anyone else overeat when sick?

Deviette

Yep, I know that feeling well. Whenever I feel ill I want to eat all the food. Not normally sweet stuff, but rice, pasta, bread that sort of thing.

Oh and peanut butter. I 100% crave peanut butter when I'm ill. I could eat a week's worth of calories in peanut butter on sick days if I'm not careful.

I normally log it, and try and eat around maintenance. If I'm feeling terrible I just cannot be dealing with a deficit!

LivingtheLeanDream

'They' do say to feed a cold/fever - starve a 'flu.

Muscleflex79

OddDitty wrote: »

brenn24179 wrote: »

I have had this terrible cold for 7 days and of course I want to run to food to feel better. All it does is make me feel guilty and disappoined.

I recently lost 30 lbs and dont want to sabotage. I have been going to hard candy and those calories can add up. I went tonight and got some 5 calorie vitamin c drops so I dont do so much damage.

I guess it is a bad habit, anyone been able to resolve this. I guess I want to run to food with anything emotional. I have a habit of thinking food will take care of this.

You know I hesitate to respond because I'm concerned it will sound like I'm giving medical advice and, to be honest, I don't think people should "diagnose" anything online.

Having said that, https://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/colds-and-fevers.aspx may be your best bet on how to eat during illness.

My go to for illness had always been carbs. Now its warmed bone broth.

interesting you posted this three minutes after specifically asking for medical experts in another thread??

jemhh

Thread title made me laugh. I'm sick and just last night commented on how I get so hungry when I'm sick.

kshama2001

brenn24179 wrote: »

I want to binge eat on hard candy all day which makes me half sick and lots of calories. It is a bad habit. Eating makes me numb and I don't feel pain just like emotional stuff, same thing. I need healthier habits. I am going to try to stop this right now before I sabotage the 30 lbs I just lost. For those who have the problem, let me know healthier ways to cope. Take a Benadryl, put vicks on, hot tea, hot bath. It is crazy I think all that candy would make me well. I know in my head this will pass but I sure want to go to food like candy at a time like this to not feel pain rather than look for healthy solutions to this problem. I need to feel pain and find healthy solutions.

When not sick, I endeavor to manage stress with regular exercise - I used to be an emotional eater, so I get that. A regular exercise routine is critical for my emotional health.

When sick, I soothe myself with soup, hot tea, hot showers, warm bed.

AmyC2288

Yes, I have a tendency to reach for comfort foods which usually have higher calorie counts (mac & cheese, bread, potatoes, crackers...) when I have a cold for sure. I try to fill my stomach up with soup/broth first, before allowing myself some of the things that I actually want. This at least lessens the blow because you're already pretty full from the soup. Also- I'm definitely a fan of reaching for diet soda to curb sweet tooth cravings.

snickerscharlie

OddDitty wrote: »

brenn24179 wrote: »

I have had this terrible cold for 7 days and of course I want to run to food to feel better. All it does is make me feel guilty and disappoined.

I recently lost 30 lbs and dont want to sabotage. I have been going to hard candy and those calories can add up. I went tonight and got some 5 calorie vitamin c drops so I dont do so much damage.

I guess it is a bad habit, anyone been able to resolve this. I guess I want to run to food with anything emotional. I have a habit of thinking food will take care of this.

You know I hesitate to respond because I'm concerned it will sound like I'm giving medical advice and, to be honest, I don't think people should "diagnose" anything online.

Having said that, https://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/colds-and-fevers.aspx may be your best bet on how to eat during illness.

My go to for illness had always been carbs. Now its warmed bone broth.

Op has already stated she has a cold, so no diagnosis is needed nor has been given. What people eat when they *also* have had a cold is valid advice to be given. OP can then pick and choose what might work best for her.

OP: My non-medical non-diagnostic advice would be to make sure you get adequate nutrition while you're fighting this off. The Vitamin C drops are a good idea because they're also soothing on your throat. Do you have a nasty cough, too, or is it more of the head cold variety?

My go-to's have always been soups when I'm sick. Easy to prepare and eat, good nutrition. Especially nice if you have the chills. Frozen juice or yogurt bars can also be really soothing on a sore, scratchy throat.

