calories & being sick
 

Hey ladies (and gents)! It has been quite a few years since I first signed up here, but I'm back on the wagon, 18 pounds down since 12/27/08!

I have a horrible, terrible cold/flu thing going on, and I'm one of those people that just doesn't want to eat when I'm sick. Not hungry at all. I track my calories on Daily Plate, aiming to get between 1400 and 1800 (doing sort of a calorie cycling thing). Today, however, I only logged 765 calories. I will more than likely still be sick as a dog tomorrow... so the question is, do I force myself to eat or just let these sick days go and jump back on when I'm feeling well again? I know that 1200 calories is the *least* amount a woman should eat normally, but I really am not hungry at all, nor have the energy to eat. How long until my body will enter "starvation mode"? Is there an exception to the rules for when you're sick? What do you guys suggest?

your body is not going to go into starvation mode immediately if you eat under 1200 calories one day...it's perfectly normal that sometimes you eat less and sometimes you eat more. it's the average calories over time that will tell your body to gain/lose/starve.

while you're ill, it's important to stay nourished so that you can fight the illness but i don't think you need to worry specifically about your calories. your cold/flu shouldn't last long enough to affect your metabolism and if it does last a long time, you should see a doctor instead of worry about weight loss! I would suggest you keep yourself well hydrated and make sure to eat but don't worry if you're under 1200 one day and over another.

Thanks, Shereel... no worries, I'm definitely more concerned with getting well than with losing weight- just wanted validation that a couple of super low days weren't going to throw my body into a tailspin.

I agree with Shereel - one, two, or even three really low days won't ruin your metabolism - it's when that becomes your normal way of eating that you're in trouble.

When sick, I just eat when I'm hungry & try to have soups & things like that with a lot of nourishment. But I would never force myself to down food that I wasn't hungry for.

Feel better soon!