Headaches and feeling lightheaded...culprit?

crissy1110

I've been dutifully following MFP and have noticed I've been having lingering headaches and at times, feel a bit lightheaded. I am drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day and the only caffeine I drink is in the morning (one cup of coffee), which I am still doing. I eat balanced meals, including protein, carbs and fruits/veggies. Most days, I am very close to eating all of my calories, even the ones I get back from exercising. So, what's the deal? Is my body just trying to adjust to not eating as much? How long should I give it before I reach out to my doc?

ludogx87

i get this as well, in short spells, usually when my head hurts a little i drink more water, someone once told me the most common cause for sore heads is dehydration, maybe try and drink more fluids???? and some more sugars? eg, from fruits??

hope this helps

qkidney

I can't see your diary, but do you have a lot of sodium? I've found that sodium has been giving me headaches lately. Days that I'm high in sodium = headache.

WhitneyAnnabelle

It could definitely be your body adjusting. When I don't eat enough, I get very lightheaded when I stand. I've almost passed out just from walking to the kitchen. If it goes on from more than a week or two, I would see the doctor. You could be deficient in some area of your health, like iron.

MsFat2Fit

I'm getting headaches if I'm dehydrated; also if I'm not eating enough carbs... One evening I took some orange juice and after that was ok (usually I don’t drink juices).

Beth429

I wouldn't wait too long, you should talk to your dr.... you may be missing somehting for example maybe your body isn't rebuilding serotonin fast enough.. Only your dr should make an analysis just to be safe though!!!

Hambone23

/bump Would like to hear this too. I get it as well. For example, I ate -- what I thought -- was a good breafast: tilapia fillet, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, dill, and lemon sauce, and a cup of mixed, roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, and chopped broccoli tossed in a 2 tsps of olive oil and seasoned. I've probably only had 3 glasses of water. But it's 9 a.m. here. And I'm feeling fairly lightheaded.

annabellj

I cant really help much as you diary isnt open so therefor dont know how many calories you eat consistently. sodium defintiely could be a reason but you could also have hypogylcemia, or inner ear issues. i am hypoglycemic and if i eat less than 1200 or 1000 cals a day i get sick, lightheaded, pass out. so if you are eating too little that may be it. try to bump it up in the morning especially for blood sugar regulation. fasting is not recommended if this the issue. reduce salt. get to the dr if it persists for more than a week.

lizard053

First off, see your doctor, just in case.
Try drinking more water. Frequently these are signs of dehydration. It may also be an electrolyte imbalance, which is why you need to see your doctor.
When do these happen? If it is during or after exercise, you need to drink more water when exercising. If it's all the time, I really have no clue.
Also, you may need more protein in your diet. MFP sets the % rather low, especially for people who are working out regularly.
This also might be caffeine withdrawal, if you're used to more caffeine during the day.
It sounds like you are doing everything right. I'm an avid supporter of drinking lots of water every day. Up to 1/2 your weight in pounds as ounces of water. (150 pound person drinks 75oz, for example.) I find it really helps keep headaches at bay.

glennstoudt

Headaches and feeling lightheaded may or may not be related to your nutritional intake. The way to find out about it is to see a doctor who can investigate symptoms you describe. I am not a medical professional, but in my view if you have been experiencing these symptoms for more than a few days/week, make an appointment with your doctor. Odds are very high that it is nothing much, but you will feel much better when you know that and can make adjustments to alleviate these uncomfortable moments.

HauteP1nk

Your blood sugar levels are probably fluctuating too much or you could be losing too much weight too fast.

How low are your calories? You should be eating no less than 1200 calories per day...and even that is pretty low... If you are burning calories are you eating back those calories? This is important considering your caloric intake is already minimized... If you are only eating 1200 calories and then burning 300 calories when you exercise then you are only eating 900 calories per day (for example)...way too low.


I know you said that you are drinking 8 glasses which is great...however, I was advised by my running instructor that when we have to drink half our body weight in ounces a day and for every coffee or tea drink two additional cups of water. The bigger we are the more water we need... 8 cups is just an average...so try to drink some more water if you can...and make sure you are getting all your proper nutrients. Take some vitamins as well.

if it persists go see a doctor...could be thyroid or diabetes related.

annabellj

/bump Would like to hear this too. I get it as well. For example, I ate -- what I thought -- was a good breafast: tilapia fillet, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, dill, and lemon sauce, and a cup of mixed, roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, and chopped broccoli tossed in a 2 tsps of olive oil and seasoned. I've probably only had 3 glasses of water. But it's 9 a.m. here. And I'm feeling fairly lightheaded.

not enough carbs possibly, eat some oatmeal with yogurt that does the trick for me

RAFValentina

Normally a case of low minerals.

Things such as potassium and sodium which help maintain a good healthy blood pressure. Low iron (even if not unhealthily low, just on the lower end of normal) can also be a cause. If you workout or sweat a lot, this could be the reason. Also if you were never a heavy salt eater then tried to cut back, it's probably that you don't have enough now. I add salt to my evening meal when i've worked out even though I'd rather not, and I also make sure I have something potassium rich at least once a day, normally banana. You might over do it with the fluids too. If you're not working out, up to 2 litres is sufficient. If you're working out you probably need between 3 and 4, but if you're eating water rich foods such as fruit and veg,you can afford to cut this back too.

Hambone23

/bump Would like to hear this too. I get it as well. For example, I ate -- what I thought -- was a good breafast: tilapia fillet, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, dill, and lemon sauce, and a cup of mixed, roasted brussels sprouts, green beans, and chopped broccoli tossed in a 2 tsps of olive oil and seasoned. I've probably only had 3 glasses of water. But it's 9 a.m. here. And I'm feeling fairly lightheaded.

not enough carbs possibly, eat some oatmeal with yogurt that does the trick for me

Thanks for the response.

VolcanoMouse

Bumping this for myself as well! I've been getting lingering headaches, waves of nausea, and feeling bloated since I started counting calories the other week. It was a very obvious correlation to the day, but I can't quite figure out what's triggering it. I've always been very good about getting enough water, I eat back any exercise calories I burn, and I can easily hit my 1560 calorie goal a day. I've had some trouble in the past with feeling off when I go too long without eating, but I've been getting more consistent meals and I've definitely been making healthier choices. Haven't given up caffeine, am not particularly stress, and get plenty of sleep.


Anyone have any ideas? I've been eating a potato with dinner every night and the occasional snack of crackers: maybe yo-yoing on carbs is making me sick?

hypersensitiveb

I had this too . I drank more water and ate 4 meals instead of 3 most days and I'm doing a lot better.

JessicaHoskins

Speaking as a person who has HYPOGLYCEMIA & still needs to lose weight, I've found that plenty of Protein
(Meat,Eggs,Yogurt,Nuts,Etc)helps me stave off having Hypoglycemic attacks; hope this helps you!
:flowerforyou:

jamja72

It could definitely be your body adjusting. When I don't eat enough, I get very lightheaded when I stand. I've almost passed out just from walking to the kitchen. If it goes on from more than a week or two, I would see the doctor. You could be deficient in some area of your health, like iron.

I get the same feeling when standing...comes and goes. I'm adjusting my diet to compensate and seeing a doctor to be sure.