Getting all your calories when you're ill - does it matter?

Mouse_Potato
Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,514 Member
edited January 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, everyone

I am a big proponent of eating well and eating back exercise calories, but today I have a dilemma. I did my "big" workout earlier today, but by the time I'd finishing showering, some mildly annoying congestion had mutated in to a full-blown head cold. I am a sniffling, sneezing, achy mess and I have *no* appetite. However, I have only netted 318 calories today! Normally, this would not be a problem. On a typical Sunday I am ready to gnaw the body parts of anyone who gets between me and the buffet, but it's after 11:00 PM and I feel like someone beat me across the shoulders with a Buick and I don't want anything to eat.

I'm pretty sure one day of hard workout and light eating won't hurt me, but I am curious how the rest of you handle such situations. Do you try to force down a protein shake or just let it go?

Thanks.

Replies

  • demilade
    demilade Posts: 402 Member
    When im sick and dont want to eat I dont eat. Dont force it in, if your body wants food it will tell you. If it effects you for a week at least you know what its from. Feel better soon
  • Rgtjax85
    Rgtjax85 Posts: 99 Member
    I am only recently learning about the whole Basal Neatablic Rate thing. You need a set amount of calories just to function even if you do not workout. In order for your body to fight this off you will need to get your calorie count even. Try to force down some soup. I think it is o.k. if you go ahead and crash tonight but tomorrow you NEED to eat. Praying you feel better. Eat up and if you are too sick to workout rest until you are back to normal.
  • genkimomof2
    genkimomof2 Posts: 50 Member
    Remember that one day of doing just about anything isn't going to hurt or help you. The body is pretty resilient. People who net 300 cals a day every day for weeks and months are the ones who are going to get in trouble. You're fine. If you get super sick and don't eat for a week, you're still fine, especially if you spend most of that week lying in bed, in which case you don't need that many calories anyway.

    Human beings are perfectly designed for bouts of famine. It used to be the norm. especially women evolved some amazing mechanisms to keep herself going in the face of great food scarcity. Of course, even the great and powerful woman cannot survive long term on those numbers, but a day? a week? no sweat. Get better soon!
  • misskate1987
    misskate1987 Posts: 54
    When I'm under (or over for that matter), for whatever reason, I like to look at the spread of my calories across the week - if I'm averaging OK then I really don't worry about it.

    One day is not make or break.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,514 Member
    Thanks, everyone. I am by no means a chronic under-eater, so I doubt it will do any damage. Knowing my body, it will demand an extra 500 calories a day once I am better until I have averaged normal consumption!
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