Is Your Weight Loss Diet Giving You A Headache? Here’s What You Need To Know

On your pursuit of weight loss, you must have tried a dozen of diets and exercise regimen to get rid of the stubborn fat. From symptoms of exhaustion to incessant cravings, you must have experienced an array of issues in the process. We know that losing weight isn’t an easy job. A deficit in calorie consumption can also attribute to health issues such as headaches and lightheadedness. Is your weight loss diet giving you a headache as well?

From insufficient calorie intake to caffeine withdrawal, every subtle diet tweak can give you headaches, but the exact cause may differ from one individual to another. We talked to Pavithra N Rai, Chief Dietician, Columbia Asia Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, to help you understand the link between weight loss and headaches.

Here is why you might experience frequent headaches if you are on a weight loss diet. Dr Pavithra N Raj says, “when a person thinks of losing weight and starting with either gym or other physical activity, they start cutting down on their food immediately, this can make them weak and prone to headaches. My simple advice would be to start dieting at least a week after you start exercising to let your body get adjusted with the routine. Then incorporate a healthy diet and tapering carbohydrate and sugar

According to the dietician, a person trying to shed the extra kilos should avoid:

• foods high in sugar and sweets such as ice-creams, chocolates, and carbonated drinks.
• deep-fried or junk foods including namkeens, pizza, burgers, processed food and also restrict consuming oily gravies.
• refined foods like polished rice, maida (white flour), corn starch, et al.

Healthy tips for people trying to lose weight:

1. Eat at regular intervals and do not skip breakfast to avoid headaches. Try to include 5 meals comprising of three major meals and two snack (small) meals. Include healthy and protein-rich snacks like eggs whites, makhana, boiled sprouts, dhokla, roasted seeds and nuts.
2. Instead of skipping meals, try to control your portion size. Do not eat more than what is required to avoid weight gain.
3. When hunger strikes in between meals, you can increase intake of free foods such as skimmed buttermilk, lime sugar (without sugar), clear soups, fresh homemade soups (without butter or cream or corn-flour).
4. Eat a protein-rich diet including foods such as egg whites, sprouts, nuts like almonds and walnuts, legumes (pulses), low-fat paneer, curd.
5. Don’t forget to include more vegetables and raw salads to add fibre to your diet.
6. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 3 litres of water every day. Keep a water bottle nearby to keep sipping it.
7. Do some kind of physical activity like walking, running  or some other exercise for at least an hour every day.
8. Use cooking methods like baking, grilling, steaming, poaching, sprouting, fermentation, and use a non-stick pan for cooking.