My head hurts so bad when fasting

(Kellie) #1

I’ve been really strict lately. I want to reach my goal (5 More pounds to go ) by thanksgiving so I can eat a little bit of carbs and feel okay about it so I’ve been fasting. Doing either 18:8 or 16:8 but my god my head hurts tremendously!!! I’m not really hungry but my head kills, yesterday it hurt so bad I broke my fast about 9 hours in -I ate an omelet and my headache went away , I wake up and I have a slight headache almost like a little hangover feeling where I don’t feel rested I feel just sore and tired still. I drink about 2 liters of water a day so I think I’m hydrated

(Tricia) #2

Add pink salt to your water… I know it sounds weird but your symptoms are NOT dehydration… They are low sodium/electrolytes. Burning fat takes a lot out of your body. A lot of sodium and other electrolytes especially.

(Kellie) #3

Okay thanks . I’m seeing great weight loss results but it’s hard to stick to it when my head hurts lol

(Tricia) #5

Actually, Kellie, 2 liters of water a day may not be anywhere near enough now that I ready closer… Not to be gross, but look at your urine. If it’s bright yellow, it’s not enough water. I generally feel pretty darn good when I drink 120-160 oz.

(MelissaH) #6

I deleted my first post after realizing I misread it. I thought you were water fasting… sodium regulates the other electrolytes. I have 2-3 tsp a day mixed in with my water. While fasting, lack of sodium makes for a terrible headache.

(Kellie) #7

My pee is only really yellow in the morning after that it’s light yellow/ clearish

(Kellie) #8

Thank you!!

(Joanna Parszyk ) #9

Regarding water you should listen to your body. Do not force more since the more yudrink the more electrolytes you pass with the urine.
Salt intake is no 1, then supplement magnesium.
Podcast impulsiveketo has fantastic knowledge about it.
Also eating clean and staying away from sweeteners might help (did in my case).

(Kellie) #10

Do you know if there is salt pills I could take lol

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #11

Those last 5 lb are a biatch, yeah? I feel like the first 40 were a breeze comparatively. I might want to lose 10 more total, but five more will put me in the magical absolutely made up “healthy” rather than overweight BMI. I am determined to get there before I attend a wedding on Dec 1 with friends I haven’t seen since I started my keto journey. Nonsensical vanity? Absolutely. Will they be less impressed with my mere 40 lb 5 lb above CDC overweight standard weight? No. Will they be more happy to see me because I’ve lost weight? No. (But happy for me, sure.) Aaaarrrggghhh. Breathe. Just a number of dubious scientific validity. And I am dense. I need to be on the high end of healthy weight for height.
Blerg. Sorry to vent on your thread.

Headaches if fasting is the only reason? More salt.

I’m seeing if I can find empty gell caps to put salt in and take that way since it is hard for me to eat enough especially when fasting. I neeed to be more like my granddad who poured salt onto everything and less like my nana who avoided salt like the plague.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #12

Don’t fast.

Problem solved.

Alternatively, some salt.

(Running from stupidity) #13

This seems reasonable.

#14

I found that drinking zero/minimal calorie liquids did not not effect my weight loss during a fast. Bouillon cubes basically make a salty broth, that may help with your headache. I also like lemonade (real lemon + artificial sweetener +/- ACV). If you don’t already, consider taking a multivitamin.

(Bunny) #15

Some thoughts,

Sounds like it could be low blood sugars causing that head hurting also besides needing a little more sodium, potassium and magnesium when adapting, not sure how long you have been fasting or keto but maybe base your fasting regimen on blood glucose numbers to see how long it takes before they start going low or remain steady when you don’t eat without feeling ill as in head pain etc. When you become more adapted to not eating so frequently, you may be able to fast longer without feeling some type of symptom?