should probably set your weight loss goal to .5 lb/wk if you haven't already (and given that you're at 1200 I'm thinking you probably have it set higher unless you are really, really short). That will up your calories and should be closer to what your body needs.

    I also just saw in your profile that you said you quit drinking soda - if this was recent that could definitely contribute to headaches. And as someone else mentioned - dehydration - make sure you're getting plenty of water.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I'm another vote for setting your weight loss goals to 0.5lbs a week and eating what MFP tells you to. When we get close to our goals it's really hard to lose and your body responds better to lower calorie deficits. It's really not natural to be as lean as we like.
  • sklauck
    sklauck Posts: 3
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    I had the exact same experience on 1200 calories a day. I finally changed from 1.5 to 1 pound a week, which gave me 1330 calories a day. It's amazing that just 130 calories more could make a difference.
  • heykatieben
    heykatieben Posts: 398 Member
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    Okay, I've set my goal to 1/2 pound per week now, which gave me 200 extra calories. That does sound better... that can be 1-2 extra snacks to stave off headaches, and will probably be easier to keep up. Thanks guys. :)
  • Canbfit4life
    Canbfit4life Posts: 124
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    :happy: increase your protien & fiber ,eat more raw veggies & raw nuts & that should help & drink plenty of water let me know how it works out for you ,

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