Hi Edna. It’s the first day for my OH and me and we are both experiencing serious headaches. I have upped my water intake to see if it’s dehydration but I am pleased to say I don’t feel too hungry yet.

Like others on the site I suspect I will find that no breakfast is better as once I start eating I seem to want more.

I don’t know the answer for the headaches but I hope they will stop in a week or so once my body gets used to the regime. Hope you do well on this diet.

I experienced the same thing on my first fast day on Monday. I suspected it was due to dehydration so today (my second fast day) I made sure I drank plenty of eater throughout the day, and I had no headaches at all.

Yes, drinking lots has been the answer for me too.

I was always a person who developed a headache if I missed a meal – now I am fasting until the evening without any ill effects, although visiting the loo a lot!

@onemanguy I think you have answered yourself. The headache was probably caused by the lack of fluid and especially the lack of caffeine – withdrawal – that your body is used to. There is no reason not to have coffee and it doesn’t have to be black if you don’t like it that way.

If you drink a lot of coffee , keep going. Just count the calories in any milk or sugar as part of your fast day allowance.

5:2 is not about denial it’s about fitting in with your life.

xx

It depends on how much coffee you drink. If it’s just one cup a day then the milk is minimal. If I had semi skimmed milk, even just a dash, in every cup of coffee I could easily rack up 100 calories on a fast day. And obviously sugar would really push them up.

xx

Hi

I’m new here too. I found that I felt a little woozy and head achy the following morning after my first fast day. But like everyone else suggests, it may be dehydration. I gave up coffee years ago because it caused migraines for me, but the withdrawal symptoms were pretty bad, so possinly that too!

Ive got myself in to the habit of grabbing a glass of water every time I pass the kitchen sink, and it solved it for me.

I hope your headaches pass, its the one type of pain that turns me into a whingeing baby!

Carmen

Hi I’m on my 3rd week I’ve had some headaches too I drink loads of water + black coffee, also felt dizzy this week on my fast days.

Keep up the good work everyone 🙂

Thanks everyone!

So I replaced an apple in the morning for my morning coffee [dash of milk and some sweetener]. No headaches at all.

This is my 4th fast day…it’s so weird that it is soooo easy.

Feeling great, thinner, focused…and my appetite has changed. I normally see food…want food. Now I’m like “I’m full.”

Hi just like to say after my first two weeks into the fast diet,I also developed a migraine but eleven weeks and my first stone in weight loss and drinking water to keep hydrated all is so far ok,by the way I must add I am a coffee drinker and would not give that up.

thanks samm might try that if headaches are much of a problem but so far everything is OK

Hi, I found after 9 months of 5:2 that my headaches didn’t come from dehydration or anything but from a lack of salt. Considering I don’t eat anything till supper on diet days, I just put a tiny bit of salt on my finger and sucj it up every couple of hours before I have a cup of tea (to wash away the terrible flavour of pure seasalt). I haven’t had a headache since, before they would pop up about 50% of my diet days. Maybe try that if it turns out it’s not a lack of fluids.

Hi Ms and welcome:

Could be that, or just dehydration. When you eat less you take in less water from food. If you don’t compensate, you can get a headache. Here is some information that might help as you lose weight with 5:2: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Hi kfromfrance – I’d definitely agree with a lot of the comments on this thread. Headaches aren’t unusual, and tend to come from a change in hydration, often linked to a dilution of your natural salt levels. I used to get them a lot until I changed my routine to include a cup of miso soup at lunchtime, which sorted it out. Could also try bouillon. Don’t let it put you off – the reason this way of eating is so successful for so many is that you have a lot of flexibility to try different things until you find what works for you. Good luck with day 2!

I occasionally get headaches when fasting and have found that staying hydrated helps some. If you normally drink coffee and have stopped, it could be caffeine withdrawal. I’ve learned to drink coffee black on fast days and add the cream or milk back in on NFD.

Happy fasting everyone!