Calorie Deficit = Low Blood Sugar = Migraines?
baylie1114
Posts: 33 Member
I'm just curious if anyone else finds themselves getting more frequent migraines while calorie counting/dieting. A family member of mine suggested that my blood sugar could be out of whack, and she recommended upping my protein and fat content. It makes sense, because I've been relying on fruit a lot as breakfast and snacks, and my carb (read: sugar) numbers are always super high. Today, I increased my daily calorie goal from 1200 to 1400 in order to get in the added fat and protein. (1400/day still gives me around a 1000-calorie/day deficit; I was just trying to build in some extra wiggle room.)
Any one have other suggestions for minimizing migraines while losing weight? Anyone else seen a correlation?
Other recommendations for stabilizing blood sugar?
Any one have other suggestions for minimizing migraines while losing weight? Anyone else seen a correlation?
Other recommendations for stabilizing blood sugar?
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Replies
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Undereating itself can cause headaches. If you truly suspect a blood sugar issue, you need to see your doctor.8
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I get blood sugar peaks and dips when I have refined sugars. I've recently stopped eating added sugars (candy, chocolate, sugary drinks, plain sugar etc.) for the most part.
Instead, I get my sugars mainly from fruit and dates, with a little rice malt syrup every few days. It's really improved the blood sugar dips- although if I have something sugary then I do get ill after.
Things like dates, bananas, and frozen berries are really great ways to sweeten things naturally! I chuck them in smoothies and porridge etc. It's great
Talk to your doctor about it though! 0 -
My mum has low blood sugar and experienced dizzy spells and bed rest demanding headaches with certain medications eg. Metformin. Kindly ask your specialist, if you might need your dosage adjusted (if you're on any meds that is). Almost always, once they reduced the strength of her medication, headaches ceased.0
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But people eat in such a way to frequently cause themselves low blood sugar (LBS) - and not from eating in a diet.
They eat too many carbs for what their system can decently handle, insulin spikes up, too much blood sugar is removed, and bam, LBS.
You can do that eating too much food and gaining, or too little and losing.
Interesting theory that I'll still pay attention to.
When I don't do enough cardio exercise weekly - I will start to get migraines 2-3 times weekly.
The triggers are usually eating a late dinner because of being involved in something, which inevitably means staying up late taking care of stuff, and eating more later as snack too.
I've never experimented enough to separate those 3 things - but low blood sugar is part of mix for that late dinner.
But the migraine for me would come the next day - not immediate. So I recovered from LBS by then.
But I'll try to remember the next time I have a few weeks where I'm sick or injured, but eating normal times - if eating in diet might be trigger - (I know that's not reason in the past though for me majority of time).
Then again I never do extreme diets either, so minor deficit not the same as someone getting a little extreme in their rush to lose just weight and not just fat.1 -
I have no idea what's going on with me lately, but since I have started here my migraines are really frequent. I have stopped drinking wine and am eating better. I thought mine might be from exercise? I still get them when I don't exercise though! Crazy that I felt better 13kgs heavier. Migraines are horrible to live with..... good luck with yours and keep me posted xx0
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When I first start MFP, I put myself at a 1200 calorie limit (over 50, sedentary, etc). For 2 weeks, I felt awful. Couldn't exercise, low energy, headaches. I am fairly sure I was having blood sugar issues because i went from a fairly high sugar diet to a 1200 calorie diet. After 2 weeks, I did get a little improvement, but overall I didn't feel well. I would get kind of lightheaded at work, jittery. I upped my calories into the 1300s and did a LOT better!!
So yes, your lack of calories could be causing you discomfort if they are not enough for you. Also, when you do 1200 calories, I feel that you have to eat PERFECTLY in order to get proper nutrients. There is no wiggle room for error. Too much fruit and not enough protein could definitely make you feel bad.1 -
I found that too few calories, too infrequent calories, or too vigorous exercise (I can't do HiIT or super heavy lifting) trigger my migraines.
