Second DD winding down and fighting another headache
 

Today is my second DD and I was going great till this evening. Now I'm fighting hunger, feeling sluggish and I have a bad headache. I also had a headache/feeling out of sorts on my first DD as well.

Is this my body's way of telling me to eat more/I shouldn't be doing this? I'm maxed out on my 500 calories for the day. Does anyone eat more than 500 calories on their DD's and still lose weight at a steady pace? Trying to figure out how to make the DD's work for me. I looked into plain old calorie cycling a bit, but I don't know if that would stall weight loss. Just feeling down and icky tonight :(

I definitely went through that for a short while on DDs. It gets better, for sure! The body needs to adjust, but for me eating more wasn't the answer. I just saw it as an adjustment period, which was well worth it to me. I just went to bed a little earlier and drank plenty of water. Hang in there:hugs:

Thanks for the input! As long as this is a temporary adjustment then I can handle it :) I may just go to bed and call it a night lol.

Hi Sara - It may take a while for your body to adjust, but it is totally worth it! Some people start a little higher than 500cals and then work their way down. There is nothing wrong with having an extra 100cals or so to get though your first few down days, especially if you are feeling bad physically. Welcome to JUDDD! You are going to :heart: it!

Make sure you're well hydrated, and that your electrolytes are not out of balance. Sometimes the headaches can be from dehydration, or can be rectified by sipping on some broth.

Sorry to hear your day isn't going good :(
I too have a bit of a headache but no hunger pains at all today. I have been drinking water alot today so likely lacking in sodium but its almost bed time and tomorrow is starting to look "up"!

So sorry you are not feeling well.

Your body is probably detoxing. It usually happens during the first few days of very low calorie diets. You may even feel achey like you have the flu for a few days. Taking Tylenol does help...try to avoid Ibuprofen...that tends to cause weight gain temporarily...but comes back off quickly.

Hang in there:console:

I second (third?) the broth suggestion ... between the fluids and sodium it seems to help? The first DD or two can be kind of rough, but they get better!

Great advice here - some of us do find the transition to DD eating difficult.

All I can add is:
Really, really stay hydrated (I am now addicted to homemade bone broth).
Try different foods...or change up portions of the foods you enjoy. Sometimes more protein/less veggie (or vice versa) can do the trick. More fat and less everything else may help. Experiment - find out what your body needs.

Have a Happy UD!

Thanks everyone! I ended up taking an ibuprofen (didn't see the above post about that lol), and that really helped. I woke up feeling fine, so back at it :)

Hey Sara,
Just to add - I'd say it took me 4-5 DDs before the headaches disappeared so be on the watch out. I occasionally get one now but suspect my water intake is not as good as it could be those days.
Glad you're better today; happy UD

Lou

Good to know, I'll really try and up my water on DDs.

As of tomorrow I will be in JUDDD for 10 months and am so glad I started!
:jumpjoy:
However, I still have headaches on DDs. Funny, sicky ones...different from my usual stress headaches...

I am probably not hydrating enough. Also, my DD is 341, and, up until very recently I stuck to it. As I get closer to my (arbitrary) goal of 140, I am loosening up a bit. You can't imagine what even 50 extra calories does for the hunger.

It does seem to get better for most folks, but I just wanted you to know-not necessarily... sorry.

I don't think I could survive without homemade bone broth on many DDs. My DD headaches have usually been electrolyte balance/hydration related. My problem is actually making sure I don't drink too much water on DDs because that really dilutes my minerals and electrolytes due to the much smaller amount of food I'm eating that day, which then bring on the headaches and sluggishness. Bone broth and extra sea salt really helps, and if it's not enough, I'll toss an electrolyte packet into water (the one I use is zero cals sugar free) and drink that.

I know it's different for everyone though and not everyone may be as sensitive to electrolyte imbalance as I am. It could just be that your body is adjusting to this new woe and the less calories. I hope the headaches go away soon. :hugs: