No counting = headache? Help, please?

So these past few days I've decided to give intuitive eating another go-round. The problem is, I've got this terrible throbbing headache that has lasted me throughout this whole experiment. I normally wouldn't give it a second thought except for the fact that I've noticed it happens every time I don't count calories for more than a day or two. As in, all summer. And I used to get them all the time before I started counting last spring, ever since my young childhood. And they go away when I'm counting!

I know it's not a lack of either nutrients or water, as I am very careful to fill my daily requirements for both and maintain a healthy, balanced diet. And exercise has nothing to do with it because I get the headaches whether or not I exercise. I've recently become an "official" pescetarian (meaning I have been one for quite a while now, but I just told my parents about 2 weeks ago or so), but that has had no effect on the frequency/intensity/duration of my headaches. I have no allergies (and besides, it's autumn, not spring - so no pollen), and my sleep schedule has not changed. I simply cannot figure out what is causing these headaches!!

Does anyone have any ideas? The doctor says it's nothing, and that I should just take some advil, but I'm just curious what everyone thinks.

Thank you in advance!
Kathryn

1. and most likely - you are suffering a tension headache caused by the obvious anxiety it is causing you to not count.

2. by choosing to eat intuitively you are actually subconsciously not eating enough and the headache is caused by this - low blood sugar can cause headache

or 3. its a coincidence.

if the headache persists or is accompanied by any symptoms fever, blurred vision, loss or partial loss of sensation on one of your limbs, vomiting dizziness etc... then go back to the doctor.

I have to agree that it's most likely anxiety by the sounds of it, although counting calories isn't really a bad thing in the first place so I wouldn't worry too much and I especially wouldn't restrict yourself from doing it if it's bothering you to that extent.

It's up to you, and you might be able to overcome the anxiety after a while if you continue, but you'll still probably suffer headaches until then so I wouldn't recommend it.

If it were a symptom of trying to quit smoking or something like that then I'd say press on, but it's not really worth it simply to practice intuitive eating.

Thanks... I definitely eat enough when I'm not counting (aka too much, haha... this summer I gained 13 pounds from "eating intuitively"). Number 1 does sound the most likely, but I actually had a good bit of fun not counting. Two of my best friends came in from out of town this weekend and we pigged out so much, I loved not feeling guilty for going over calorie limits (even though I definitely did, I just don't know by how much (or how many thousands, I should say ;] ) so it didn't cause me nearly as much anxiety as it would have if I had been counting). Also, the headaches were there before I ever even knew what the word "calorie" meant outside of the sense of the phrase "% daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet"... not that I had any idea how much that was (just that I was most probably exceeding it by far). It might be a coincidence, but it's a really weird one.

Just a question, though - is it possible for some people to have different nutrient needs than others? Because I used to eat a whole lot more fruits/veggies and breads when I first started counting than I do now, since according to the percent breakdown of how much of each food group I should be eating I was way over in those areas... this was when my headaches were gone, though? So is it okay to "overeat" fruits/veggies and breads and "undereat" beans/meats and fats if I still have a healthy amount of dairy and a balanced amount of vitamins/fiber/protein/etc? Because I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the headaches?

And I don't (never have and don't plan on ever doing so) drink, smoke, or do any drugs of any kind (well except for prescription medications which have never given me any problems with symptons or anything), so that's not an issue...

Thanks.

Original Post by fidget84:

if the headache persists or is accompanied by any symptoms fever, blurred vision, loss or partial loss of sensation on one of your limbs, vomiting dizziness etc... then go back to the doctor.

 When I first read this I thought it said "...loss of sensation OR one of your limbs..." I was thinking, yes, that would be a cause for concern..

Haha.