Stomach bug

Francl27

How do you handle it? Will it totally mess up your metabolism to eat almost nothing for a few days? I don't have it... yet, but my son has been throwing up.

PamelaGatorMom

I had an awful one almost 2 weeks ago. I threw up what I had eaten for breakfast & my morning snack, didn't eat or drink anything for the rest of the day. The next day I did ginger ale & a few crackers also one soda but that's all I ate on day 2 the 3rd day I kept it light, crackers & soup till dinner and I really wanted mashed potatoes so I ate a small amount. I dropped 3.5 pounds & so far they've stayed off. So other than feeling like crap it didn't effect me in a negative way.

neandermagnon

if you're not eating because your ill, it's not the same as if you're deliberately starving yourself. You're not depriving your body of food that it wants, your body does not want food, and if you eat, your body will reject it (i.e. vomiting or diarrhoea). While you're ill, your body will use up the glycogen stores in order to fuel the healing process. You also will feel tired, and spend the day in bed, to conserve energy, so your energy reserves are directed into healing. Your body's response to infection includes causing you to feel tired and ill, to make you rest. (I tend to view this from an evolutionary perspective, our evolutionary ancestors didn't know it was a good idea to rest when they were sick, so their body's response to infection included making them rest, lose their appetite, etc)

If you are sick, forget trying to lose fat until you're well enough, just listen to your body (i.e. eat something bland if you feel hungry, don't eat if you're not hungry, definitely don't force yourself to eat because you'll end up vomiting it up again anyway, and drink clear fluids (whatever your body can handle... if vomiting or diarrhoea is serious enough to stop you taking in enough fluids to prevent dehydration, get rehydration salts from the pharmacy (or send someone who's not sick to do that) but in most cases it won't be bad enough to require that, just rest, listen to your body, and sip water)

Francl27

Ok that's good to know... Now to hope I don't catch it!

farway

if you're not eating because your ill, it's not the same as if you're deliberately starving yourself. You're not depriving your body of food that it wants, your body does not want food, and if you eat, your body will reject it (i.e. vomiting or diarrhoea). While you're ill, your body will use up the glycogen stores in order to fuel the healing process. You also will feel tired, and spend the day in bed, to conserve energy, so your energy reserves are directed into healing. Your body's response to infection includes causing you to feel tired and ill, to make you rest. (I tend to view this from an evolutionary perspective, our evolutionary ancestors didn't know it was a good idea to rest when they were sick, so their body's response to infection included making them rest, lose their appetite, etc)

If you are sick, forget trying to lose fat until you're well enough, just listen to your body (i.e. eat something bland if you feel hungry, don't eat if you're not hungry, definitely don't force yourself to eat because you'll end up vomiting it up again anyway, and drink clear fluids (whatever your body can handle... if vomiting or diarrhoea is serious enough to stop you taking in enough fluids to prevent dehydration, get rehydration salts from the pharmacy (or send someone who's not sick to do that) but in most cases it won't be bad enough to require that, just rest, listen to your body, and sip water)

Very wise advice, go with your body, if you do not feel like eating then don't force it, just sip plain tap water and and take it steady. I had a bout of stomach bug after Christmas and did just sip water for 24 hours

Francl27

I've had two in a year but I wasn't trying to lose weight. I swear I can already feel my stomach being unhappy. Man I really hope I don't catch it... especially as I had one hour of sleep and it's 5am and my kid is asleep on the couch (considering he puked on all our clean sheets).