Sick? Learn How To Pivot Your Nutrition And Fitness Strategy
As we are in the season of germs, I've got some advice for how to pivot your nutrition and fitness strategy so that you don't lose your progress.
If you are sick, the first thing to note is DON’T FREAK OUT!
If you need to take some time off to rest and recover, it's okay. You're not going to lose progress by taking a few days, even a week, maybe a little bit longer, off from the gym.
When you get back into it, you might notice that the weights feel a little bit heavier. You may have lost some strength, but don't worry, you probably haven't lost actual muscle mass and that strength will come back really, really quickly. Muscle memory is a cool thing.
So don't freak out! Just do what you need to do in order to get yourself healthy again so you can get back to your normal life.
Your Fitness Strategy
In terms of fitness, you might still be able to work out if you're sick, it just depends on the severity of the illness.
If you've got something mild going on like the common cold, and you feel okay, try your workout.
Then just listen to your body, you might need to shorten the workout or you might need to lower the weights. Sometimes working out can actually be helpful in recovering from an illness. The key really is there seems to be a kind of a bell curve effect. So you just don't want to overdo it.
If, however, you are very sick, if you've got a fever, or shortness of breath, or some moderate to severe body aches, that's a sign that you probably don't want to work out. You won't have a very effective workout anyway and you're probably going to be increasing your risk of injury if you decide to push it and go for it and then you might be out of commission for even longer.
So don't work out if you have those kinds of symptoms, and definitely don't go to a gym where you'd be able to spread those kinds of germs around.
You may be up to just a gentle walk, leisurely walk or some yoga, or some kind of movement, that's going to be less stressful on your body. Listen to your body and just do what you can. If it doesn't feel good, then stop and rest.
Your Nutrition Strategy
In terms of nutrition, go back to the basics of nursing school, you really just want to push fluids and you want to rest. So above all else, make sure that you are keeping yourself well-hydrated, and that you are sleeping as much as possible. It's like the best defense against illness.
Also, shout out to fruits and vegetables! They're full of vitamins and minerals that can help to keep your immune system strong (everyone knows that). But if you count macros, I would recommend that you also listen to your body.
If you have a mild illness, just a general cold and you feel okay, then keep doing what you're doing, stick to your macros. If you are severely sick, though, then abandon the macros and instead just listen to your body and continue to push lots of fluids. If you just don't have an appetite, that's fine, honor that. Rest, listen to your body, get healthy, then return to normal when you recover.
Some people like to eat more when they’re sick. Again, this comes down to listening to your body. If you're really really sick, a calorie deficit might not be the wisest choice. If you're trying to lose weight, then you're in a calorie deficit and that might not be helpful.
It takes energy to fight an illness and your body might be telling you to eat more. That's okay, listen to that, honor it and then just when you get back to healthy, then go back to your normal routine, and you'll be fine. In no time at all. This will just be a bump in the road. So hopefully that helps feel better if anyone else is sick.
If your goal is to get leaner and build sexy curves, I can help with that structured plan. Oh, and you won't have to give up cake either or carbs or any food you don't want to give up. Learn more about my 12 Weeks to Fitness group coaching program here.