HELP! I keep getting sick!

ajeanallender

Ok so I have ANOTHER cold. Basically I started on MFP a few months ago and have been on and off since. The reason is this: I will track my calories for about a week and then catch some sort of virus and then give up for a few weeks - then start the process all over again.

I really try to have a balanced diet (see my diary) and keep within my calories each day, but I am often hungry. So after a week of tracking calories and being hungry- my IMMUNE SYSTEM GETS WEAK and I ALWAYS get sick! I'm so frustrated.

I have a three-year old boy and never "sit" all day so I'm thinking maybe i need to up my calories to account for my lifestyle??, but then I won't loose anything! I take vitamins and plenty of Vitamin C, but still get sick. Maybe I'm just one of those people who's hungry all the time and i just need to work out in order to loose anything....

Any thoughts?

This is my first time on the message boards so.... Hello everyone! :-)

Yummamamma

I have been taking "womens ultra mega active vita packs" from GNC and I swear they boost me up every day. I have a one year old so i need the extra supplementation. If you are feeling very tired, i would up your calories a bit. I havent looked at your diary yet... but I know when i am feeling tired and sick that I am not eating enough.

deadbeatsummer

you need to reflect an active lifestyle in the settings of your account - so there's sedentary, lightly active, etc rather than log that as an exercise.

for the illness, i would suggest getting enough rest - you might not be fully getting over the previous illness and then you run yourself down with a lower intake and more exercise and it rears its head again. rest properly, take a multivitamin and keep drinking water.

if not then see a doc.

yoovie

thoughts- quit giving up when you are sick and instead just put an asterisk on that day that says - * ill - diet not normal

Bunnybeesweet

I looked at several days of your diary and saw lots of processed foods, many with no nutrient value, and not one green leafy vegetable. I would expect to be hungry and sick eating this way.

Jesycah

I know exactly how you feel......i remember yoyo dieting on and off constantly because i kept getting sick. The one way i beat it was to not go off the diet when im sick. I would drink that trop 50 in the morning and i would go to the grocery store and find some of the organic chicken soups in the deli, or regular if not any. (broth based, not cream).......my favorites are chicken noodle, wedding, chicken lemon orzo, and tortilla soup. I would eat saltines with it and only end up with like 550 calories. The soup is packed full of protein and the most calories for 3 servings is 420. I can sometimes take being sick to my advantage. Sometimes being sick i lose the most weight since i don't wanna eat, but still force at least half my daily calories. And the best way for me to keep from feeling sick is to take a cheat day once a week, no calorie limit. Seems to be working so far. Trick your body into not thinking your dieting by a not diet day. I feel like my metabolism has risen doing this. 26 lbs to show for it. lol.

SoDamnHungry

Your kid didn't just start preschool, did he? A lot of times the parents get really sick when their first child starts bringing all those kid germs home.

auroranflash

It may be the same cold coming back. At the beginning of the year, I caught a nasty cold, got over it, and three weeks later, it popped up again just as mean and gnarly as the first time... I finally broke down and went to the doctor for some antibiotics.

linz1125

you need to reflect an active lifestyle in the settings of your account - so there's sedentary, lightly active, etc rather than log that as an exercise.

for the illness, i would suggest getting enough rest - you might not be fully getting over the previous illness and then you run yourself down with a lower intake and more exercise and it rears its head again. rest properly, take a multivitamin and keep drinking water.

if not then see a doc.

I agree...I also agree with the advice to keep logging calories and everything when you are sick. I find that I get over illnesses quicker when I still work out and stay on track with eating. It might also not hurt to consult your doc to see if there are any underlying issues.

CarrieHubert78

My advice... Try eating 5 small meals a day... Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. Keep them fresh and small!! Stay away from processed foods and you should also track your sugar intake. That will really mess with you body. A lot of processed foods have hidden sugars in them that you wouldn't even think about. Sugars in natural foods like milk and fruits are ok.

AmyFett

I get sick a lot as well, and I'm religious with my vitamins. I usually get the a cold 2-3 times a year, if not more. I've felt amazing since starting my diet and exercise about 2 months ago, but yesterday, I got smacked with something bad, and today I just feel worse. Don't push yourself to eat or exercise when you feel this crappy though. I haven't. I had 600 calories today and that was forcing myself to eat a bunch of crackers =(

Akimajuktuq

I looked at several days of your diary and saw lots of processed foods, many with no nutrient value, and not one green leafy vegetable. I would expect to be hungry and sick eating this way.

This. ^

Poor nutrition equals poor health, more often than not.

My diary is open to everyone. None of us are perfect but eating an overall healthy diet based on whole foods, will really help.

I take a few vitamins (krill oil, ubiquinol, berry extracts), but vitamins are no replacement for healthy foods.

staceybrewer

Do you have any food intollerances? If you do and you are increasing those foods with your diet (like whole grains) then you are setting off your immune system. It will not be as strong and you will be susceptible to viruses. Might want to check that.

kennethmgreen

I don't know how much you weigh, or how much you are tying to lose, but for many people, 1,360 cals is a pretty low daily goal. Are you trying to lose more than one pound a week? Your ticker says you've lost 4 pounds and trying to lose 10 total. If you are attempting to lose 10 pounds total at a rate faster than 1 pound a week, you may be making things more difficult than they need to be. It's possible, of course. But not necessary. Are you in a hurry to lose weight?

