staying on Atkins while sick?

[amandarose]

Hello,
I am fairly new here and I have a confession. Money is very depressingly tight. I don't have the book and I can't afford to pick one up until this weekend. I didn't want that to be an excuse to keep me from getting started, so after reading the induction foods list I have plowed ahead. I have actually lost 10lbs already and I am on day 8 of induction. I was shocked how fast it was working for me.

Here is the problem. My husband passed on his nasty head cold to me symptoms kicked in 2 days ago. I have been walking for 40 minutes everyday, except yesterday. I had zero energy. I held a chair down all day while my 2 kids went nuts around me.
I don't want to quit just because I am sick. I spoke to a well meaning friend and she said I should stop today and just eat good carbs until I start feeling better. She thinks that might at least help my energy level go up some. I was having fantastic energy until yesterday.

Ok I know someone will ask. I have tried to keep my diet pretty varied, but I have stuck to the induction foods list I found here. I usually do hardboiled eggs for breakfast since I am not that hungry that time of day. Lunch is usually tuna or chicken salad on a bed of lettuce, and string cheese. Supper pork roast/chicken breast /or a 3 carb slice of ham (no sauces or gravys), broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans (I watch the carb count on the beans). If I am still hungry I will make an egg with my dinner. Without the book I feel a little like I might be missing something, and that could be accounting for my energy lows. Also I am working hard to eat what we have in the house because I really need to keep the little cash we have in case the kids have an emergency.

Does anyone know what Atkins says about being sick and the woe? Or do you have personal experience?

[atkinsgal08]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

>>just eat good carbs>>

That's what Induction is!

>>do you have personal experience>>

When one is sick, getting better is job 1. It is possible to stay "on plan" while sick ... especially with a cold. There's what you've been eating, chicken broth, and lots of water.

The cold is likely to be sapping your energy, however, you could add another 5 net carbs of vegetables to your eating to see if that doesn't help.

For what it's worth, many people on Atkins find they don't get sick ... so if you plow through this, you might be able to put colds behind you!

[liv]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

I like hot teas too,
But a cold will need to run its course.
take care - maybe your friend can look after the kids and you can get some rest

[ziggy]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

when your sick it can really mess up your judgement i remmber along time ago when i had a cold and was sick my body was hurting cause i was sick and subconsciously i thought i needed to change something i was doing to get better again so i ate half of a giant sandwage not atkins freindly and it made me even sicker

i dont do that anymore back then i didnt know much about health but anyways stick to the diet you will get over the cold in time dont worry

[msanjelpie]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

Are you taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement?

[meow]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

It's easy to stay on track when you have a cold. Lots of broth! Add some cayenne pepper to it, that'll get things moving in your sinuses. You should be forcing fluids with a cold, anyway.
Eggs are cheap. make some soft-boiled or poached eggs.


update--after 3 weeks on Induction I lost 3 pounds the first week, then nothing, but I feel 1000 times better. I'm bumping up to OWL 1. I'm not losing weight like I normally would because of ongoing thyroid issues ("Hashi's Gone Wild!"), and they can't seem to stabilize my meds. I'm going up to 25g to see what happens.

[amandarose]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

Thanks everyone, I knew that this way of eating was the best thing for me. I stuck to the plan. Thank you for the encouragement. After my atkins friendly lunch and yet another drink I started to feel semi-normal. I still felt tired off and on, but it was doable. I can't wait to get back to the pre-cold energy.

[stephinextremis]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

It's so tough to make the right choices when ill...I know all about that! (I get sick a lot, since I work in a big building and share work equipment with around 50 people).

Some things I enjoy (or, tolerate better) when ill are:

Mashed cauliflower. I like to add crumbled bacon, green onions and sour cream to it...it's a lot like a baked potato or "loaded" mashed potatoes this way!

Scrambled eggs. If I'm worried about my stomach, I go easy on the fat while cooking them and it doesn't bother my digestive system much. Diced ham, onions, and broccoli are good nutritious additions (just watch the onion carbs) and give the eggs a quiche-like flavor.

Egg drop soup (chicken broth, green onions, and egg drizzled in, and sometimes I add a little shredded chicken to it). Nice for a sore throat.

Sugar-free Jello (count the sweeteners) with whipped cream or cream cheese sort of folded in, then put in the freezer for a bit. This can be a nice treat if you're just craving comfort food, and also nice for a sore throat.

For me, I have not had problems staying on-plan while ill. My few "cheating" experiences have illustrated VERY CLEARLY to me that I will gain back a lot of water weight, not to mention feel like crud for days...so to me, it's not worth it to go back to the old way of eating, and compound my misery! As others have said, it's important for you to take care of yourself right now, and in my mind, that includes making good food choices. There are plenty of recipes and resources around this site, not to mention lots of support for you, in sickness AND in health.

I see you're feeling a bit better already...here's to a speedy recovery for you!

Stephanie

[amandarose]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

Stephanie,
That sugar free jello trick sounds like a nice treat.
Update - I am feeling amazingly better today. I wonder if its because I stuck to good eating instead of comforting myself with carbs? Just a thought. I never bounce back this quickly. When my energy came back it was great. I was able to get the whole house back in shape and some exercise and I am not exhausted. To top it all off it is not even the end of the day and I get to rest a bit and post!

[cocobelle]

Re: staying on Atkins while sick?

As for the book - check out your local library - ours has a couple of copies available... for free!! ;D