Day 5 - What is causing constant headaches?

[thebean2013]

So today is day 5 of my first Whole30. The headaches aren't super bad, but they are constant throughout the day and I cant seem to shake them even with OTC. They are worse when I first wake up. When I eat, they go away for about 30 mins, but return shortly after. Before you ask about my water consumption, drink on average (more most days) 97 oz of water (mostly plain, but some sparkling). I dont drink coffee or even soda before I started this. I exercise a lot. I run 3xs a week, Strength Train 2xs a week, and get at least 10k steps a day.  Before starting Whole30, I was eating fairly clean, I had been making a lot of changes in the last year health wise and have lost 47lbs, and chose to do this in order to get refined sugars out of my system. I get about 1 migraine a month, and occasionally a headache or two, but OTC meds normally help with both. Any suggestions on what is causing this? Will this go away? Any thing I can do to help them? Is this normal? Is this a "this to shall pass thing?" Thanks in Advance!!!

[racheleats]

11 minutes ago, thebean2013 said:

So today is day 5 of my first Whole30. The headaches aren't super bad, but they are constant throughout the day and I cant seem to shake them even with OTC. They are worse when I first wake up. When I eat, they go away for about 30 mins, but return shortly after. Before you ask about my water consumption, drink on average (more most days) 97 oz of water (mostly plain, but some sparkling). I dont drink coffee or even soda before I started this. I exercise a lot. I run 3xs a week, Strength Train 2xs a week, and get at least 10k steps a day.  Before starting Whole30, I was eating fairly clean, I had been making a lot of changes in the last year health wise and have lost 47lbs, and chose to do this in order to get refined sugars out of my system. I get about 1 migraine a month, and occasionally a headache or two, but OTC meds normally help with both. Any suggestions on what is causing this? Will this go away? Any thing I can do to help them? Is this normal? Is this a "this to shall pass thing?" Thanks in Advance!!!

Headaches are pretty common while your body is adjusting...but you might not be eating enough! Try listing out a day or two of meals with specific portion sizes and include pre/post workout meals.

[thebean2013]

17 hours ago, racheleats said:

Headaches are pretty common while your body is adjusting...but you might not be eating enough! Try listing out a day or two of meals with specific portion sizes and include pre/post workout meals.

Day 3: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), half of avocado and 2 tangerines. 

Lunch: Salad (roughly 1.5 cups) of spring mix, a 4-5 oz chicken breast, the other half of the avocado, a handful of olives and a compliant salad dressing. 

Pre Work out Meal: a banana and 2 ish TBSP of nut butter 

Dinner: 6 oz steak, broccoli (1/2 of plate) and cauliflower rice with about 2 portions of  ghee and a dash of coconut milk 

 

Day 4: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), and an apple with nut butter 

Lunch: Chicken fajitas with lettuce wraps. (About 1.5 peppers & a chicken breast) with guac (1 whole avocado & half of tomato) 

Dinner: 2 pieces of bacon wrapped Pork tenderloin, 5-6 whole roasted carrots & a baked potato with ghee on it 

 

Day 5: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), half of avocado and 2 tangerines. 

Lunch: Salad (roughly 1.5 cups) of spring mix, a 4-5 oz steak, the other half of the avocado, a handful of olives and a compliant salad dressing. 

Pre Workout: A banana and a small handful of cashews. 

Dinner: Chicken Avocado Burger, about 1-1.5 cups of butternut squash, and a salad with olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes with compliant dressing 

 

Just in writing this I realized: I'm not eating post workout meals. Is that important? I feel like I shouldn't need them because I typically make dinner within a 1-2.5 hours. 

[racheleats]

47 minutes ago, thebean2013 said:

Day 3: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), half of avocado and 2 tangerines. 

Lunch: Salad (roughly 1.5 cups) of spring mix, a 4-5 oz chicken breast, the other half of the avocado, a handful of olives and a compliant salad dressing. 

Pre Work out Meal: a banana and 2 ish TBSP of nut butter 

Dinner: 6 oz steak, broccoli (1/2 of plate) and cauliflower rice with about 2 portions of  ghee and a dash of coconut milk 

 

Day 4: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), and an apple with nut butter 

Lunch: Chicken fajitas with lettuce wraps. (About 1.5 peppers & a chicken breast) with guac (1 whole avocado & half of tomato) 

Dinner: 2 pieces of bacon wrapped Pork tenderloin, 5-6 whole roasted carrots & a baked potato with ghee on it 

 

Day 5: 

Breakfast: Homemade Pork Sausage (3 small patties), half of avocado and 2 tangerines. 

Lunch: Salad (roughly 1.5 cups) of spring mix, a 4-5 oz steak, the other half of the avocado, a handful of olives and a compliant salad dressing. 

Pre Workout: A banana and a small handful of cashews. 

Dinner: Chicken Avocado Burger, about 1-1.5 cups of butternut squash, and a salad with olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes with compliant dressing 

 

Just in writing this I realized: I'm not eating post workout meals. Is that important? I feel like I shouldn't need them because I typically make dinner within a 1-2.5 hours. 

Not 100% sure about the post workout - usually recommended is a few bites of protein and a starchy veggie. I always have cooked chicken and sweet potato cubes in my fridge. That might help!

I'm not a moderator so take this with a grain of salt, but you're not having any veggies in the morning, and starting the day with a big sugar hit with the fruit. Sugar in the morning really affects me, even if it's natural sugar from fruit. Try replacing the fruit with veggies in the morning and see if that helps!

[ShannonM816]

The post-wo Rachel mentioned above is a great example of what to have -- some lean protein and a bit of starchy vegetable. Here's more about why it's important:   http://whole9life.com/2015/02/eat-post-workout/

Your pre-wo should be protein and fat, so the cashews are okay if they work for you, but try some chicken or an egg or something instead of the banana. 

Be sure you're salting your food. Water should be 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so for instance a 120 lb person needs at least 60 oz, and then if you're sweating a lot, you'd need more.

Vegetables instead of fruit at breakfast, as mentioned, may help. Also, remember that protein should be one to two palm-sized portions, the length, width, and height of your palm -- I'm not sure how that relates to the sizes you've listed here.

Are your meals keeping you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time? 

[thebean2013]

40 minutes ago, ShannonM816 said:

The post-wo Rachel mentioned above is a great example of what to have -- some lean protein and a bit of starchy vegetable. Here's more about why it's important:   http://whole9life.com/2015/02/eat-post-workout/

Your pre-wo should be protein and fat, so the cashews are okay if they work for you, but try some chicken or an egg or something instead of the banana. 

Be sure you're salting your food. Water should be 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so for instance a 120 lb person needs at least 60 oz, and then if you're sweating a lot, you'd need more.

Vegetables instead of fruit at breakfast, as mentioned, may help. Also, remember that protein should be one to two palm-sized portions, the length, width, and height of your palm -- I'm not sure how that relates to the sizes you've listed here.

Are your meals keeping you satisfied for 4-5 hours at a time? 

Okay, thanks guys! I can make these adjustments. Protein & fat before workout then protein & carbs after. 

Yes, the meals are keeping me satisfied for 4-5 hours. The only things is that I wake up in the morning starving. Like I've never been this hungry in my life in the morning.  Maybe If I incorporate a post workout meal, then eat dinner that will help me be satisfied longer because I have been using my dinner kind of in place of my post workout meal. I will give that a shot. 

I did eat a bigger dinner last night, and my headache wasn't as intense this morning. 

Thanks!