To ask why I get severe migraines whenever I try to lose weight?

[0rangeRocket]

I know it's not an AIBU but I'm posting for traffic as I'm so fed up.

In the last year I've really let myself go, put on a ton of weight and ended up covered in stretch marks. I feel really rubbish about myself and want to get back to how I was, eating healthily and exercising.

But what always stops me is for the first few weeks of cutting out junk and eating well, I get the most horrendous migraines that make me so nauseous and hurt so much I have to lie down and sleep it off which is not practical with a 2 year old in tow.

Why does this happen? I'm still consuming a decent amount of calories so not exactly starving myself, drink plenty of water and make sure what I eat is balanced. So I'm wondering if it's withdrawals from caffeine/sugar (if that's even a thing).

Does anyone else get this?
Is it a case of sticking with it and after a few weeks my body gets used to the healthy diet?

Any advice appreciated as I'm desperate to shift the weight.

Carb withdrawal? Taper it off rather than just suddenly dumping it all.

Withdrawal symptoms from sugar/caffeine maybe. Drink lots of water. I do the boot camp diet from this site and find it works great for me. Lost 3 stone on it.

Where do I find that? 3 stone is my goal to lose. It could be carb withdrawal as I'm eating significantly less than before.

Are you eating or drinking anything different that you haven't been eating or drinking? As I've got older (still early 30s) I've developed a strange range of triggers, including tea, tonic, and a lot of wines. I have to be careful with eggs (can't have egg and cheese at same time for example).

Caffeine withdrawal will give you extended headaches unless you do it very gradually. Why are you stopping it anyway? Sugar etc obviously but moderate caffeine should be OK.

Sugar withdrawal is absolutely a thing. A big thing. Look it up.

I'm not stopping caffeine in the form of the tea I drink. I still have my cup of tea in the morning and the afternoon. But I am stopping eating chocolate etc, which I thought contained a little caffeine. I'm not eating or drinking anything new so I'm sure it's withdrawal related. I just hope it stops soon!!

Caffeine withdrawal does that to me. Why are you cutting caffeine to lose weight?

Yes maybe you need to take things more gradually. Taper off caffeine (are you sure you need to totally give up anyway maybe just cut back?)

I've never been a coffee drinker so any caffeine I consume has been from cups of tea and chocolates. I've only cut out the chocolate and still have the cups of tea so I've not cut out all caffeine.

My migraines are triggered by not eating breakfast - are you changing the times you eat?

Carb withdrawal. I get them every time I cut back.
It's called low carb flu.

I think eating less is a trigger. Migraines suck.

They really do suck. I've had them since I was a child and I always remember my mum making sure I ate regularly so I wouldn't end up with one. So could be to do with suddenly eating less. I still eat main meals at the same time as before

It’s sugar and carb withdrawal. I’d suggest cutting out processed sugars and keeping healthier natural sugars from fruit and carbs from veg in diet. Take it a little slower so your body and get used to it. I crave sugar and carbs after a migraine. So not just pain of suffering but it then sabotages any healthy eating!

I had a two-week migraine when I cut out caffeine. And I only drank 2 cups a day!

Massively worth it though.

Hi OP, I think it's one of two things as others have said, either carb or caffeine or sugars withdrawal. Or, if it's very much like your normal migraine (aura etc) it may be that one of your migraine triggers is low blood sugar (or lower than your normal blood sugar). I know when I diet I have this problem and have to be careful never to get too hungry. I usually find a carrot staves off the drop in blood sugar without ruining the diet.

Are you eating regularly? I get horrendous headaches if I don't snack on something every couple of hours.