why do I want to over eat with this bad cold? why do I think it will make me feel better?

brenn24179
brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
edited November 8 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
been maintaining for almost 2 years but now I am sick and want to overeat to make myself feel better (like that will work). Got to get another mindset. Eating way too many salty foods like chips. I think I am medicating myself with food. Seems like I don't feel anything when I eat, don't have to feel any pain (just like I do emotionally but this time physical)

I have to remind myself I will get thru this without lots of food. Anyone else having a problem with this and gotten thru it Most people don't eat when sick but not me. Have a terrible cold and the first thing I want to do is run to food
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Replies

  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
    I do the same when I have a cold and the opposite when I have a fever... maybe that's where the starve a fever, feed a cold myth originated. At any rate, I try to keep it under control but I also keep in mind that I am sick and my body needs food to fight off the infection.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I do the same thing when I'm sick.. I feel like its better to over eat than under eat when ur sick tho... ur body needs calories to heal and repair, so treat urself if it makes u feel better, but try not to go too over board
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    because your brain is foggy from your sickness, what you need IS A HOT TODDY!,,, a few!!, You will feel good as new!
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    KANGOOJUMPS wrote: »
    because your brain is foggy from your sickness, what you need IS A HOT TODDY!,,, a few!!, You will feel good as new!

    You might be right, you give me my laugh for today!
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    I am almost to goal!! But I am suffering from a bad cold and been overeating too. I am 7 days into the cold. Hope we both feel better soon and can get back to our normal selves.
  • hilaria81
    hilaria81 Posts: 84 Member
    I just went through the same thing for about a week and did give in to my wanting to eat more (a few hundred calories a day). Somehow I lost 2 pounds that week, which is more than I usually lose. Maybe being sick burns more calories! (I doubt it, but...)
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
    I suppose when your body is sick you want more food for more energy to fight the illness along with more food to calm your nerves.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Mostly when I'm sick Im just laying around and I get bored quickly and easily...eating gives me something to do.
  • PwrLftr82
    PwrLftr82 Posts: 945 Member
    The calories will help your body fight the cold. Give in...a couple of days of "overeating" won't kill you.
  • carlosjenno
    carlosjenno Posts: 174 Member
    Eat curry. LOTS of curry!
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    KANGOOJUMPS wrote: »
    because your brain is foggy from your sickness, what you need IS A HOT TODDY!,,, a few!!, You will feel good as new!

    lol I agree when they say to eat if you want. Your body does need more nutrition to heal. I believe its the over eating everyday that makes you fat and not the over eating once in awhile. Its not what you eat from Christmas to New Years Eve, but what you eat from New Years Eve to Christmas. Logging everyday sure wakes me up and makes me accountable. Good luck! <3
  • apparations
    apparations Posts: 264 Member
    When I get a cold I always have a craving for salty, deep fried foods. Last time I had fish and chips and it was sooooo good. So I would say limit it to one meal and drink lots of water or tea.
  • amyepperly
    amyepperly Posts: 2 Member
    When you feel bad you may be craving comfort foods. Also your body also needs extra energy to fight off whatever bug has caused the cold. If you want to avoid it maybe reach for hot tea instead.... flavored teas are good and Celestial Seasonings have echinacea tea with extra vitamin C.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    I'm the same way when I get a cold (also the opposite when I get a fever). When I have a cold, all I want to do is lie in bed, eat, and drink juice. I'm not sure whether these are physical cravings, or psychological (because face it, many of us have been taught the 'feed a cold, starve a fever' myth - so for many years, I followed it). Generally, I find sipping hot tea helps a lot (and helps if I have a sore throat). Gives my mouth something to do instead of eat, and is relaxing when I'm sick. That all said, I do agree that a couple days of overeating won't hurt. And when you're sick, you should be more worried about recuperating than focusing on calories. :smile:
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    thank you all for your comments, geez it is weird I am starved when I have a cold. Maybe I do need to eat more for healing and give myself some slack. I went back to the gym today after two weeks, hope to get back on track. Thanks for reminding me it is ok sometimes to get off track just don't stay off track, that is when it is a problem!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    I did the same last week when I had the cold - put on 4 lb (mostly water due to NEEDING chicken noodle soup =D). It's nearly off again.

    Don't worry about it, have what you want till you feel better :)
  • wellthenwhat
    wellthenwhat Posts: 526 Member
    I am fighting off a bad cold right now, and for the first few days, I wanted lots of food. Especially cappuccinos. I indulged. Now my appetite is normal(although sometimes I feel like I'm coughing my lungs out:) ).
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Eat soup and toast with butter. Spoil yourself with honey in your tea and on your toast. You want comfort.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    feeling better, wished I had of gotten on antibiotics sooner. Also weighed this morning and for some reason did not gain weight. I guess like some of ya said ya need to eat for the healing.
  • bonneycc
    bonneycc Posts: 14 Member
    I have a cold right now too and I want to eat a bunch.
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    I don't know why. Growing up, my mom used to say "starve a fever, feed a cold". No matter how sick we got, she knew we were getting better when we started eating EVERYTHING.
  • Heatherthecyclist
    Heatherthecyclist Posts: 41 Member
    I now also have a really bad cold. It's come on pretty quick. Fever, sore throat, achey, tired and sneezing so much it's like I have allergies, sneezing fits every few minutes.

    Can't be bothered to make any proper meal, but I just want to eat sugary cereal and eat all the chocolate in the house. This won't help!!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I'm a mad carboholic when I'm sick.

    MAD.

    I tend to over eat- and lots of carbs. I assume it's comfort food + habit + lazy/bored eating.

    it's pretty normal.
  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,769 Member
    When I had a cold right after Thanksgiving I wanted to eat things that were salty, sweet, and/or spicy...anything with a lot of flavor. I determined the reason was that because my nose was stuffed up, I couldn't "taste" my food as much (as much of what we taste is actually our sense of smell). So I craved highly flavored foods and lots of them.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    I was sick with a bad cold for about two and a half weeks after Thanksgiving and I'm not an eater when I'm sick. By the time I got back to the gym and my trainer I'd lost some weight (YAY I thought), but he said what I really needed to do was increase my calories, in a healthy way of course, while I was sick.

    He had me eating about 1800-2000 calories/day for the next 4 days and BOOM, I felt immensely better and much stronger at our next training session...............for what it's worth. He also told me to load up on carbs and protein. I gained the lost pounds back and then lost them again this week................I guess I'm still learning.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    I was sick around Thanksgiving with a bad cold. I sat around and munch munch munched. It's all I wanted to do. You'll be fine. Get better soon.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    Like you've heard all your life, drink lots of fluids when you have a cold. It could be the lack of fluids that's making you think about eating. Just a thought.
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    When I have a cold I always want to eat more for some reason - especially hamburgers (maybe because of the protein - no idea really). I have been lucky so far that I haven't gotten a cold since I have been trying to lose but I know it is going to happen at some point (I get a cold every year - better then the flu I guess) and I am sure it will be an issue. Totally don't understand why it happens because I don't really change the rest of my activities (I still have to go to work and all the normal life stuff - it is just a cold so not a reason to stay home and waste sick days) so it isn't that I am bored, I just really want to eat. I am actually glad to read that it isn't just me that gets this way.
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
    I NEVER lose my appetite when I'm sick -- unless it's a GI virus! It's upsetting that I can't even lose when I'm sick!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    I have something going on too, no fever, lethargic, sore throat, exhausted. just had bacon for the first time in 12 months. Think I will go back for more
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