Your 1,000 calorie deficit might be too ambitious for someone with migraine issues.
I have very bad chronic migraines and it takes a lot of finesse to manage them.4 -
electrolyte imbalance? (salt, magnesium, potassium)3
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I know my migraines would start if I didn't eat for a while. I would eat just something little. It always helped. And as stated above, 1000 cal deficit just might be too much for you. play around a bit and see what happens.0
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Thanks everyone! I was feeling quite defeated, thinking I was going to have to choose between living with being overweight and living without migraines. Now I'm feeling hopeful that I can find some balance that will work. I just hope I can find it soon, cuz these migraines need to GTFO! ;-)0
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baylie1114 wrote: »I'm just curious if anyone else finds themselves getting more frequent migraines while calorie counting/dieting. A family member of mine suggested that my blood sugar could be out of whack, and she recommended upping my protein and fat content. It makes sense, because I've been relying on fruit a lot as breakfast and snacks, and my carb (read: sugar) numbers are always super high. Today, I increased my daily calorie goal from 1200 to 1400 in order to get in the added fat and protein. (1400/day still gives me around a 1000-calorie/day deficit; I was just trying to build in some extra wiggle room.)
Any one have other suggestions for minimizing migraines while losing weight? Anyone else seen a correlation?
Other recommendations for stabilizing blood sugar?
I've had medically-diagnosed migraines and lesser headaches all my life and have mostly learned how to manage them without meds.
These things can cause a severe headache or migraine for me:
Getting dehydrated. This is a big one.
Missing meals or too long between meals.
Taking regular over the counter headache/pain meds like aspirin, Ibuprofen, etc. They cause a "rebound headache" because apparently my body gets "addicted" to them and once they wear off I get a headache that can turn into a monster migraine.
If you are headache prone and you often just eat fruit for breakfast, you might eat a bigger breakfast and see if the headaches change. In other words, it might not be the fruit/sugar, but because you need to eat more or not go a long time without eating. Like I said above, going without food can trigger a headache for me.
Good luck!
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My migraines have not gotten worse. I do try to hit my protein goal though. My calorie deficit is 250-500 calories.
I sometimes get headaches if I don't drink enough.
My main trigger for actual migraines seems to be hormonal. During my period or ovulation is when I get them.
I would try a smaller deficit. 1000 is pretty agressive unless you are more than 50 pounds overweight. If you are still feeling bad drop it to 750 or 500. Also with MFP if you exercise you are supposed to eat some of those exercise calories.0 -
Have you also lowered caffeine intake during this time (like cutting out sodas, for instance)? That could also be playing a role in the headache issue. For me it happens if I go too long without eating, or if I haven't eaten enough. Maybe shoot for a 1 lb or 1.5 lb a week loss goal instead of 2, and see if that helps.1
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I agree with a smaller deficit.
You have around 30 or so pounds to lose? A 1000 calorie deficit is for those who have at least 50lbs to lose. Aim for a 250-500 calorie deficit instead.
Also, regarding your logging... you need to start weighing all your foods on a digital kitchen scale in grams and ditch the cups/spoons for solids and semi solids since you are decreasing your deficit. Weigh butters, oils, mayo and almond butters especially. Also, choose accurate database entries that reflect the amount you weighed out as well as the packaging information of that food. For produce, meat and dairy, add "USDA" to the entries when searching. The green checkmark items and scanning are not accurate.
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I found my migraines lessened greatly from getting healthier, fitter and slimmer. First time in 30 years I stopped carrying my migraine meds around everywhere I went.
Lost my weight eating in a very irregular way with some very low calorie days, some very high carbs days - makes no difference to my migraines in the slightest, either I regulate my blood sugar well or it's just not my trigger.
Stress is a much bigger factor for me, maybe your very high deficit is the culprit? It's something you can easily experiment with by having a month at a much reduced deficit.
