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Headaches anyone?

janisseshirley
janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After losing some weight my daily calorie allowance has dropped. I noticed this week that I have started getting headaches. Has anyone experienced headaches while dieting. Mine seem to come before lunchtime and seem to dissapear once I have eaten.
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Replies

  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
    What is your deficit and how much have you been losing a week?
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    Rose18l wrote: »
    What is your deficit and how much have you been losing a week?

    I started out at 1500 calories and I am at 1290 now. I had been losing 1-2 pounds a week, but last week I lost 3.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Sounds like you just need to eat. Try reallocating your calories so you have a bigger breakfast or a mid-morning snack.
  • anyWendy
    anyWendy Posts: 97 Member
    Right now my headaches are more related to seasonal allergies (not sure If that might be a factor for you).

    If you're consistently getting headaches before lunch that resolve after eating, have you tried different meal timing or eating a more substantial breakfast/ different macro split for breakfast?
  • Rose18l
    Rose18l Posts: 147 Member
    edited March 2018
    You are losing to much a week. The absolute maximum one should lose a week is 2ibs. 2ibs is the maximum of you have more than 75ibs to lose. Less than that you should go for a maximum of 1ibs a week. If the body doesn't get enough food it will catabolise its own muscles. Also it will make you lose focus and gives headaches. I would advise to up your calories again and go for a less agressive weightloss goal. Don't forget to eat back your exercise calories.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    Sounds like you just need to eat. Try reallocating your calories so you have a bigger breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

    I have been eating most of my carbs at breakfast and my breakfast calorie intake is generally higher than the other meals.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    anyWendy wrote: »
    Right now my headaches are more related to seasonal allergies (not sure If that might be a factor for you).

    If you're consistently getting headaches before lunch that resolve after eating, have you tried different meal timing or eating a more substantial breakfast/ different macro split for breakfast?

    Not seasonal headaches for me. Unfortunately I have a work schedule that fluxuates so much it has been hard for me to keep on a regular eating schedule.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    Rose18l wrote: »
    You are losing to much a week. The absolute maximum one should lose a week is 2ibs. 2ibs is the maximum of you have more than 75ibs to lose. Less than that you should go for a maximum of 1ibs a week. If the body doesn't get enough food it will catabolise its own muscles. Also it will make you lose focus and gives headaches. I would advise to up your calories again and go for a less agressive weightloss goal. Don't forget to eat back your exercise calories.

    For the first 6 weeks I didn't lose anything. Then I changed my activity level settings and started exercising and when my calorie allowance changed then I began seeing a weight loss. How do I go about changing my calorie allowance again using the MFP calculations? Do I just set it for 1 pound a week? When I started out I had set it for 2 pounds a week with 4 days of exercise, but now I only seem to fit in 3 days.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    ladychris29 wrote: »
    Did you cut food your body may have become addicted to like caffeine, sugar, or wheat? Before I made my lifestyle cuts, I had horrible migraines and had no clue food was the culprit. After I made my changes, lighter headaches occurred... but only for about a month. Once the addiction released, the headaches disappeared. They're rare now and usually just stress-related.

    Yes, cut out added sugars, sodas, and high calorie treats and bread except for multigrain bread. Oh yeah, no pasta. I am diabetic so I try to watch the carbs, but never experienced the headaches before even with my diabetes.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    janisseshirley wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    Sounds like you just need to eat. Try reallocating your calories so you have a bigger breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

    I have been eating most of my carbs at breakfast and my breakfast calorie intake is generally higher than the other meals.

    It's not a question of when you eat your carbs or how you allocate the rest of your calories. If your headaches start when you haven't eaten in a while and stop when you eat, then it sounds likely that your blood sugar is dipping before lunch, and your lunch brings it back up. Try a snack between breakfast and lunch.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,131 Member
    The amount of exercise you TELL MFP you are going to do is irrelevant and does not get taken into account when you get your calories.

    Your MFP calories are based on your activity level BEFORE any deliberate exercise including any you have said you are PLANNING to do. When you do your planned exercise you are supposed to add it in separately which increases the amount of calories you're supposed to eat.

    You are losing at a faster than desirable rate. A rate of about 1lb a week sounds more like where you should be. Week to week rates are variable. That's why I often suggest that people use a weight trend application of web site and adjust based on their averages over weeks as opposed to days (especially pre-menopausal women who often experience water retention in relation to their cycle).

