Keep getting sick!

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Sweet13_Princess
Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I think this has been the worse year for me health wise. I'm a teacher, so I'm exposed to a lot of germs throughout the day. I've had one skin infection, two colds, an ear infection, and food poisoning since September! Three of those have occurred since I started exercises and counting calories at the start of January. I know exercise and eating well is supposed to HELP your immune system, but does anyone else find that it puts your body into shock and actually makes you susceptible to illnesses? I'm not sure if it's my new regimen (I'm not crazily exercises or being extreme with my calories), just bad luck, or just the fact that I have gained a significant amount of weight in the past 2.5 years since my daughter was born. Thoughts?

Shannon

Replies

  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Hi Shannon. When I first started MFP a couple of years ago I was getting sick a lot. The two could be unrelated, but I was eating only 1200 calories. Perhaps I wasn't getting enough nutrients. It could also have been stress related. I was trying to lose baby weight so I had the stress of having 2 kids under 3, dieting, and going back to work all going on at the same time. I also tend to be sick mostly in the fall and winter because I have horrendous indoor allergies. It's hard to assign a cause when so many things could be a factor.

    I would try and make sure that you are getting enough nutrients, water, and sleep (if possible. I suck at getting enough sleep) Try not to stress. I'm pretty sure that a lot of illness can be directly attributed to stress.
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    Thanks for your post, enterdanger! I don't really know how many calories I was eating before I started MFP. Probably a lot, since we were having Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays where I didn't exactly hold back. I'm now on a 1760 calorie goal each day, which I don't think is too bad. I've been trying to keep pretty close to that goal. I know I dipped a bit due to a stomach illness a few weeks ago, though. I definitely have stress, as I have a two year old, I'm a teacher, and we have our in-laws living with us part time! That's something I really need to work on! I just wish there was some way to bolster my immune system a bit more. Right now, I have a mild cold. I've been holding off on exercising until I feel better, but I could be doing so much better on my weight loss journey if I wasn't ill all of the time! Did you do anything different to get yourself out of the "get sick" rut?

    Shannon
  • UG77
    UG77 Posts: 206 Member
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    Are you eating enough nutrient dense foods? Leafy greens, fruit (especially berries) are high in a lot of the nutrients that your body needs to take care of itself. The upside is that if you eat enough of them there isn't any point in taking a multivitamin (because you're getting what you need through your food) plus you are filling up your stomach and taking away some of that "hungry time" which can nudge you towards some of the food choices that aren't as good for you.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    Are you going to the gym a lot? A few of those things could be attributed to the fact that it's a pretty germy place to be. I stopped picking up bugs after I started wiping everything before I touched it - seems a little obsessive, I know, but SO MANY people touch the equipment every day, you know?

    I haven't gotten sick once since I started doing that, which I know is only an anecdote but as it's the only thing I've changed about my routine I'm going to count it.
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    Kids are gross.
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
    edited February 2016
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    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    Kids are gross.

    Charming! lol

    OP make sure you take your vitamins!
  • ashleyylo
    ashleyylo Posts: 101 Member
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    CassidyScaglione wrote: »
    Kids are gross.

    hahah, it's kinda true. I think that having a toddler and being a teacher are like the two germiest things you could expose yourself to.
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
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    Good idea for two reasons. Exercising while sick can spread germs and that's not fun. Second, training while sick could do more damage.

    It is unlikely that the two are related in my opinion. However:



    "Different athletes have different tolerances for stress. A grueling workout for one person might be a routine workout for another. The key is to find the right level of exercise for you that challenges your body to maintain and increase fitness without over-stressing it and increasing your chances of getting an infection due to a temporarily weakened immune system."

    -livestrong.com

    The article further suggests to keep an active log of your workouts and record your subjective feelings. I personally do this.

