oh the headache....

[mindyp64]

This is Mindy here...on Day 2 and sticking to the plan faithfully but currently feeling crummy. I have a headache that will NOT go away and I am so tired I feel like laying my head on my desk and going to sleep....Any words of encouragement would be appreciated:(

[step3]

Welcome to FAA, Mindy!

I'm so glad you're here, and that you are following the suggested FAA food plan. What you are experiencing is withdrawal from sugar/flour/wheat. These are toxic substances in a food addict's body, and you'll need to get them out of your body so that you can get to the other side. What's there waiting for you is freedom from cravings for s/f/w! I too had headaches (ugh!) and was extremely tired for a while. Thankfully, my husband helped out with some of my meals when I was just too fatigued to take care of it myself...lucky me! Other food addicts can experience flu-like symptoms, or feel very grouchy... we're all different, but almost all of us experience withdrawal/detox symptoms.

What I found helpful was to say the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change (I can't change the fact that withdrawal and detoxification is a necessary part of getting clean from addictive substances), COURAGE to change the things I can (what can I do? I can stay on the food plan and just tough it out for a few more days until it gets better~ I can take an abstinent pain reliever for the headache~ I can go to an FAA meeting in person, over the phone, or online~ I can call an FAA member~ I can read some FAA literature~ I can take a soothing bath~ I can take a walk~ etc., etc.)... and WISDOM to know the difference.

Hang in there, Mindy. You're doing the right thing! And it will be getting better soon! :redface:

Blessings,
step3

P.S. There's an Open Chat for Newcomers (and those coming back from relapse) in the FAA Chat Room tonight (Friday) at 9pm Eastern Time. It's a chance to meet other FAA members and ask questions of members with time in recovery. You can get into the Chat Room by following this link:

http://client11.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=270505

[step3]

bump to top, information on withdrawal

[nevertoolate]

IT REALLY WILL GET BETTER SOON MINDY, KEEP COMING BACK.:redface:
Marilyn in Ohio

[Bronxsalsero]

I did the combination of quitting caffine (coffee & soda) along with transforming my diet. It does get better in about a week. I am now a little over a month into the program and went from 291 - 271 ... 20 pounds!. I have more energy than ever before and have begun going to gym for at least 30 minutes 3x a week. Walking/elipitical type stuff.

Hang in there! It will be worth it

[nevertoolate]

WOW, THAT ROCKS!!!!!! Awesome, Bronx, :chuncky:you must be very determined to do all that...you have my admiration, am still working on sugar.....but I'll keep coming back. Great job, Bronx.
Marilyn in Ohio

[dawn.believes]

Today is day two for me also. I woke up last night at about 4am with a KILLER headache. I took some tylonol and went back to bed. It helped with the pain a little bit but still have a headache. I am glad to hear that the longest it will last is a week. I am a full time student and I HAVE to get some homework done this week no matter how bad I feel! Be blessed, Dawn

[step3]

Today is day two for me also. I woke up last night at about 4am with a KILLER headache. I took some tylonol and went back to bed. It helped with the pain a little bit but still have a headache. I am glad to hear that the longest it will last is a week. I am a full time student and I HAVE to get some homework done this week no matter how bad I feel! Be blessed, Dawn

Withdrawal symptoms vary from food addict to food addict. One FAA friend had no withdrawal symptoms at all! But she is definitely in the minority. One thing I "like" about withdrawal, is that it proves beyond a doubt that I am a food addict. Non-food addicts do not have withdrawal symptoms because they aren't addicted... only addicts suffer withdrawal from their substance(s).

Dawn, I too had horrible headaches, and mine lasted about 3 days as I recall. I was also really grouchy... just ask my husband! :dispirited: But fortunately, that did pass, and wasn't any worse than how mean I was to him when I was in the food. Since I've been abstinent, I haven't raged or screamed or anything like that! I've been angry at times, sure, but I'm more like a "normal" person now than I was at the end of my addictive eating career. I learned that sugar causes a chemical anger, and a chemical fear, so that's what was going on with that. So good to be free and a nicer, gentler person to boot (just like I always secretly thought I was! :biggrin:)

The other symptom I had was pretty debilitating fatigue for about 3-4 days in the middle of the first week. Sometimes during that time, I could barely get out of bed. Ugh! But fortunately, again, these things all pass, and if I don't ever pick up s/f/w again, I don't ever have to withdraw from them again!

How is Day 4 (Day 4 today??) going, Dawn?

