i'd love any/all advice on if/how much i can work out when i'm sick.

i've been making reasonable progress toward my weight loss goals...about a pound a week. i hit a plateau a few weeks ago and it was extremely motivating actually. i pushed myself nearly twice as hard at the gym (2 hours+ every single day) and was feeling great about myself despite the plateau.

however, i've been just exhausted...sunday i passed out while running and yesterday i had to stop my workout early because i felt so exhausted/dizzy. today i had to make myself not go (i'm a bit obsessive once i commit to something so it is actually hard not to go workout). i've been sick since this weekend so i'm trying to give myself a break...

i know that dehydration can be a big part of this but i've been really good about my water lately....so i'm kind of at a loss...

advice?

thanks so much in advance,
ella

Here is my rule for working out when sick (that has been supported by my doctor):

If you have only symptoms ABOVE the neck, like headache, runny/stuffy nose, earache, etc, it is OK to work out, within your body's limits. If you start feeling exhausted/dizzy, your body is telling you to stop.

If you have ANY symptoms BELOW the neck, like exhaustion, fever, body ache, or chest cough, workouts should be skipped or at least extremely scaled back (replacing an intense workout on the elliptical with a walk around the block) until you're feeling better. Pushing yourself when you have below-neck symptoms is probably just going to increase your total recovery time, making you sicker longer, meaning your workout schedule will be further delayed.

Your body, by making you dizzy and exhausted, is telling you to stop pushing so hard. Please listen.

Sweetie, this doesn't sound like being sick. This sounds like you're really hurting yourself in your enthusiasm! Please, scale back a bit!

I know how frustrating it is to hit a plateau, but if your body is over exhausted, you'll actually just make it worse.

I'd say step back to your normal routine, and maybe mix up your diet a bit instead. Throw in some extra protein. Bump your calories for a day or two and then drop back down.

And give yourself time to REST!

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I generally listen to my body about this-head colds are gernerally harmless at the gym, but if it's below the neck I either recharge & repair or do very light work, like yoga.
I would worry if I ever passed out while working out. That's a major warning to back it off a little.

Are you eating enough? Your body needs fuel for all of that activity! I know we are all trying to lose or maintain weight, but you still have to feed the beast. Along with proper hydration, you may want to look at the amount and timing of food intake to make sure you are getting enough calories to sustain your activity level.