Anyone else overeat when sick?

DeButterflyx
DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
edited February 2022 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been so determined, had been doing slimming world but swapped to a calorie deficit as felt it was working much better. I had lost over a stone but been plateauing since Christmas which is why I decided to change from slimmingworld. I still have at least 5 stone to loose after 3 babys in the space of 4 yrs.
We haven't been sick in a long time but unfortunately my 2 little ones picked up headcolds and I caught it. They are recovering but mine turned into a sinus infection but thankfully the antibiotics kicked in yesterday and I'm on the mend. I feel so c**p as I'm up weight and I cannot stop eating and wanting rubbish since being sick. I tried to go back to calorie counting this morning but I'm just still not well yet even though I'm a lot better and I ended up starving. I suppose I'm just worried as I feel pressure to loose all the weight.

Anyone else like this when sick?

Replies

  • ToffeeApple71
    ToffeeApple71 Posts: 121 Member
    I'm sorry you're not feeling well.
    Why not eat at maintenance while you're feeling unwell rather than try for a calorie deficit? It'll give you more to eat, and will take some of the pressure off.
    Also, I find filling up on low-calorie food like vegetable soup helps when I'm in the mood to eat too much. Use lots of colours of vegetables to get your vitamins and minerals, and a flavourful stock. Marmite adds great flavour.
    You can add things like beans, lentils and pearl barley to bulk it up, make it more filling and add protein. I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top for added B vitamins (which you also get from the marmite. ) And some fried onions for texture, or, if I have enough calories to spend, a multiseed sourdough! It's comfort food at its best.
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    @ToffeeApple71 you are right I should be loading up on the likes of veg soup really. I might actually try to make some soup tomorrow and I have red lentils could do something with them. I made a lentil Dahl before and it was quite nice.
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    @JBanx256 I think il try that tomorrow and aim for nutrients
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Keep in mind that when you have an infection, head cold, or really any illness/injury, you can be holding onto a little extra water weight from inflammation and . . . well, that stuff clogging up your sinuses is mostly liquid-y, right?

    Go to maintenance calories, drink adequate fluids, give yourself time to get better . . . you may find your body weight is in a little better place than you're thinking it is, right now. Even if not, when you're better, you'll be stronger and in a better place to get back to a sensible calorie deficit.

    Hang in there, you have this in hand!
  • metaphysicalstudio
    metaphysicalstudio Posts: 293 Member
    I am an emotional eater so when I am sick I tend to want to eat in order to numb out how I feel. If you are also an emotional eater, then you may be driven by this as well.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Get well soon.

    To be honest if I'm sick I really don't care about eating.
  • fatty2begone
    fatty2begone Posts: 249 Member
    OP... so me for the past 4 days. Picked up a head cold from little nieces/nephews and have not been able to eat in allowance. Quite frankly didnt even try. In my food diary, I wrote notes about sickness and alot of food consumption. Unable to exercise.

    Today I am feeling a little better and am going to try to start counting and tracking again. Going to try to walk around the neighborhood (1 Mile). I think our bodies just have their own idea and not necessarily what our mind wants to do. I dont know if I have eaten enough to put weight on, but if I did, I will start again. I am hoping today.

    Hope you feel better.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I tend to under eat when I'm sick, which may or may not be related to what I eat - which is lots of spicy Asian soup. I also drink lots and lots of ginger tea. Probably all that liquid helps fill me up.

    Speaking of filling, I just discovered the Joy of Cooking's Potato Leek Soup which is the most filling thing I've ever eaten in my life!
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    @fatty2begone thanks hope you feel better too
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    edited February 2022
    I eat the world when I am sick. Seriously, I eat everything. Especially calorie dense food. Screw nutrient, what I want when I'm ill is low nutrition, calorific food. Seriously, I feel you.

    But yeah, it's hard. So for starters give yourself a break. You are ill. Of course your body is screaming for food, it's fighting off an illness. As recommended previously, pop yourself on maintenance calories and go from there. You may not lose any scale weight, but it'll help you feel better. And better sooner. And remember that the scales do some very very strange things when you're ill, so it's best to ignore and avoid them if you find that that effects your mood.

    You've been at this journey for a while and you know that having a few days where your eating isn't 100% on point isn't suddenly going to take to back to where you started.

    Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.
  • DeButterflyx
    DeButterflyx Posts: 41 Member
    Update weighed myself this morning am back to nearly pre sickness weight
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    Update weighed myself this morning am back to nearly pre sickness weight

    Good news! Sounds like at least some of the perceived gain was probably water weight then - not surprising.

    Thanks for coming back and letting us know: I always wonder how things turn out, with people's situation they describe in a post and get advice on.

    Best wishes for good progress going forward!
  • alexandramosenson
    alexandramosenson Posts: 50 Member
    xDaniellexsh wrote: »
    Update weighed myself this morning am back to nearly pre sickness weight

    This is good news! Sorry to be a little late to the party, but yes, I too eat AT LEAST at maintenance. I never understood people who do not eat when sick. Yes, I understand you have a poor appetite, but how are you supposed to fight illness without those lovely nutrients?? I fill my diet with nutrient-dense foods and wa-la! I am better sooner then I think I would be had I not eaten at all.

    TMI: even if the food I eat comes back up (I have to say, I have not vomited in over a decade), then at least I TRIED to feed my body what it needs to fight illness.

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