I guess I'm now on the "sick as a dog diet..." I was out of town for business, I think worked too hard, drove too much, got exhausted and I've been so sick the last few days. Actually yesterday I could barely move, fever, throat, congestion... good news is I haven't wanted to eat - but that can't be the best either. However I believe I've lost the pound or two that I gained. Of course this is a lesson in not eating junk on the road as that and work/stress can lead to getting sick.
But what would be the "real" sick as a dog diet? What do you eat when you don't feel like eating? I need to go to the store and get some food at least... applesauce, chicken soup? I need to recover as we have a vacation scheduled starting Sat for two weeks at a resort.
Whenever I've had dengue, or amoebic dysentery, or another "violently expel all bodily fluids" disease, my diet has ended up being the S. American version of Pedialite. Not that much sugar, but enough liquid so that I am not completely wasting away.
I then move up to Pedialyte and soda crackers, then move up to vegetable or chicken broth, and then to soft foods.
It's usually two to three weeks after the worst of the illness before I can eat normally again. And about a month before I can have a "heavy" meal.
When I was 220 pounds I would lose about 20 to 25 pounds during these bouts. The last one I got I weighed around the 190's and I think I only lost 10 pounds. I gain them all back once I start eating normally.
This is one of those "worst of illnesses" I rarely get sick. It's just so disheartening as I was feeling so fit lifting weights, showing off my arm muscles to everyone and dropping pounds. Now I feel like ****. But my boy's dragging me out for a bike ride and it's a sunny day, maybe I'll be able to at least move. I can't imagine a real meal so it'll be crackers and soup today. I don't know what Pedialite is other then I think its the stuff the dr. told me to give my boy when he was a baby and got sick. I'd like to have a 10 lb weight loss in this bout - if I'm gonna be sick I might as well lose. But gaining back doesn't sound good -
pedialyte is an electrolyte enhanced juice basically. Its similar to Gatorade, but much better for you. It helps rehydrate your body as you "rapidly expel all fluids"
I usually stick with a lemon lime soda if I'm vomiting, its what my grandma used to give me. I always try to eat when I am sick because if you send your body into a starvation mode, your body will take anything and every thing you give it and convert it into fat.
Once you feel like you can keep something down, all 7 of us in this family swear by Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. We buy a lot of "off brand" stuff to save $$$ but the chicken noodle soup HAS to be Campbell's!
Hope you feel better!
Lori
When I have a stomach virus my foods generally consist of crackers (saltines) and either gateraid or gingerale. No juices or anything b/c they burn
When I have the flu I stick to stuff like toast and juice or saltines. Sometimes if it is cold out I will have soup or macaroni and cheese. Anything that is soft because my throat gets sore. Also, I like sherbet.
My amoebas really enjoyed bland dry cereals (think Kix or Cheerios). I'd eat a small handful, wait to see how it settled, then try another small handful. Sorry you're sick, that's the worst way to lose weight ever.
Finally I'm coming back from the dead, two weeks sick as a dog, sickest I've been in my life. I'm on vacation of all things at a beautiful resort, at least I'll have four more days that I'm not bed and couch ridden to at least enjoy it a bit. There's no scale so I have no idea if I lost weight or stayed the same. Finally yesterday I ate a salad, everything else has been soup, crackers, grilled cheeze, etc. I can't imagine a 'real meal' quite yet, for the first time in my life I'm not craving a big juicy bacon burger.
I'm assuming I lost weight but unfortunately I'm sure it's musle too. I was working so hard doing weight training, getting back in shape, losing weight. I feel that I lost months of work, and I know that I won't be able to workout again for another week, and lift weights for at least two weeks the way I'm still feeling. My arms still feel somewhat toned, I was proudest of them as I lost a lot of fat and was gaining cool muscle.
I know life will go on, I just wonder how one gets back into the routine? Likely I''ll need to get a new journal and even start my weight training from the beginning of the routine again. I'll still make it, my goal is the best shape possible by my big 40 birthday, I have six months to go....
Hey horsey! Glad you're still among the living! Although it sounds like you've been really under a cloud...
Two weeks sick won't undo everything, and I'd really want to stress that you should take it easy as you get back into your routine. "Taking it easy" doesn't mean not getting into it--it just means doing less than you were used to doing when you got sick. No need to stress your body on top of recovering.
Good luck! You have plenty of time to make your goal!
The sick as a dog diet....
