gaining while sick - SERIOUSLY!?!?!

LoosingMyLast15
LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
is it possible to GAIN weight while sick? i've been sick since sunday (chest cold/bad cough/sinus issues). i haven't been able to exercise since monday - barely have enough energy to get dressed in the morning let alone exercise. food choices haven't been perfect but i haven't gone over my calorie intake. i'm drinking LOTS and LOTS of warm water with honey/lemon/ginger (to help soothe my throat). got on the scale this morning and i GAINED 2lbs. most people will say that's not a lot HOWEVER i am 4' 11" so 2lbs is a lot. i know my food choices have not been the best but could they possible be so bad that i really did gain or could it be i'm so dehydrated my body is holding on to every ounce of water it takes in. yesterday i had 5 20oz cups of warm water with honey/lemon/ginger and i probably only went to the bathroom 3 times during the course of the day. this is unusual for me. normally for each 16oz of water i drink i pee like a race horse. so.. what's up? no i'm not pregnant.

edited to add:

i am currently without a kitchen which is making food choices VERY DIFFICULT. and when i say without a kitchen i mean it, nothing no stove, no microwave, no oven, nothing. food diary is open.

Replies

  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    bump
  • syntaxxor
    syntaxxor Posts: 86
    You're retaining water. To gain two lbs you'd have to eat quite a large amount. Whatever sickness you have may be causing the retention; or whatever you're taking to fix it could be causing it.
  • fattyfoodie
    fattyfoodie Posts: 232 Member
    I'd say you are probably quite dehydrated. I doubt very much based on your food diary that it is actually 2 pounds of fat gain.

    Relax, stay away from the scale, and get some rest. Weigh yourself again in a week when you are feeling better.

    I hope you feel better soon.
  • MorganLeighRN
    MorganLeighRN Posts: 411 Member
    If you are sick it sounds like water retention. I always gain weight when I have a cold and am not exercising. Once I am better I am back to my current weight. Work on getting better and then worry about the weight.
  • missymakayla
    missymakayla Posts: 309 Member
    I'd say most of it's water weight!!!!!!!!!!! Don't worry, just get better....
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    thank you all. sucks being sick and then to get on that evil scale and have it tell me i gained weight was just a bit too much for me. i've been stuck on a plateau for sometime now and i know i need to change some things up to get myself off of it but to have this AND be sick and be without a kitchen is UGH!!!!!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    I'm going to go with water retention, too, based on what you said and from your diary. Try not to let it stress you out, drink more water if you can manage it, and stay off the scale for a few days. Hope you feel better soon!
  • MeanSophieCat
    MeanSophieCat Posts: 200 Member
    I'm coming down with a cold and waiting to see what happens. I'm not concerned about actually gaining weight because I know I'll still eat fine but my guess is that I will retain some water. Retaining water seems to be the body's defense mechanism in my cases (against dehydration, to prevent injury) and I would think when your body is sick it would do the same thing.

    I'll try to remember to come back to this thread and comment once I see how my weight changes. It kinda feels like a science experiment!
  • thisisme13
    thisisme13 Posts: 150
    It is most likely just water retention.

    There's no way, if your diary is correct, that you gained two lbs of fat. Are your entries accurate? I know you said you didn't have a kitchen so are you guessing at portions? Or are you still able to weigh foods, and measure liquids?

    It could be water rentention... hormone changes... a lot of things. Don't freak out over it. It will be gone shortly.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    It is most likely just water retention.

    There's no way, if your diary is correct, that you gained two lbs of fat. Are your entries accurate? I know you said you didn't have a kitchen so are you guessing at portions? Or are you still able to weigh foods, and measure liquids?

    It could be water rentention... hormone changes... a lot of things. Don't freak out over it. It will be gone shortly.

    yes my entries are correct. i measure all my food okay maybe not ALL of my food but the main parts of my food. if i have pasta for dinner i make sure i measure it along with the sauce but if i make a salad to go with it, i won't measure the spinach but i will measure the extra virgin olive oil. i don't count out my carrots but i do measure out my hummus. does that make sense. i use measuring cups and also my food scale which thankfully i can still access.

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