[dawn.believes]

Yep, day 4 is today and I am doing good right this second though I did have pumpkin pie today...UGH! I am definitly using it as a learning experience. I thought I could have just one piece....well, you know how that goes. I got rid of the rest of the pie. And I took it out of the container BEFORE putting in the trash so that the trash would get all over the pie. Just sayin....if I had left it in the container I would have went back for it I am sure. But other than that I have been totally flour, sugar, and wheat free. It is HARD though. Please look at my 'this is hard....worried' post. I want to keep doing this but having some issues. May be just me freaking out and looking to forward into the future. I am trying to hang on. I will be eating my MA in an hour and then my kitchen is closed for today! When I get my last food on the plan I literally have to announce, "THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED" in order for my own self to really believe it...LOL....crazy huh? Anyway, tomorrow is a new day with new challenges and surprizes. I also GOTTA get some homework done! UGH! Thinking all this would be a little easier if it were not for school. Be blessed, Dawn

[nevertoolate]

Congrats Dawn on 4 days!!! Be good to yourself, don't beat yourself up....you're doing great.. Being in school is a big challenge, isn't it? This food thing IS a learning experience, I'm 72, and still learning, trying to get the sugar out! Keep coming back, we are here for you Dawn.
Marilyn in Ohio:chuncky:

[betsyb]

The headaches go away as does the body pain and the brain fog. Many of my ailments that I thought that I would just have to live with were gone. When I picked up they came back, little by little and slowly at first as I had "just a bite here and just a bite there" Add to that the 35 pounds...
I guess what I am saying is, just keep going, push through. What helped me was being open and honest with those close to me about what was going on in my mind and my body. Explaining to my husband that I really needed his help, and that I really needed him to not push me to make dinner for the kids, etc. When I explained to him that this was an addiction and that willpower wasn't an option he got it. I have had to remind him over the years that I have been working through this addiction but keeping others in the loop with me has been helpful. He knows now that helping me, helps him. When he supports me through the pain and the detox, he gets a wife back.

[step3]

Hi Dawn,
I love what you say after your last time of eating for the night, "The kitchen is closed!" Saying things like this to my "food addict self" does tend to penetrate, it seems, and I appreciate your sharing your self-talk with us. What works with my food addict self is when I have a strong temptation or urge to eat something not on my plan. I say firmly to myself (as if interacting with a host at a party who KNOWS I don't eat those things), "NO, thank you!" The thought usually goes away when I'm firm with it. It's only when I entertain the idea of addictive food, that it gets out of control, and can easily turn into an obsession. Once that happens, it gets REALLY hard to resist!

Healthy wishes,
step3

[e267806]

Hello,

My name is Coco Food Addict from CA. This is my 5th day of being abstinent from s/f/w and I had a mean headache all day today. I just started to go away right now. I'm staying strong and asking God to give me the strength to stay abstinent form s/f/w. I'm still in need of finding a sponsor if anyone can help???? Thanks for letting me share.




Welcome to FAA, Mindy!

I'm so glad you're here, and that you are following the suggested FAA food plan. What you are experiencing is withdrawal from sugar/flour/wheat. These are toxic substances in a food addict's body, and you'll need to get them out of your body so that you can get to the other side. What's there waiting for you is freedom from cravings for s/f/w! I too had headaches (ugh!) and was extremely tired for a while. Thankfully, my husband helped out with some of my meals when I was just too fatigued to take care of it myself...lucky me! Other food addicts can experience flu-like symptoms, or feel very grouchy... we're all different, but almost all of us experience withdrawal/detox symptoms.

What I found helpful was to say the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change (I can't change the fact that withdrawal and detoxification is a necessary part of getting clean from addictive substances), COURAGE to change the things I can (what can I do? I can stay on the food plan and just tough it out for a few more days until it gets better~ I can take an abstinent pain reliever for the headache~ I can go to an FAA meeting in person, over the phone, or online~ I can call an FAA member~ I can read some FAA literature~ I can take a soothing bath~ I can take a walk~ etc., etc.)... and WISDOM to know the difference.

Hang in there, Mindy. You're doing the right thing! And it will be getting better soon! :redface:

Blessings,
step3

P.S. There's an Open Chat for Newcomers (and those coming back from relapse) in the FAA Chat Room tonight (Friday) at 9pm Eastern Time. It's a chance to meet other FAA members and ask questions of members with time in recovery. You can get into the Chat Room by following this link:

http://client11.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=270505