Being ill and unable to exercise

angelsja

So ATM I'm battling a cold/flu type thing and finding myself wanting to eat all the things however just doing the school run is taking it out of me so my question is... should I force myself to exercise in order to be able to eat more or rest and just try to ignore the hunger/illness cravings?

countcurt

angelsja wrote: »

so my question is... should I force myself to exercise in order to be able to eat more or rest and just try to ignore the hunger/illness cravings?

Actually, you should never 'force' yourself to exercise in order to be able to eat more. This is a really bad strategy. There are a lot of reasons why, but one of the reasons is that you end up in situations like this where you really can't exercise and then you don't have a management strategy for your food intake.

If you're hungry you should eat. The real question is whether you are truly hungry or you just want to eat. If you'r truly hungry, then eating is a reasonable solution. And, yes, to the extent possible, making the better choice is still the better way to go even when you're sick.

But, as we all know, there are times when a little self-TLC includes a bit of comfort that only comes from your favorite "I'm sick" food.

kdbulger

Don't force yourself to exercise!! I made that mistake last fall with a vicious cold and it prolonged my recovery. I did find it helpful to go for a bit of a walk IF I felt up to it, but nothing strenuous at all. As for the cravings, could it be out of boredom from sitting around while sick? I would try things like hot broth or tea to fill the void.

arobey11

Your body needs fuel and rest to fight the illness. If you're hungry, eat and relax. If you're really worried about it, set your calories to maintenance and eat them. I hope you feel better soon

angelsja

kdbulger wrote: »

Don't force yourself to exercise!! I made that mistake last fall with a vicious cold and it prolonged my recovery. I did find it helpful to go for a bit of a walk IF I felt up to it, but nothing strenuous at all. As for the cravings, could it be out of boredom from sitting around while sick? I would try things like hot broth or tea to fill the void.

I think it's partially that but also exercise surpresses my appetite so I'm more hungry on none exercise days but my stomach is rumbling by the end of the night the past few days

LivingtheLeanDream

You can exercise when you're feeling better, right now you need to rest and let your body recover.

countcurt

So, do you exercise because it suppresses your appetite or because it allows you to eat more?

angelsja

countcurt wrote: »

So, do you exercise because it suppresses your appetite or because it allows you to eat more?

Both, neither..:/ I enjoy exercise I've got nothing else to do with my day

sardelsa

I would recommend resting, eating at maintenance until you recover. Otherwise you run the risk of making yourself worse and prolonging your illness.

motivatedmartha

In your shoes I might not exercise and I would do my utmost to ensure that everything I ate was hitting my nutritional goals. When poorly was when I wanted to curl up under a blanket with a pack of chocolate biscuits - I fight that now and opt for comforting soups. Chicken noodle or chicken curry soup is my go to for colds. Get Well soon

Maxxitt

Another vote for maintenance when ill. Hope you feel better soon.