Howdy folks! I was hoping someone could help me.

Hubbie and I are in week four of our BFL and going strong .
We're seeing great improvements and we can't wait to measure this weekend. (We decided to measure our improvments by the tape measure and not the scale).

Anyway, I have been suffering from headaches for about a week now. I drink enough water to make me float, and I think I'm getting enough sleep (8 hours at least). I was wondering if my headaches were due to not enough protein or too much carbs? Or could it be some of the supplements I'm taking that I haven't taken before doing BFL (glutamine, creatine, MSM). Has anyone suffered headaches due to these things?

Thanks in advance!

Leah (IslandMom)

Leah, a few things come to mind.

- Are you also taking a potassium supplement? When you LC and when you follow a 'lifting' diet you tend to lose a lot of water and potassium along with it - headaches and fatigue are often a sign of a potassium deficiency. The Eades recommend supplementing with 400mg a day while losing and also during Maintenance on very hot days on or days you do a lot of exercise. You can use pills or a salt substitute like "NuSalt" or "Morton's Light Salt". 1/8th of a teaspoon gives you between 325-500mg of potassium. One caveat is that if you have a history of heart problems (or are on a certain type of medication, beta blockers) you should consult your doctor first. Always ensure you're well hydrated when taking potassium.

- How many carbs a day are you eating? You might need a few more.

- How much water are you drinking? It could be that your body requires more than you're giving it. Also, when you use creatine it's also important you drink a lot of water - it forces water into your muscle tissue, taking it from your body.

My gut reaction is that this is a potassium issue, though.

HTH
Nat