Beginning is always hard due to headaches
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faizaayaana
Posts: 8 Member
Anyone have any tips for this? I find myself starting the first few days over and over again because I just get horrible headaches that make me very irritable. I do drink a lot of water, and frankly I'm not even reducing my calories by THAT much. Because I'm working from home and essentially sedentary I cant reduce my exercise because I get none lol. So what gives? 
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Replies
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Do you change the kinds of things you, in addition to reducing your calories? For example, do you cut caffeine or carbs?2
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Or do you change your eating times? Or do you find that your sleep is affected?
Also, you say you're not reducing your calories by THAT much, but could you quantify that? It's possible what you think is a small deficit is more substantial than you think.2 -
Please give us more info:
1. Are you cutting out soda and thus caffeine? That will give you caffeine withdrawal headaches. You can drink coffee or tea instead, or take caffeine pills.
2. Are you reducing carbs drastically? That can cause headaches. The key for that is increasing salt.
3. When you say "not even reducing my calories by THAT much" - please quantify and let us know how many pounds away from your goal weight you currently are.3 -
I've been eating around 1500 calories instead of around 2000. I am drinking a lot less soda, but havent completely cut it out even though I know I should
I am eating at different times but mainly because...I was eating ALL the time instead of sitting down and eating like a meal.
I almost think I get headaches from the stress of reminding myself to not reach for food all the time. 😔1 -
The mfp calculator said I should be eating 1200 calories but Idk if I can bc Im eating over that and although I dont necessarily feel hungry the headaches are killing me0
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I have been trying to reduce bread but also havent cut it out completely. Just less each day
Im about 85lbs from my goal weight 😔0 -
faizaayaana wrote: »I've been eating around 1500 calories instead of around 2000. I am drinking a lot less soda, but havent completely cut it out even though I know I should
I am eating at different times but mainly because...I was eating ALL the time instead of sitting down and eating like a meal.
I almost think I get headaches from the stress of reminding myself to not reach for food all the time. 😔
A 500-calorie deficit (assuming 2000 was maintenance for you) IS "that much." It's a substantial deficit.
In general, there's no reason you "should" completely cut out soda. If it is naturally (sugar/corn syrup) sweetened, it has calories. Are you counting those calories? (You say you are "eating around 1500 calories" -- does that include calories that you are drinking?) If you've cut out a lot of caffeinated soda (generally colas, but also Mountain Dew), caffeine withdrawal could easily account for your headaches. Could you substitute coffee, tea, or diet soda?
If the dieting is stressing you out, that is a possible cause for headaches.The mfp calculator said I should be eating 1200 calories but Idk if I can bc Im eating over that and although I dont necessarily feel hungry the headaches are killing me
The MFP calculator works on what you tell it. You probably told it that you want to lose 2 lbs a week, which may not be appropriate.
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »faizaayaana wrote: »I've been eating around 1500 calories instead of around 2000. I am drinking a lot less soda, but havent completely cut it out even though I know I should
I am eating at different times but mainly because...I was eating ALL the time instead of sitting down and eating like a meal.
I almost think I get headaches from the stress of reminding myself to not reach for food all the time. 😔
A 500-calorie deficit (assuming 2000 was maintenance for you) IS "that much." It's a substantial deficit.
In general, there's no reason you "should" completely cut out soda. If it is naturally (sugar/corn syrup) sweetened, it has calories. Are you counting those calories? (You say you are "eating around 1500 calories" -- does that include calories that you are drinking?) If you've cut out a lot of caffeinated soda (generally colas, but also Mountain Dew), caffeine withdrawal could easily account for your headaches. Could you substitute coffee, tea, or diet soda?
If the dieting is stressing you out, that is a possible cause for headaches.The mfp calculator said I should be eating 1200 calories but Idk if I can bc Im eating over that and although I dont necessarily feel hungry the headaches are killing me
The MFP calculator works on what you tell it. You probably told it that you want to lose 2 lbs a week, which may not be appropriate.