    For example

    Monday - 1 hour cardio and PM weight training feeling good and strong
    Tuesday - 2 mile running and PM weight training
    Wednesday - 1 hour cycling - feeling burnt out and sluggish will take rest for 24-48hours


    This is just a suggestion may not be the cure but at least you will be more In Tune with how you are feeling and if you are over exerting yourself.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    Kids are gross! I have three! Lol. Wiping equipment is a great idea, bone broth soup helps get more good nutrition into you, tons of fruit and veg, I was going to suggest a check of your cals but the level you are at seems reasonable, are you getting enough sleep? Taking a multivitamin? Having a day-even an hour here or there to just curl up with a book or enjoy a movie by yourself? Bugs are hard to avoid when you are near kids all day and then your own come back from daycare or their own class. One thing I enforce every year is that when the kids get off the bus from school the immediatley wash their hands. Keep the school germs out of the house. Seemed to cut back on our viruses.
  • tarabole
    tarabole Posts: 166 Member
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    I have gotten sick in the past when I wasn't eating enough but the past few years my diet has been really focused on eating a large quantity and variety of fruits and especially vegetables and I have only had one cold in the past 3 years and no other illnesses.
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I have to admit, I haven't been very good about taking my vitamins. Most of the time I forget. I never seem to get on a schedule with them... I can't take them in the morning because it makes my stomach upset, but if I take them lunch time onward, with food I'm usually okay. I'm a late night snacker. I always feel hungry at 9pm, so I eat things I probably shouldn't, usually salty or sweet foods. Maybe it's a variety of these factors, plus the germs I'm exposed to that are upping my "getting sick" factor. I appreciate you guys pointing these things out. It's something I really need to work on!

    Shannon
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,013 Member
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    I think it's having small kids. I have 2 in preschool and we've always got something. It sucks. I eat pretty healthy and am very active, it's just that time of year. Rest & water and exercise when you're up for it. That's all we can do.
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 178 Member
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    When I was teaching I took Wellness Formula once a day and 500mg of vitamin C twice a day (once when I got to school and once at lunch). I also cleaned my doors, keyboard, and classroom with disinfecting wipes everyday. With that combination, I only got sick once a year.
  • mgeeq
    mgeeq Posts: 21 Member
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    Hi Shannon! I'm right there with you on getting sick as I try to get healthy and I'm not sure why. I'm a grad student in health care and I have to do clinicals in germy places but none of my classmates are getting sick, so I wonder why I am. I have been trying to take a multi-vitamin. I set an alarm on my phone to help me remember and try to take it right around the time I brush my teeth for the night. (I don't like the after taste when I swallow them.) So that could be an idea for you.

    I asked my doctor why I keep getting sick. She said to try eat better. I already eat very well. I'm vegetarian and eat few processed foods and no fast food. My vitamin supplement is designed for vegetarians so it should be providing me any nutrients that I might lack. She didn't have a better answer than to take vitamin C tablets. Healthcare doesn't really understand nutrition and how it affects immunity, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

    I don't have any answers for you, but I wanted to share my similar experience. There can be comfort in solidarity, anyway.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    wash your hands.

    Wash your hands before you handle food. Wash your hands before you put them near your head. Wash your hands after you touch a kid who didn't wash their hands. Want to know how you got sick? Odds are you touched something that was infected and didn't wash your hands. You don't need fancy antibacterial soap (that only kills half the pathogens anyways), just scrub them really good and rinse everything away.

    On the food poisoning front, use food safety rules. Always cook your meat properly, don't put cooked meat on a surface raw meat touched, wash your fruits/veggies, don't leave food out for hours and then put it in the fridge, etc...
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    Yeah, I need to keep washing my hands while in the classroom for sure! I bought a HUGE hand sanitize that I encourage students to use whenever they blow their nose. I'm not as good at using it myself because I'm always so busy running around helping students. I've been trying to take my multivitamin after dinner now. I find it doesn't make my belly upset if I take it with food in the evening. Knock on wood.... February has been a much better month for me health wise. Nothing major. *crosses fingers*

    Shannon
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Take enzymes and probiotics to help immune system.

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