Bridesmaids, 2011
Healthy Breakfast...Check! Almonds at 11am...Check! Salad w/ breaded chicken, no mozzarella, roasted red peppers, celery etc...Check! Glasses & glasses water...Check! Getting up from desk at least once an hour...Check! Walking for at least 30 minutes at lunch...Check! Then 3 o'clock the pain starts creeping up my hairline and then by 4pm...full blown headache comes crashing down on me...
This is the usual occurrence of my days when I try to eat within a certain amount of calories, exercise, ignore the weird grumbling of my stomach right AFTER I eat which I can't understand because wouldn't it happen before? and try to keep my mind off food. I've given up the lunch soda for Lent but it's more than that now. I don't even miss it. I gave up my sugar fix after lunch and replacing it with usually a greek yogurt of some flavor, but I've been trying to nix dairy all together. I walk to Shakira's "She Wolf" and Madonna at lunch because they have a great consistent beat to walk steady to and then I've actually been making it to the gym at nights! But at 3pm I have to eat something...some days eating keeps this headache at bay, but other days if I don't pop an aspirin I'm toast...It's driving me a lil more insane everyday. Then from there I feel like I'm feeding the headache to stop it...*shaking my head in frustration*
The scale is not budging for me, even though I've definitely made some lifestyle changes, but nothing except a few small victories here or there of shirts fitting better, a tuck I didn't notice before appears, but then this headache comes crashing down on me. At first I thought it was because I was eating too many hard whole foods for my body to digest...I don't have a gall bladder, so it was just filling me up with gas embarrassingly but no...I don't think that's it. I'm not pregnant either, trust me. So what could this headache be?
I didn't even stop drinking coffee or increase my amount of coffee either...
A thought that ran through my head was that my body got used to a certain amount of food a day and when I decreased it & changed it, well basically my body went into withdrawal mode. It could be that the soda everyday too was so much sugar that my body really depended on it & it is signs of withdrawal from an addiction I didn't realize I had. Or I could be eating too little for my body??
Another thought ran through my head that the headache could really be happening because I'm stressed. The fact that I'm trying to diet appropriately could just be a coincidence...This could be true?!?
Or perhaps I really am just NOT doing enough. There I said it. With the winter still in full bloom, New York is getting pelted with snow right now as I type this so my Monday gym night is being skipped this week, my walks at lunch are once if any a week also do the horrible frigid cold. The fruits and veggies are over $3 for everything at least...and I'm letting the gym intimidate me. I got upset because the two girls who were probably still in high school were sprinting on either side of me at 7mph...meanwhile I felt like a jackass only doing 3.8 mph and walking. I would fall on my face at 7mph and even 50 pounds lighter I would still fall on my face, but still it's was intimidating...
I think I am going to just try to keep putting my best foot forward and make wise choices. I have to follow the amazing advice I've been lucky enough to be given and be focused. I've also never wanted Spring more...I want peaches at less than a dollar a pound...I want stop having a headache every other day. I want to have results....It's going to happen!!
I want to be her again...I can do this!!!
You CAN do this! And I love how you're sharing your progress with us because even if you can't see it, we can!
ReplyDeleteI feel that same way a lot... I do so good in the morning and then by 3 pm I eat a pop tart or something else horrible for me. Just remember that it gets easier! WE CAN DO IT together. xx. McKenna Lou
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I hate when people run super fast on the treadmill next to me too. Darn them! Hopefully your headaches go away soon. You can totally do this Chloe :)
ReplyDeleteUgh, I'm so sorry about the headache, that sounds absolutely awful, I used to get a headache at work all the time but it was because of the way I was sitting and when I moved my chair and computer the headaches stopped.
ReplyDeleteAlso your previous post about the guy faking an Aussie Accent - so funny!
I hope the headaches subside. You most certainly can do this. You got this!! And even if you're not seeing the results on the scale yet (and trust me you will in time), the exercise is lowering your cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. So the benefits are sometimes things that you don't even see yet per se! Like I said, you got this :)
ReplyDeletei love that you're working hard to get healthy! so here are a few pointers:
ReplyDelete1) in order to fuel your body properly, you have to know how many calories your body needs. i will send you an email about this. basically, there are 3 values which you should know - your basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is what your body needs by just being alive, your maintenance caloric intake which is the #cals/day your body needs to maintain your current weight and your caloric range for weight loss which is a target that you should stay within each day in order to lose weight (approx 1 lb/wk).
2) your body does in fact go through withdrawl if you're used to eating crappy foods. i know i did and it took a full 2wks of hell for me to get over it. if you've cut out foods that have a lot of additives/preservatives/caffeine in them, then most definitely your body will go through withdrawal. the only way to get over this is to just tough it out and it will pass. once you pass this stage, your body is free of all that garbage. ps - i don't think coffee is garbage but the other stuff is.
