What do you do when you're sick?

johncaraher
johncaraher Posts: 44 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been fighting a cold lately, and it seems like a double-whammy because I can't get much exercise and I feel weak. Eating a bit more than usual might help the latter, but of course I'd bust my calorie budget (currently set for a 1 lb/week loss rate).

What do you do when you're sick? Do you toss the targets out the window until you lick whatever bug you have? Or do you "stay the course?"

Replies

  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    It depends on how sick. If I feel sluggish, I might go for a walk rather than doing something more intense, but I don't through it completely out the window. If I feel like utter crap though, I might skip the workout and opt for a nap instead, but I still try to eat healthy if I can.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I've been fighting a cold lately, and it seems like a double-whammy because I can't get much exercise and I feel weak. Eating a bit more than usual might help the latter, but of course I'd bust my calorie budget (currently set for a 1 lb/week loss rate).

    What do you do when you're sick? Do you toss the targets out the window until you lick whatever bug you have? Or do you "stay the course?"

    If it is just a cold, I stay the course. If it is more, then it really just depends. I am still recovering from Strep. During the worse 3 days, I did not worry about what I ate and I did not log. I was so limited in what I could eat (it felt like I was swallowing glass for a couple of days) and wasn't very hungry anyway (pain will do that to you). So, when I craved something enough to deal with eating it, I wasn't going to worry about what it was!
  • cindycoley19
    cindycoley19 Posts: 39 Member
    I probably wouldn't do anything if it was "that bad day, of a bad cold", didn't feel well today. Still went to the gym, did only 11 minutes on the stair machine and a few ab crunches, and tht was about all I could push myself to do. Probably should have landed myself on the cycle, but just left, came home and went to bed. Tomorrow's another day. Hope you feel better!

    I would suggest, just a walk or stationary bike for sure. Somethings better than nothing when you're feeling bad.
  • TheGoblinRoad
    TheGoblinRoad Posts: 835 Member
    this is what I do:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheGoblinRoad/view/in-case-of-life-break-glass-216416
  • MallRatMeg
    MallRatMeg Posts: 19
    I just walk, whether it be for 30 minutes or an hour. I just try to get up and move, but we also need to let our bodies rest :)
    TAKE LOTS OF VITAMIN C! :)
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
    I drink OJ like it's going out of style. Oops on the calories.
  • johnwhitent
    johnwhitent Posts: 648 Member
    I tend to try to push through and get some exercise in, but honestly I believe it is better to rest and let the body use the energy for healing.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    With a "cold" i still go to the gym but i'll speedwalk on the treadmill instead of run (so i don't trigger a coughing attack) still keep on track food wise.

    But stuff like a sinus infection (like the one i currently have) knocks me on my *kitten* so there's no way I can get to the gym (hell i couldn't even go to work friday or saturday) and I can barely get food down, so i just do the best I can and then when I start to feel better...get back to it!!
  • dme1977
    dme1977 Posts: 537 Member
    this is what I do:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheGoblinRoad/view/in-case-of-life-break-glass-216416

    THAT IS AWESOME!! thanks for the uplifting encouragement..its exactly what I needed to hear today too....
  • bwallner1971
    bwallner1971 Posts: 41 Member
    I've pushed (and will push) through the cold...I could not push myself through the stomach flu.
  • kittenmitton
    kittenmitton Posts: 231 Member
    Heh, I don't know. I don't remember the last time I was sick (unless you count being super hungover as sick....in which case all I ate the next day consisted of dry toast and water)
  • elisabej
    elisabej Posts: 30 Member
    I go with a light exercise and an early bed or if it's really bad I will skip the exercise, avoid all dairy products in all forms, and go to bed early. Better to be healthy and have to work my way back up than extend my sick.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    I workout though my sickness. It makes me feel better to do that. I also stay on track with my food.
    So what do I do? Stay on track :)
  • laurajordana
    laurajordana Posts: 48 Member
    I drink OJ like it's going out of style. Oops on the calories.