I say around just because some days are easier than others, usually I can be under 1500 if I am working because I have something to do the majority of the day. But on the weekends I do eat a little more.
I count all of my calories, even the soda - I used to drink 5/6 cans a day, so instead I've been having 1 or maybe 2 and then trying to drink water instead, so yeah maybe it is caffeine. I do think tea sounds like a good alternative.1 -
Are you working out, and do you log your exercise and eat back those calories?0
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faizaayaana wrote: »The mfp calculator said I should be eating 1200 calories but Idk if I can bc Im eating over that and although I dont necessarily feel hungry the headaches are killing me
That's base eating goal if Sedentary with NO exercise done.
What is a reasonable deficit for some with certain amount to lose may not be for you.
For that much to healthy weight, an otherwise healthy body could support a 1000 cal deficit?
With as inactive as you are, you don't have the room for that deficit of course, so 500 is it.
Perhaps it would be better to go back to the 2000, and slowly drop it by 250 cal for a week a time, making only 1 change to diet, and see if that has negative effect.
Sounds like caffeine. Though, years ago I cut diet Sprite/7Up out and got same sort of thing, despite no caffeine.
But don't hit body up with deficit and cut in caffeine at same time.0 -
FYI when I weaned off diet coke I had MASSIVE headaches. It was terrible but I struggled through pushing fluids. I think it was both withdrawal from the caffeine as well as the artificial sweetners.2
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Are you working out, and do you log your exercise and eat back those calories?
I honestly do not get any exercise, and I mean that non figuratively. I work from a laptop in my bed and most days barely feel motivated to get out of my bed. I walk around my apartment with my cats, but I dont really go outside.1 -
FYI when I weaned off diet coke I had MASSIVE headaches. It was terrible but I struggled through pushing fluids. I think it was both withdrawal from the caffeine as well as the artificial sweetners.
Yesterday night it was so bad, I finally got up and ended up drinking just a half a can instead of a whole one and felt noticeably better. 😔
Basically im doomed.0 -
Why doomed? Just taper off the soda gradually.5
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I agree - headaches the first few days. Try hydrating?0
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faizaayaana wrote: »FYI when I weaned off diet coke I had MASSIVE headaches. It was terrible but I struggled through pushing fluids. I think it was both withdrawal from the caffeine as well as the artificial sweetners.
Yesterday night it was so bad, I finally got up and ended up drinking just a half a can instead of a whole one and felt noticeably better. 😔
Basically im doomed.
You can get caffeine tabs, or as I and others have mentioned, substitute unsweetened (or much less sweetened) coffee or tea. There is also OTC aspirin combined with caffeine, if that's OK with your doctor.
ETA: Also, if you cut back gradually, the headaches should be much less or nonexistent. Or if you do white-knuckle it with a drastic cut, know that the headaches aren't (or shouldn't be) permanent. They do eventually go away after you complete the withdrawal experience.0 -
I drink coffee, tea, and artificially sweetened ("diet") colas, especially during the workday. Sometimes I'll have a headache on Sunday and it will take me hours to remember that I didn't have any caffeine the previous day because I don't need it to stay awake and focused on things I was doing on a Saturday (more physically active chores or recreational activities). When I finally realize why I have a headache, I generally find that just a little bit of caffeine in any form (a half-caf latte, a low-caf tea, or a small glass of soda) makes the headache go away.0
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Headaches suck!
You could try drinking electrolytes.
Sleeping without a pillow...
I sometimes get headaches from too much water..
Stress headaches are a real thing. My stress makes me clench my jaw at night and I wake up with headaches.
Could be your posture/home chair/positioning of computer screen...
For me its always a combo of factors including diet. But yeah cutting down on soda a lot might do it too, since its probably caffeine. You could try drinking some diet coke and slowly wean down.
If I dont get my coffee by 10 am I get a migraine instead, even if I have coffee later. So could be the timing of your caffeine too.0 -
I'm sorry to hear that, maybe your body is detoxing from something? Were you eating huge amounts of sugar?0
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