Unless you are severely limiting your calories, being hungry shouldn't weaken your immune system. Eating healthier foods should help your immune system. Make sure you are hitting your macros - eat nutritious, balanced meals as much as possible while staying within your calorie goals. Also, pay attention to getting enough sleep.

I don't know what the allergens in AZ are like, but in TX, during allergy season, I have to be careful what I eat. Sugar - especially highly processed stuff - and dairy can wreak havoc on me during allergy season, and I can get sick (respiratory infections) if I don't get enough sleep.

You have a 3yo? You do know that toddlers are walking germ factories, right? :sick: If he is going to any new day cares, friends, schools, etc. (any place that has other germ factor - err.. toddlers) be prepared to fight that location's set of germs. I am a father of two and worked in child care for many years - it just goes with the territory.

Don't allow setbacks to completely derail you. Getting sick sucks. And I'm a huge baby when I'm sick. But that doesn't mean I stop eating healthy. I encourage you to not set yourself up to be so hungry. You can lose weight at a 500 cal deficit (MFP setting of 1 lb/week).

Zeromilediet

Oh honey ... you're a busy Mom with a toddler and it shows. The foods you're choosing to eat might be 'healthy' because they don't fit the notion of fast food, but they're not nourishing. You may also have some underlying food-related sensitivities you're unaware of but they're showing themselves as a disfunctional immune system.

Agree with others you need to eat your veggies! And real food (not wonder bread - a wonder it's considered food!). You can start here http://www.rebeccawood.com/

AReasor

You should not be constantly hungry. If you are, you need to reevaluate your plan/goals/expectations.

Also, the years my girls were 3-5 they were my cootie queens. I was sick constantly.

Good sleep and a multi-vitamin helps tremendously.

KALMdown

Kids are dirty. They carry lots of snotty, drooly, filthy germs. Aside from keeping them in a bubble, they will carry germs home to you. Hey, at least they are sharing.

Start stacking your kitchen with LOTS of fresh oranges, green teas, low sodium chicken broth, lysol wipes and sprays. Also, get a neti pot and flush out your nasal passages. Good Luck.

drelan

Just a thought...

When we get sick with a virus or cold I always spray everything down with Lysol, then get a new toothbrush. Toothbrushes harbor all those nasty cold germs.

That may not help with your diet, but it may keep you from getting sick again.

thelovelyLIZ

you need to reflect an active lifestyle in the settings of your account - so there's sedentary, lightly active, etc rather than log that as an exercise.

for the illness, i would suggest getting enough rest - you might not be fully getting over the previous illness and then you run yourself down with a lower intake and more exercise and it rears its head again. rest properly, take a multivitamin and keep drinking water.

if not then see a doc.

This is excellent advice. Make sure you lifestyle is reflected properly in your calories. Also, consider lowering the amount of weight you want to lose a week. If you're set at 2lbs a week, make it 1, at 1 try 1/2. You might not get results as fast, but eating a but more might keep you from getting sick, and you'll be able to stick to it. If you're hungry, you should eat, simple as that.

Kids are super germy too. It took me years of working with them to build up my immune system. Maybe that's a portion of it as well.

BelleHeart

Vitamins! Vitamin C would probably be best to get rid of colds and keep them away. I am alllllways taking that during the winter.

esjohnson03

If it truly is a cold (many "bugs" can cause cold-like symptoms)... make sure your multivitamin contains zinc. While zinc won't make you immediately feel better, it should cut down the longevity of the cold. If it's some other bug... well, zinc still won't do any harm. Most of the other suggestions (sleep, vitamins, etc.) are also very beneficial.

Like any kind of science, there's findings suggesting that zinc works and others that suggest there may be no noticable effect. Either way, it certainly won't hurt trying.

http://www.virology.ws/2009/10/08/zinc-and-the-common-cold/

RuthSweetTooth

I agree. You think you are eating healthy, but you don't eat vegetables. You need a nutritional overhaul. You might want to visit a nutritionist or wellness coach because in addition to not eating enough vegetables, there could be a myriad of other things you don't get. I don't see any legumes (beans) and you are probably low on iron as well, and some days you are very low on protein. Your body needs fat and protein to have a strong immune system. Adding Vitamin C is great but it's not the only thing you need to worry about.

Ruth

I looked at several days of your diary and saw lots of processed foods, many with no nutrient value, and not one green leafy vegetable. I would expect to be hungry and sick eating this way.

This. ^

Poor nutrition equals poor health, more often than not.

My diary is open to everyone. None of us are perfect but eating an overall healthy diet based on whole foods, will really help.

I take a few vitamins (krill oil, ubiquinol, berry extracts), but vitamins are no replacement for healthy foods.

Akimajuktuq

Just a thought...

When we get sick with a virus or cold I always spray everything down with Lysol, then get a new toothbrush. Toothbrushes harbor all those nasty cold germs.

That may not help with your diet, but it may keep you from getting sick again.

Getting a new toothbrush, probably good advice. But spraying Lysol (and breathing/touching/eating it-kids put hands in mouth) all around the house doesn't sound great to me. Illnesses are fought off by a strong immune system. Adding more contaminants than there already are in the house, will not help the immune system imo.