Any other changes in routine or food/drink choices? Worth keeping a migraine diary perhaps.....0 -
cerise_noir wrote: »Also, regarding your logging... you need to start weighing all your foods on a digital kitchen scale in grams and ditch the cups/spoons for solids and semi solids since you are decreasing your deficit. Weigh butters, oils, mayo and almond butters especially. Also, choose accurate database entries that reflect the amount you weighed out as well as the packaging information of that food. For produce, meat and dairy, add "USDA" to the entries when searching. The green checkmark items and scanning are not accurate.
I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm not clear on how that's going to impact my migraines. I do weigh much of my food, but is getting a weight rather than a volume measurement going to make that much difference? And why is scanning not accurate? I always make sure the result I choose matches what the label says. I'm not trying to be defensive; just trying to understand.0 -
Wine is a migrane trigger for some people. Along with aged cheese,mushrooms,cottage cheese. You can find lists of known triggers on line.Some lights,flashing,too strongly colored....fluorescent types.0
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With regard to the scanning: all of the database entries are user maintained, even the scanned and the green checkmarked "verified" entries, so they aren't necessarily verified at all. Anyone can go in and add stuff to the database, or "verify" an entry. This is why they aren't always accurate...I find my scanner and the green entries to be off quite a lot. The fact that you said you always double check, though, is a good thing. Sounds like you are making sure what you're entering matches the label, at least.1
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I found my migraines lessened greatly from getting healthier, fitter and slimmer. First time in 30 years I stopped carrying my migraine meds around everywhere I went.
Lost my weight eating in a very irregular way with some very low calorie days, some very high carbs days - makes no difference to my migraines in the slightest, either I regulate my blood sugar well or it's just not my trigger.
Stress is a much bigger factor for me, maybe your very high deficit is the culprit? It's something you can easily experiment with by having a month at a much reduced deficit.
Any other changes in routine or food/drink choices? Worth keeping a migraine diary perhaps.....
That's was so frustrating! My migraines seem to get worse when I eat well consistently, but that could be because all the fruit and high deficit is spiking my blood sugar. I've done a sort of migraine diary, and maybe I need to be more detailed on it. I would love to not have to carry around my meds, even though they don't even work for me at the moment. Sigh. I will try a more blood-sugar friendly diet first, and then decrease my deficit if I must. On days without a migraine, I feel great. Not hungry or overtired or anything.
Anyway, from a true migraine sufferer to another, I'm glad you've got yours figured out. My migraines are not plain-jane caffeine-withdrawal kind of headaches like many people seem to think. They completely knock me out for hours, as in I cannot get out of bed, and then I can barely function enough to leave the house for 2-3 days afterwards. And that's been happening about once per week. Hence my frustration! Thanks for your input!0 -
Wine is a migrane trigger for some people. Along with aged cheese,mushrooms,cottage cheese. You can find lists of known triggers on line.Some lights,flashing,too strongly colored....fluorescent types.
Alcohol does seem to be a major trigger of mine, so I never drink. But that's perhaps another hint that it's a blood-sugar issue, since alcohol has a ton of sugar. And yes, it feels like I've read the entire internet on migraine triggers and, aside from alcohol, I haven't found anything consistent for mine yet. :-(0 -
baylie1114 wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »Also, regarding your logging... you need to start weighing all your foods on a digital kitchen scale in grams and ditch the cups/spoons for solids and semi solids since you are decreasing your deficit. Weigh butters, oils, mayo and almond butters especially. Also, choose accurate database entries that reflect the amount you weighed out as well as the packaging information of that food. For produce, meat and dairy, add "USDA" to the entries when searching. The green checkmark items and scanning are not accurate.
I appreciate the suggestion, but I'm not clear on how that's going to impact my migraines. I do weigh much of my food, but is getting a weight rather than a volume measurement going to make that much difference? And why is scanning not accurate? I always make sure the result I choose matches what the label says. I'm not trying to be defensive; just trying to understand.
