Migraine

I know many people say that they don't eat when they have migraines. I, unfortunately, seem to be quite the opposite. I keep trying to think of any and everything that will take away the pain and the nausea. I know I'm self-medicating and need to stop.

I lost 140 lbs on WW about two years ago (still not at goal weight) but then gained 70 of it back with this onslaught of migraines I've been going through since October. I haven't had a migraine free day yet.

Of course, the weight gain only makes me feel absolutely horrible about myself. Now they have me on Depakote which is linked to weight gain. The doc said that he felt that I needed to get the migraines under control first.

So discouraged!!! I desperately need to lose weight!!! I've tried taking meds for that but it just screws up my migraines. I use to do the elliptical for 45 minutes a day and now 5 minutes increases my migraines.

So sad!!

Cyn

Hi Cyn,

If I'm going to eat when I have a Migraine, I tend to eat a lot of junk. My downfall is sugary ceral and Goldfish...yummy! I guess I eat junk because it's easier to get my hands on and fill that empty void in my stomach.

Teri Robert did a great article about sneaking in some exercise throughout the day. My favorite is to park far away from a store, forcing me to get in a small walk. Here it is:

• 10 Ways for Migraineurs To Sneak In Some Exercise

Good luck!

Hi Cyn,
I hear ya! I tend to eat through mild nausea, bread, crackers etc. and the beta blocker I am on and more migraines have lead to weight gain for me too this past year. But way to go on the 140 you did lose! That is an amazing accomplishment! Yes, you have gained some back but it is so important to keep the negative thoughts away. Concentrate on what you did do!

As for me I am at the point where NOT gaining anymore is my goal. Yes, I need to lose but I take it one day at a time tryiing to make good choices and forgiving myself when I eat more than I should. I am the worst when I am hurting, especially if I have to grocery shop. Since I can't do as much as I used to, I am home more and cooking more and have tried to cook healthier and remember how important that is. Although it also leads me to baking cookies for my kids, so I make chocolate chip ones which I can't eat!

Two books that have really helped me this summer are The Eating Well Diet by Dr Harvey-Berino. Goes back to the basics of calories in, calories out, encouraging writing down everything you eat and how you are feeling etc. but also has some great simple recipes. The other is Lose it for LIfe by Stephen Arterburn. It's a Christian based book and has a wonderful workbook to really get to the bottom of emotional eating and gives great tools for changing that habit.

It is so hard to make good choices when hurting but all we can do is do the best we can with the day we are given. I know I have really worked on the negative self talk (got books for that too and forgiving myself when I eat too much.

Take care of yourself Cyn!
lisa

I'm a compulsive eater as well. The high carby stuff. When I am nauseated, its crackers and toast and cereal and just plain bread and biscuits. After migraine in the hangover phase its whatever junk food I can get my hands on. Which is bad cause I know MSG triggers migraines for me, but yet I just can't seem to stop, so I am right there with you.
Maybe we can work through this together or at least encourage each other?

I hear all of you! I tend to want carbs too. Between heart disease and diabetes, I can't afford to gain any weight, and I have to watch what I eat anyway. You know the drill --- heart healthy, plus low-carb for the blood sugar.

Here are some of the things I keep on hand:

• No sugar added fudgesicles
  
• Single serving containers of fruit packed in either plain juice or with a bit of Splenda. Just found mandarin oranges packaged this way. Yum!
  
• Tuna (Starkist maybe) packed in the foil packets with no oil or water. Much less mess, which is good when you don't feel well.
  
• Flavored teas. I don't like green, but do like both black tea and white tea. I buy it with different flavors so I don't get bored with it.

These aren't the things I'd really like to eat, but they're at least things that I like, and they are good for me.

Me too!

During a migraine I eat a lot of toast and cereal (I have nausea, but toast makes me feel better). And then after the migraine, all bets are off. I guess from eating toast all day, I end up ravenous and I eat everything in the house!

I've gained 30lbs since my migraines began, partly b/c of the preventives, and partly because "Take 1pt of Ben&Jerrys for chronic pain as needed". I'll admit it, I'm an emotional eater, and pain makes me depressed, depression makes me eat.

I'm also a grad of WW. I lost 60lbs and maintained it for 5 years til all this migraine nonsense. The silver lining is that when we are well again, we know how to take the weight off.

Right now I agree that you have to focus on getting well. So do I. And I know when I'm better I can go back on points and lose this weight.

Good luck.