Do you burn more calories when sick?

cricket_0408
cricket_0408 Posts: 56 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,

I was diagnosed with a UTI on Monday. By Tuesday I was feeling a lot better from the infection, but still really tired and did not exercise Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday I was feeling great after a lot of sleep the night before and decided to exercise, but after 20 minutes I felt like I was going to throw up and/or die. LOL I've been working out 5-6 days a week for 45 minutes every day since January, so my endurance is pretty good and I doubt missing 2 days would make me feel THAT bad. So, I assume it is because my body is worn out from fighting the infection.

Anyway, so my question is I have only worked out 1 day all week and only for 20 minutes but I stepped on the scale this morning and it seems I've broken the plateau I was battling. I've lost 3 pounds! How is this possible without exercising? I've been eating 1300-1400 calories a day (MFP gives me 1200 before exercise). Does your body burn calories faster when you're sick?

Replies

  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
    I don't burn more calories when I am sick.

    Your weight loss was probably a combination of changing up your routine, eating more, and water weight dropping off. If I were you, I'd continue to eat 1300-1400 cals a day and slowly add back in some exercise as you feel better.
  • karenCalandro
    karenCalandro Posts: 92
    I DO BELIEVE YOUR METABOLISM IS HIGHER WHEN SICK BECAUSE YOUR BODY IS WORKING SO HARD TO HEAL ITSELF. SO MY ANSWER IS YESSS.
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    I would thick it takes calories to increase your body temperature if you're running fever. Other than that, I'd guess most weight loss if you're sick is lack of appetite, dehydration, or malabsorption of nutrients.
  • cricket_0408
    cricket_0408 Posts: 56 Member
    I would thick it takes calories to increase your body temperature if you're running fever. Other than that, I'd guess most weight loss if you're sick is lack of appetite, dehydration, or malabsorption of nutrients.

    I know for sure it isnt dehydration. I've been drowning myself in water to help with the UTI symptoms. I'm a Diet Cokeaholic and havent had one since Sunday, so I've been constantly carrying around my water bottle.
  • susanrush
    susanrush Posts: 18
    I agree with the above that it's probably a combination of changing up your routine. When you work out, your body retains some water for muscle repair, so not working out probably has let that go.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    My BodyMedia Fit has never showed an increase of overall burn when I'm sick. And the more hardcore the sickness, the fewer daily calories I burn because I get more and more sedentary.

    Minor illnesses that don't knock me down to sedentary, normal daily burns.
    Medium illnesses that don't knock me to sedentary, but take me down a peg, lower daily burns as I typically lose my work outs during that time.
    Major illnesses that knock me completely down to sedentary, lower than normal daily burns because I'm barely moving while I'm sick.

    So even if you metabolism *did* go up (which mine didn't on its own, I kept my average of 1.1 cal per minute through everything), you'd likely be countering it by getting moving less as it were to go up.

    And I'm talking range of minor cold to severe cold to extreme flu to bodily infection that involves being in and out of a hospital for treating.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Hey everyone,

    I was diagnosed with a UTI on Monday. By Tuesday I was feeling a lot better from the infection, but still really tired and did not exercise Monday or Tuesday. Wednesday I was feeling great after a lot of sleep the night before and decided to exercise, but after 20 minutes I felt like I was going to throw up and/or die. LOL I've been working out 5-6 days a week for 45 minutes every day since January, so my endurance is pretty good and I doubt missing 2 days would make me feel THAT bad. So, I assume it is because my body is worn out from fighting the infection.

    Anyway, so my question is I have only worked out 1 day all week and only for 20 minutes but I stepped on the scale this morning and it seems I've broken the plateau I was battling. I've lost 3 pounds! How is this possible without exercising? I've been eating 1300-1400 calories a day (MFP gives me 1200 before exercise). Does your body burn calories faster when you're sick?
    Because you retain water from exercising for repair along with glycogen loading. If the body doesn't sense "work", it won't supply the liver with more glycogen.
    Also what I've noticed with people who are ill is that they eat less and drink less water.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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