    When I had the flu I ate a whole row of saltine crackers in a day.. It was probably about 500 calories. then again the only other things i ate were chicken noodle soup and apple sauce, so i was probably close to my calorie goal although my sodium intake was most likely through the roof (I didn't track those two days)...
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I never work out when I am sick at all. I think it just makes it drag on longer. I think your immune system needs all it's resources and working out takes away from that. It's important to rest and give your body good wholesome things so it can heal:flowerforyou:
  • vabrewer33
    vabrewer33 Posts: 185
    As a nurse I recommend walking (indoors if it's cold outside) and obviously don't push yourself too hard. It is ok to take a break for a couple days when you body is trying to fight off a bug! Yes, you might be over your calories for 3-4 days but really its not the end of the world and your body was fighting a tough battle so give it a break. And when your feeling up to it, up your exercise slowly until you are 100%. Good luck!!
  • Crystal_R84
    Crystal_R84 Posts: 88 Member
    I just got the norovirus and it knocked me down...I have been struggling for over a week past this virus and taking it easy...your body cant heal itself if you wearing it down. let it heal a week or so.Continue to eat healthy, drink plenty of water, wash your hands, and sleep!
  • johncaraher
    johncaraher Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas; I've been at it for just a month or so and never really thought through how to react to a disrupted routine. I'm on a hockey team and yesterday went out and played (because on even on a recreational hockey team death itself is a barely acceptable excuse for missing a game!) but that's been about it for exercise since Wednesday. I really can't do much at home and I'm worried that walking outdoors won't do my recovery any favors. I have had a lot of soup and OJ and since a lot of my usual eating is premised on not drinking my calories, the juice is really throwing me!
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    I had a slight cold last week. Enough of one where I couldn't breathe through my nose and working out too hard was tough because my lungs were on fire if I did. I still worked out every day, just toned it down some. Today I finally got a good, high energy workout in again. Thank goodness I don't get sick all that often.
  • megannicolex33
    megannicolex33 Posts: 82
    I was recently sick with a really bad sinus infection and a cough, and I wasn't able to work out for two weeks. I was just too tired and weak to make myself get up and do something. I ended up just sticking to my calorie goals each day and still lost a pound or two during the time I was sick. Hope you feel better soon!
  • stablesong
    stablesong Posts: 224
    If I have a cold, I'll usually try to stick to my budgets but take it easy on exercise. I have a bad habit of not realizing how awful I feel (especially if I'm feverish) until I'm trying to work out and can barely move the elliptical. I sleep and lay around a lot more but I try to at least keep my daily activity to its usual levels.

    When I had mono in August, though, my throat was so sore it hurt to swallow my own saliva and I couldn't manage to eat more than about half a poptart at a time without wanting to cry, so I just ate as much as I could of foods I could break into tiny pieces. I was only eating a few hundred calories a day, though, so I felt even crappier than I probably would have if I had been able to eat, and I lost a few pounds which came right back when I started eating again. If my illness is anything big like that, I just do what I can. Being sick usually puts me off of binging or eating large quantities anyway.
  • elks94
    elks94 Posts: 8 Member
    I'm in the same boat. Last night, I went running with girlfriends it was 47 degrees. After breathing in all the cold air it triggered a cough attack for an hour or so. My nose ran the entire run and has not stopped today. If you do any exercise, I would recommend making it light and short, get plenty of fluids and rest. I will not be running again until I'm over it. It's just a road bump in our journey...this too shall pass :-)
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    My boyfriend finally shared whatever bug he's had the last few days with me. I spent this morning in a ball on the couch, but then I decided that it wasn't making me feel any better. I forced myself to get up and get out for a short walk. I don't think I feel better for having done it, but I definitely don't feel worse. Also, I've been craving carbs in a very. serious. way. I want a lot of bread and pasta. I compromised with some wheat toast for breakfast and a sandwich for dinner, on a typically forbidden white bread roll. Still a little under on my calories for the day!
  • ohpilot
    ohpilot Posts: 73 Member
    I'm actually fighting a really bad chest cold right now. I went without exercise altogether for about 5 days because I was too tired and my lung capacity was horrible. If it hadn't been so cold, I probably would have tried to go for a few walks at least.

    Today I forced myself to go to the gym even though I still have a wicked cough. I ended up doing a step class and even though I couldn't push myself as hard as I normally would, it was better than nothing and I ended up feeling great afterwards.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    Got sick back in late November and didn't get better til around mid January. I did not exercise the whole time due to a bad cough and i ate whatever I wanted, seems like when I can't workout I eat horribly, two bad combinations. I gained about 10 lbs :-/

    Best to stick to your calorie goals as best as possible but I know one does not feel like cooking when sick, hope you feel better soon
  • JennW130
    JennW130 Posts: 460 Member
    i have a cold and to top it off i came down with a stomach bug today too....and so did my 18month old daughter....dont think ill be eating much of anything the next couple days
  • JennW130
    JennW130 Posts: 460 Member
    this is what I do:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheGoblinRoad/view/in-case-of-life-break-glass-216416
    good read! thanks for that!
  • Noadi
    Noadi Posts: 27
    Can I please urge those of you who go to the gym when you have a cold to stop doing that. If you have to get in some exercise do it at home or outside, please don't go coughing in an enclosed space with lots of people who are breathing heavily. It's really not very nice to make other people sick, and for some people like me a cold can progress easily to bronchitis or pneumonia due to childhood lung damage and I hate having to use an inhaler or go to the hospital.

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