Virus Stress

frezisha
frezisha Posts: 21 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
My parents tested positive for Covid, while I tested negative, but we all got sick at the same time. The health dept considered me positive since we live in the same house. My dad was in the hospital for 5 days and I was scared I would lose him because of how sick he got. We all were doing keto prior, but now anything keto makes us grossed out. My dad is home now on oxygen thank God🙏 But this was a very hard time for me. I gained a few pounds I had lost which is obviously from stress..but should i do protein shakes or something to get some pounds off? I don't eat much but I can feel my stomach a bit puffy. Keto was amazing but I can't stomach it right now..unfortunately my heart rate is now suffering too as a post covid symptom so they just drew my antibodies for the virus since i kept coming out negative on the swabs. I was doing walks, virtual zumba & running & now walking a few steps is extremely tough. This has been a traumatic experience for us forsure. Sorry for the long post.

Replies

  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 595 Member
    edited July 2020
    You have my sympathy. This sounds like a very difficult experience. Hang in there! If this was me, I would eat at maintenance calories and keep tracking. But then I find routines grounding. Not everyone does. I would also draw strength from the weight-loss I’d already accomplished and be loath to just let things go completely. Knowing me, I’d find myself elbow deep in a bag of Tostitos if I let myself do whatever I wanted food-wise :D
    I wouldn’t insist on keto, but I would keep counting calories. Maybe that’s just me...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,940 Member
    Yeah, I wouldn't be trying to lose weight right now but I would keep logging and keep working at eating lots of whole fruit and vegetables. All those antioxidants are good for the immune system.

    Staying away from sugar is a good thing, too. Less inflammation will help...and sugar tends to increase inflammation.

    I hope you all recover quickly.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Yikes, it must be difficult to keep emotions and motivation in check with everybody in your household sick with Covid. :( If it were me, I'd probably be eating all the wrong stuff because when stress rears it's ugly head, that's exactly what I do. :( But what I'd recommend is not worrying so much about calories(there's always time later for that and a few pounds gained isn't going to break you) but just focus on healthy food to keep your recovery as quick as possibly.
    I'm glad your dad is on the mend; how is your mom doing? Are you feeling better?
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    Hospital-stress and medication can impact one's appetite. Try to get in adequate nutrition even if the way you ate before is not appealing to you. I was in the hospital for nearly 3 weeks in 2002 after an auto accident. The doctors, etc. were kept telling me that I needed to eat and get my protein intake up as it would help in the healing process. BUT anything dry brought on a gag reflex within 2-3 bites. So they brought me extra cartons of milk with each meal, and things like soup, yogurt and such. Those I could manage. My mother in law even tried bringing in a bag of treas (cookies, chips and similar) but I could not even manage those.

    It got better after I got home. I will never know if it was due to a particular medication, or just the stress of being in the hospital? I've not experienced anything like it since.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    try not to comfort eat, that is what I do and it does not help. Wow that is stressful, just try to maintain.
  • TanyaHooton
    TanyaHooton Posts: 249 Member
    Your body has been through something traumatic, and it will take time to recover. The recovery will probably be slow, dissatisfying, and frustrating. It will probably take longer than you think (it maybe be several weeks or a few months) and definitely longer than you want.

    Try to focus on sleep and rest. Do not try to focus on weight loss. Instead, eat nourishing foods that your body can manage easily. If it's telling you that anything keto grosses you out now, then it's saying that isn't what it really needs. Your body has added a few pounds due to the stress of the illness and because the cortisol is probably making you retain water. It's also protective for the body to have a few extra pounds hanging on, so that it has a 'bank' of something to lose without going into the danger zone.

    If exercise is too much, focus on what you can do. Can you do yoga? Can you stretch? Even if the answers are no, just focus on regaining enough strength for daily life. I've seen many stories where covid survivors took a run or tried an aerobic exercise (bike riding, long walks, etc.) and they were so winded afterward that it set their progress back weeks. So, go gentle. Remember, it can take months for those recovering from pneumonia to get back to full strength.

    All of this will pass in time, but be patient and give it a while.

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