My first suggestion was to go from a 1000 calorie deficit to a 250-500 calorie deficit. Decreasing the deficit will decrease the likelihood of the migraines. Your deficit currently is far too large for someone that has less than 50lbs to lose. This is why I recommended the 250-500 calorie deficit. I personally have 40lbs to lose and have a deficit of 400. If I tried a 1000 cal deficit, it would trigger my migraines as well.
With a smaller deficit, it is much easier to wipe it out due to inaccuracies, and using cups/spoons is wildly inaccurate and can easily contribute to wiping out the deficit. I do know there is a video floating around here that shows the difference between weighing and measuring food which is a real eye opener. Actually, I managed to find 3 videos posted by @diannethegeek:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/36769396/#Comment_36769396
Scanning is not accurate as it just points you to a user created entry in the database. The mfp food database is FULL of inaccuracies. It really helps to double check the entries...even the green check mark ones.1 -
cerise_noir wrote: »My first suggestion was to go from a 1000 calorie deficit to a 250-500 calorie deficit. Decreasing the deficit will decrease the likelihood of the migraines. Your deficit currently is far too large for someone that has less than 50lbs to lose. This is why I recommended the 250-500 calorie deficit. I personally have 40lbs to lose and have a deficit of 400. If I tried a 1000 cal deficit, it would trigger my migraines as well.
With a smaller deficit, it is much easier to wipe it out due to inaccuracies, and using cups/spoons is wildly inaccurate and can easily contribute to wiping out the deficit. I do know there is a video floating around here that shows the difference between weighing and measuring food which is a real eye opener. Actually, I managed to find 3 videos posted by @diannethegeek
Ahh... okay, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.0 -
baylie1114 wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »My first suggestion was to go from a 1000 calorie deficit to a 250-500 calorie deficit. Decreasing the deficit will decrease the likelihood of the migraines. Your deficit currently is far too large for someone that has less than 50lbs to lose. This is why I recommended the 250-500 calorie deficit. I personally have 40lbs to lose and have a deficit of 400. If I tried a 1000 cal deficit, it would trigger my migraines as well.
With a smaller deficit, it is much easier to wipe it out due to inaccuracies, and using cups/spoons is wildly inaccurate and can easily contribute to wiping out the deficit. I do know there is a video floating around here that shows the difference between weighing and measuring food which is a real eye opener. Actually, I managed to find 3 videos posted by @diannethegeek
Ahh... okay, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.
Aaaand, I completely derped and forgot to post a link to those weighing vs measuring videos... Editing my previous post. :laugh:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/36769396/#Comment_367693961 -
What works for me is always always always making sure I have a significant amount of protein to balance sugars. I don't eat a piece of fruit without a 50 calorie lite string cheese stick. Also, as someone suggested, check your salt. You may actually be undereating salt when restricting calories. I have, it makes me dizzy.1
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baylie1114 wrote: »I found my migraines lessened greatly from getting healthier, fitter and slimmer. First time in 30 years I stopped carrying my migraine meds around everywhere I went.
Lost my weight eating in a very irregular way with some very low calorie days, some very high carbs days - makes no difference to my migraines in the slightest, either I regulate my blood sugar well or it's just not my trigger.
Stress is a much bigger factor for me, maybe your very high deficit is the culprit? It's something you can easily experiment with by having a month at a much reduced deficit.
Any other changes in routine or food/drink choices? Worth keeping a migraine diary perhaps.....
That's was so frustrating! My migraines seem to get worse when I eat well consistently, but that could be because all the fruit and high deficit is spiking my blood sugar. I've done a sort of migraine diary, and maybe I need to be more detailed on it. I would love to not have to carry around my meds, even though they don't even work for me at the moment. Sigh. I will try a more blood-sugar friendly diet first, and then decrease my deficit if I must. On days without a migraine, I feel great. Not hungry or overtired or anything.
Anyway, from a true migraine sufferer to another, I'm glad you've got yours figured out. My migraines are not plain-jane caffeine-withdrawal kind of headaches like many people seem to think. They completely knock me out for hours, as in I cannot get out of bed, and then I can barely function enough to leave the house for 2-3 days afterwards. And that's been happening about once per week. Hence my frustration! Thanks for your input!