Other than that, I pretty much eat what I feel like while I'm sick. I just remain mindful of portion sizes and the fact that I'm more sedentary than normal. I figure my body has enough to deal with, I won't be sick forever, and even if I gain a lb or 2 it's likely temporary and no big deal.

Hope you feel better soonest!

777Gemma888

I don't favour eating or drinking when I'm ill. It was so bad as a child that I was on Intravenous feeding whenever a serious bug was spreading through the City. This time last year, a friend threatened to carry me to the hospital to be intravenously fed, if I at least didn't try to eat and drink something. That worked - it was a germ fest last year, with people dying after admission, due to escalating symptoms.😷

dhiammarath

My appetite poofs as soon as I get sick. I sleep a lot too. Though I do crave warm drinks so I’ll have hot chocolate as my go to sick comfort, but if the husband didn’t get me food, I probably wouldn’t eat. I do tend to prefer soups as well; anything warm, really. As a kid my mother knew when I was really sick vs “kind of sick, allergy flare ups” by my loss of appetite and the all day sleeping!

raven56706

i gain an appetite when i get sick. i eat everything in sight

workinonit1956

I almost never lose my appetite. OP, I also tend to overeat-or want to- when I’m sick. It’s comforting to me.

belleflop

The body doesn't want food when you are sick. You eat food you feed the invaders and prolong the sickness. Just drink water with electrolytes.

snickerscharlie

belleflop wrote: »

The body doesn't want food when you are sick. You eat food you feed the invaders and prolong the sickness. Just drink water with electrolytes.

Say, what? I've never heard this before!

Being sick (especially with a stomach flu) may definitely affect appetite, but the body still requires nutrition. A day or two is no biggie, but anything longer than that needs to be addressed.

brenn24179

thanks for the comments, hot tea and soup it is and stay away from that hard candy. I started eating the hard candy and just kept on, having a sore throat give me an excuse to overeat that candy. I now know I need to go to healthier ways to cope, something nutritious. Sounds crazy but I didn't realize what I was doing, bad habits. When I overeat the candy it numbs me, I cant feel anything. Anytime I overeat it numbs me or distracts me (emotional eater) and I was doing good with it until I got sick and didn't want to feel pain so I overeat to distract myself. This is definitely a learning process. If I go thru anything painful I can overeat and it is so comforting, like an alcoholic with his liquor. Need to comfort myself with healthy ways ya have mentioned. Nothing positive is coming from all that hard candy. I will have soup, hot tea, gargle with salt water, hot bath, medicine, etc. I could eat a large pizza right now and feel no pain whatsoever, don't think that is positive though,lol

nutmegoreo

brenn24179 wrote: »

thanks for the comments, hot tea and soup it is and stay away from that hard candy. I started eating the hard candy and just kept on, having a sore throat give me an excuse to overeat that candy. I now know I need to go to healthier ways to cope, something nutritious. Sounds crazy but I didn't realize what I was doing, bad habits. When I overeat the candy it numbs me, I cant feel anything. Anytime I overeat it numbs me or distracts me (emotional eater) and I was doing good with it until I got sick and didn't want to feel pain so I overeat to distract myself. This is definitely a learning process. If I go thru anything painful I can overeat and it is so comforting, like an alcoholic with his liquor. Need to comfort myself with healthy ways ya have mentioned. Nothing positive is coming from all that hard candy. I will have soup, hot tea, gargle with salt water, hot bath, medicine, etc. I could eat a large pizza right now and feel no pain whatsoever, don't think that is positive though,lol

Hard candies can be good for soothing sore throats, because it increases saliva and keeps the throat moist. Gum, broth, tea could also do this. Milkshakes are good for soothing and numbing (depending on illness, it might also upset the stomach more - also not calorie friendly). Sitting in the bathroom with the shower on hot (sit in the room, not the shower) and let the room fill with steam can also sooth the throat and the sinuses. Sounds like you've gotten some good alternatives from this thread. Feel better.

Rabbit91476

I over eat with poor sleep. I’ve just learned to try and over eat with healthy food. And deduct calories or onfor a run the next day