3) never mind the scale. seriously. i think many people (esp women) put way too much emphasis on the scale when it's not a good way to gauge progress. anything can throw off the scale - where you are in your cycle, if you're on your period, what you ate that day, if you happen to be extra gassy or bloated, how much water you drank etc... so if the number is inaccurate to begin with, why even bother using that to measure progress? focus on inches lost and % body fat. you said your shirts are fitting better so focus on that. you're doing something right because your measurements are getting smaller! think of it this way: athletes are very very heavy on the scale and their BMIs are off the charts which, if you take those numbers at face value, would mean that they're "overweight". this is NOT the case; they actually have VERY LITTLE body fat but lots of muscle. do you see what i mean about the scale being inaccurate?
since i started my journey last january, i have only stepped on the scale twice. what is recommended is that we should be replacing fat with muscle so in reality, our weight should really only fluctuate 15-20lbs in a year... building lean muscle mass through weight training will help with long-term weight management since it burns more calories even at rest.
i'll email you about your caloric intake numbers.
The fact that you care this much shows that you're doing the right thing. :)
ReplyDeleteKeep on keeping on!
I find that if I eat more for breakfast and lunch and eat a really small dinner, I find myself less hungry during the day. Maybe try that?
slow and steady - longs that scale doesn't go up - it's a VICTORY girl!!! - i've had this 1.5 year battle of medicine weight gain - sh*t won't come off - drives me OUT of my mind - literally i could curse like a truck driver right now over it all ... u WILL get headaches if your taking foods out of your normal diet (sugars, carbs, etc) - but it all passes after week 1-2 ..
ReplyDeleteit really could be a withdrawal from sugar. i've read articles saying our bodies can get addicted to bad stuff pretty quickly and then it's hard to come off from that. like, if i pig out on vacation, i'm starving for a few days after i get home and get back to normal eating. it's so so tough, but if i get through a few days, i'm usually back on track. maybe have a piece of fruit or something around 3 pm or a string cheese and some nuts. and so so so much water you think you're going to float away haha. good luck!!
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I'm with Jackie and I'd been having the same issues. I'm trying to eat a lot better and I'm noticing a MAJOR sugar withdrawal, which is causing headaches for me. I'm still drinking coffee like normal but I don't think that's the only problem.
ReplyDeleteDid you know apples help boost you up nearly as much as coffee does? Trying eating an apple right before the time you're getting your headaches. And maybe follow it up with a little honey? Between the two, the sugar may help.
You can do this! I got a headache when I stopped the sodas because of caffeine withdrawal. They lasted about a week, but they are gone now and I am much better. :)
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel- it's hot here already and I run on a trail, but when young girls pass me by, it drives me NUTS! Especially when I was a pretty decent runner last May and now I am kinda outta running shape.
And then I think...doing even something small is better than doing nothing. So, if that means walking and running and walking again and only doing 3.5 miles one day and 5 the next and 3 the next, so be it.
It takes forever to see results sometimes, but don't let that get you down. In the meantime, you're making yourself healthier for the long run and that's great.
that happens to me all the time everytime i cut down eating during the day. What helped is when i just eat regularly during the day and just have a very light dinner and go to bed early. At least when i feel dizzy or gets a headache im already sleeping.
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I'm completely off my sleep schedule since my mom's been gone and it's totally messed up my eating too...will be glad to get back on a regular routine!
ReplyDeleteStay positive! I know you can do it! And walking at 3.8 is good! Don't let people intimidate you at the gym! Rooting for you as I also tackle gym fears and get myself to eating healthier each day!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Hope for you the headache goes away soon!
ReplyDeleteCutting out the soda could be caffeine withdrawal. It might not seem like much, especially if you're still having coffee, but sometimes even the slightest change can have effects. Sometimes I have black tea or something like that in the afternoon to get a little caffeine boost without the sugar rush. Maybe that would help?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would absolutely fall on my face at 7mph. And probably break my nose and bleed all over the trouble,too, knowing my luck. Don't let those gym bunnies intimidate you!
*um, that would be 'treadmill' not 'trouble.' does that count as a freudian slip? ;)
ReplyDeleteThe headaches are either a result of a food allergy or your hormones fluctuating (or a possible caffeine withdrawal). Start packing small, healthy snacks and definitely find time to eat at 3pm. Btw, the mozzarella on the salad isn't too bad for you if it's done in moderation. Pay attention to what you eat and when the headaches start to find a possible trigger. Last, too few calories will only decrease your muscle mass and slow down your metabolism which will result in making you feel like crap and any weight that was loss will come in double time. Eat small meals throughout the day and make sure you are getting adequate amounts of protein. For your stomach, I suggest taking a dairy free probiotic (Whole Foods sells one by 365 which works fine) once a day for about a week and then as needed or every few days for digestive up keep. If you have any questions, I'm an email away. :)
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