    It sounds to me like you started with an aggressive goal, didn't see results, and added exercise till you started seeing visible results.

    It is often true that from the "ground level" gradual results are difficult to see amongst normal water retention variations (hence the trending weight app suggestion).

    First adjustment? Record your exercise separately and eat back at the very least 70% (that was 70, not 50) of your exercise calories back.

    If that doesn't slow things down enough or if the headaches continue and seem to be related to lack of food (resolve once you eat), definitely eat more of the exercise calories and/or reduce the rate of loss from 2lbs to 1lb or 1.5lb.

    Note that the less energy stores you have available for use, the smaller your targetted deficit should be.... so in the overweight or normal weight range 1lb per week would be a not insignificant deficit target.
  • RaleighCaldwell
    RaleighCaldwell Posts: 44 Member
    A salt deficiency can also cause headaches... I had the same issues and my Dr asked if I had backed way off of the salt I use. He then recommended a daily amount for me, and the headaches went away. Could be something to consider.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Try allocating a little more protein at breakfast. See if that makes a difference. With the lost weight you may be experiencing low blood sugar moments.

    Also see if it is a dehydration headache. Try drinking a full glass of water and see if it goes away.

    Maybe manually adjust your daily goal giving yourself another 100 calories a day.
  • LeenaGee
    LeenaGee Posts: 749 Member
    Some great advice from everyone. The first thing I do when I get a headache is to drink water as suggested above. I often find that does the trick.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    AnvilTime wrote: »
    A salt deficiency can also cause headaches... I had the same issues and my Dr asked if I had backed way off of the salt I use. He then recommended a daily amount for me, and the headaches went away. Could be something to consider.

    I don't use any table salt at all, and I haven't for about 6 years now... Only use garlic salt or Lawrys Seasoned salt on my food.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Try allocating a little more protein at breakfast. See if that makes a difference. With the lost weight you may be experiencing low blood sugar moments.

    Also see if it is a dehydration headache. Try drinking a full glass of water and see if it goes away.

    Maybe manually adjust your daily goal giving yourself another 100 calories a day.

    Don't think it is dehydration, During the day I am allowed to have water at my work station and drink about 8 cups. I will try adding more protein at breakfast and see if it will help.
  • 1houndgal
    1houndgal Posts: 558 Member
    edited March 2018
    janisseshirley wrote: »
    Rose18l wrote: »
    What is your deficit and how much have you been losing a week?

    I started out at 1500 calories and I am at 1290 now. I had been losing 1-2 pounds a week, but last week I lost 3.

    Try drinking more water. Headaches are often from dehydration, so perhaps start there and see if that helps. Propel is also good if your electrolytes are off. Are you on a keto type eating plan?
  • 1houndgal
    1houndgal Posts: 558 Member
    janisseshirley wrote: »
    ladychris29 wrote: »
    Did you cut food your body may have become addicted to like caffeine, sugar, or wheat? Before I made my lifestyle cuts, I had horrible migraines and had no clue food was the culprit. After I made my changes, lighter headaches occurred... but only for about a month. Once the addiction released, the headaches disappeared. They're rare now and usually just stress-related.

    Yes, cut out added sugars, sodas, and high calorie treats and bread except for multigrain bread. Oh yeah, no pasta. I am diabetic so I try to watch the carbs, but never experienced the headaches before even with my diabetes.

    I think it would be a good idea to see your dr. It could be a number of things that could be serious.
  • janisseshirley
    janisseshirley Posts: 50 Member
    1houndgal wrote: »
    janisseshirley wrote: »
    Rose18l wrote: »
    What is your deficit and how much have you been losing a week?

    I started out at 1500 calories and I am at 1290 now. I had been losing 1-2 pounds a week, but last week I lost 3.

    Try drinking more water. Headaches are often from dehydration, so perhaps start there and see if that helps. Propel is also good if your electrolytes are off. Are you on a keto type eating plan?

    I'm not on keto, just watching carbs since I am diabetic. I just saw the doctor and even after being on the diet for a month and a half my AC1 didn't change, so I am trying to limit myself on alot of things. I drink between 6-8 cups of water a day + decaf tea. Maybe I am trying to change to many things at once?

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