After lunch today, I got really, really ill. I'm fairly certain it was food poisoning, because of how quickly and how sick I was.

So the question is - given that I, uh, doubt I absorbed any nutrients, should I track my lunch anyways?

My apologies if this was TMI for anyone!

Personally, I would count it simply because we don't really know how to un-count it, if you know what I mean?

I hope you get more feedback though; if be interested in knowing what the consensus thinks!

Sorry to hear you were so ill! That really stinks!

No! Don't count the points, you didn't actually get to keep them so definitely don't count that as a meal. I think you deserve a "do-over"! Hope you're feeling better.

p.s. I'm assuming you "lost your lunch" so to speak...

I am sorry to hear that you are so ill. Maybe you should go to see the doctor.

I think it's more important that you listen to your body, than make any determination as to whether they counted or not. Since it's hard to say how many calories made it through, I'd write them down, but put a note in your journal that you got sick. Then eat according to your hunger. If you're satisfied with your calorie alottment assuming they all counted, then fine, but if you're hungry don't fret over replacing a few of the lost calories. Let your body tell you what it needs, if at all possible.

Since the key principle of WW is to track your food, and since you can't be sure that you DIDN'T absorb anything, you need to account for your lunch and carry on as usual. And if we all ate according to what we felt our bodies needed, we'd really get nowheres in the long run (I think my body needs jelly donuts right now...better LISTEN!!! Which is why I got to this size in the first place...) I get from the jist of your post that you are feeling OK now? If so, get some 0 point veggie soup downrange as it will be light on your stomach.
Since this was a sudden and short-lived event, you don't really need to "adjust" your plan to account for it. If you had a longterm chronic illness, then maybe. But not in this situation. IMHO.
Kira

I agree that listening to your body, for weight loss is ineffective for many of us, but I consider being ill to be in a completely different category.

I've had a nasty respiratory virus for the past three days, and have been too sick to eat much of anything. I'm pushing liquids (primarily non-caloric liquids, but I have had some orange juice), but because the thought of eating solid food makes me nauseous, I haven't been eating. I figure this is a case of my body telling me I shouldn't be eating as long as the mere thought of solid foods is making me ill.

I think if you barf up your lunch, it's pretty clear that a good portion of those calories didn't stay down (especially if vomiting occurred very quickly after eating). Whether to eat any back, should (I think) be based upon some common sense. Vomiting, especially the harsh intense vomiting of food poisoning can take a lot out of a person, and if you're feeling weak and hungry, first you'll need to replace fluids, but you may also need to eat, if you're hungry.

A couple weeks ago, my husband had a bout of suspected food poisoning (we believe, like the OP because of how suddenly and severe the vomiting and diarrhea were). He lost 9 lbs in 24 hours, not all of it from dehydration.

I think a little common sense goes a long way, in dealing with calorie counting when you're ill. It's not a free pass to binge city, but I don't think there's a hard and fast rule that can apply. If you feel fine counting the vomitted calories, then that's wonderful, but if you're starving because you barfed up 1/3 to 1/2 of your calorie alottment for the day, you could be legitimately hungry.

Ultimately it's one day, and unless you plan on vomiting every day (which would be another problem), I think playing it by ear isn't a terrible thing.

I wouldn't count it. No sense in flushing your points down the drain along with your lunch

I hope you are feeling better!

Don't forget that on WW we count points, we aren't calorie counters, and points are made up of a combo of fiber, fat and calories. Some nutritional elements absorb faster than others, and that you may have indeed absorbed some of your food points even if you were ill. As a result, I think that accounting for them is important, because the general principle of counting all the points prevents one from overeating. If you don't know what you have actually absorbed, then you don't know what you can accurately add to it.
If this happend to me as a one-time incident, not requiring medical attention nor hospitalization, and was pretty much over once it started, I would count the points so that I would be on track for the week. I know that even if I get an upset stomach after I eat and appear to eliminate a whole bunch of stuff from my GI tract (which happens alot if I eat at other peoples' homes or if the foods have a high fat content), I won't make up for it by eating more points. I DO have some WW vegetable soup, with zero calories, though, if I feel hungry between my bout of GI upset and my next meal. This way, I can eat something gentle and healthy and digestable without adding to my overall points for the day. And if I am really hungry, I dip into my Flex points for the week. But I account for it, just to be on the safe side. I don't view these incidents as a licence to have a second meal, nor some ice cream...but that's just me.
Ms. Kaplods, if you like I can send you some WW info about points and how we account for them here. We really aren't calorie counters, as the system works just a bit differently. I'll be happy to send some links your way if you are interested.
Kira

Thanks for the offer, but I understand the point system very well, as I've been on WW in the past and still have all of my materials. Although I follow an exchange plan, I revert to points if journaling is going to be inconvenient, because I can do points in my head.

While WW doesn't count "calories" the principles are the same - tracking and limiting food intake.

I would suggest that those attending meetings bring it up at their meeting, because WW may have an official position on the matter. I know it was discussed in a meeting when I was a member in Illinois (in the previous incarnation, not the newest version of WW, but still a point system), and that leader's opinion during that discussion is where I got mine. However, WW leaders are not immune from deviating from WW's official position, so rather than assume my leader was speaking from WW's official postion, I'd suggest bringing it up at a meeting (and ask whether it's a personal opinion of the leader or WW's official stance).

I've thrown up before right after a meal....99% of the time I didn't even come close to my daily points limit because of my sour stomach. I guess I don't get the great debate over to count or not? Those little points aren't going to break anyone. It was an illness, not a habitual binge & purge.

I'm with you RomanceDiva!

I say scrap the day, let yourself recuperate, and start new tomorrow! I personally don't feel like eating much after having gotten violentlly ill. Snack on light, gentle foods, just a bit at a time, and forget about it!

Thanks for all the input, folks! Sorry to have incited a bit of a debate.

I didn't track my lunch that day, but did track the rest of what I ate. Given how I felt physically, it seemed like the right choice. We all just do the best we do, eh?