Wish you luck in finding your triggers and the solution - I had a thoroughly miserable time in my late 30's / early 40's with far too many "lost days" and even "lost weeks". It's life changing to finally be free (mostly) of migraines.
It could be it was simply a function of aging for me and the related changes in hormone levels in my 50's etc. Impossible to be sure.
One thing that helped for me was rotating meds as it seemed they would lose effectiveness after a period of 6 months.2 -
cerise_noir wrote: »
Aaaand, I completely derped and forgot to post a link to those weighing vs measuring videos... Editing my previous post. :laugh:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/36769396/#Comment_36769396
Wow... the peanut butter! Definitely eye-opening! Thanks!1 -
Yeah, the peanut butter made me a sad panda.baylie1114 wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »
Aaaand, I completely derped and forgot to post a link to those weighing vs measuring videos... Editing my previous post. :laugh:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/36769396/#Comment_36769396
Wow... the peanut butter! Definitely eye-opening! Thanks!
But... I make it work. Powdered peanut butter in smoothies, and save up calories for a PB sandwich.0 -
I will tell you this. Rewind back to my adolescence. I used to get HORRID and completely unbearable migraines. These eventually subsided. I assume hormones were to blame for those as I was not following any type of special diet. Fast forward to now. I was following a very low carb plan. It wasn't my intention to keep my carbs below 50 g a day it just happened that way because my appetite went MIA. Therefore I was not getting as much as I originally planned. I have not had any migraines since my teenage years. About a month ago I had 3 migraines in a one weeks time complete with aura and nausea during the low carb period I just described. Low carb or keto diets in the past never caused me migraines. I made an effort to get my carbs up to see if maybe the migraines would stop. I have not had any migraines lately. I cannot say that the diet caused the migraines. I was planning to give it a couple of months to see if they return on a more regular carb plan. If not I will try the low carb again for experimental purposes. If they return during that time I will assume that is what caused them for me.
Some tips. Make sure you stay hydrated. water yes but also electrolytes. Coconut water is great for this, also low sodium tomato juice, carrot juice, making sure to get enough sodium is important. Have you noticed an increase in urination? This is a sign that water weight is being lost. You may also experience tiredness, a rapid heart rate, and lightheartedness if you are dehydrated. Dehydration can have a lot of side effects. Sometimes a diet can have a diuretic effect depending on your carb consumption.0 -
I got a lot of migraines from BG swings. Reactive hypoglycemia. BG would go high than fall lower than where I started within a couple of hours. I'd get brain fog, the shakes and tired too.
I started a LCHF diet and that evened out my BG. If I don't eat a lot of carbs my BG doesn't go up and then drop fast. It could be an option for you.
Good luck.0 -
How is your sodium intake? I notice a one-to-one correlation between sodium and migraines. As I lose more weight, MFP lowers the amount of calories I can eat per day and lose weight (I recalculate every 10 lbs lost). Anyway, I've noticed that the less I eat, the less sodium it takes to give me a migraine. However, if I stay under MFP's recommended maximum of 2300 mgs per day, I am fine. I talked to my doctor about it and she said that is completely normal, and some people are just more sodium sensitive than others. Hope that helps!!
Edited to add: I just re-read your original post. I advise you to cut back on the sugars and carbs. I have blood sugar issues, but thankfully, I don't really like sweet things...however, I could eat a loaf of bread pretty quickly. I try very hard to stay under MFP's carb and sugar limits, thankfully, the sugar one is not too hard for me, and I try to hit the protein limit, and I find that if I do that, my blood sugar stays pretty consistent and I feel better. It took me a while to get all of this under control...you may want to start with the sodium, then the sugar, then the protein, then the carbs (since cutting the sugar down will already lower this number). Hope that helps. Oh, and as someone else mentioned, do not let yourself get dehydrated. Good luck!!! I used to suffer really bad migraines, and I know how it can impact your quality of life.0
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