Days off from the gym

RolandPHX

Hello people,

To start my goal is to get to about 190 lbs w/ about 15% body fat; I am down from 232lbs to 205 lbs over 3 months. I am at about 20% body fat now.

My diet is okay - limited to between 1,500 to 2,000 cal w/ 40% protein, 30% carb and 30% fat. At least that is the goal.

I exercise almost every day. Do about 40 minute cardio and 40 min weights. Weights are divided by groups over a week; I lift past fail w/ drop weights. Cardio is variable from spin classes, to HIIT vs. steady-state on either treadmill or stair-climber.

Over the past two weeks I am stuck between 207 and 205.

Here is a question: Is it true that daily high intensity exercise without days off causes the cortisol to spike thereby eliminating loss of weight/fat? If this is true, how many days per week do you recommend off from the gym? Or, alternatively, should I take days to just do cardio and no weights? Or the other way around, weights without cardio?

Thank you!

dixiewhiskey

in to read answers later*

CrabNebula

Wut?

Just throwing this out there - I do high intensity SS and interval cardio 5-6 days a week. I am losing weight because I am eating less than I burn. That's all there is to it.

macgurlnet

Pretty sure the only problem with a lot of exercise is the body not getting the rest it needs to repair muscles and such, which in turn could mean some extra water weight hanging around?

The whole no fat loss thing is bunk. Just because the scale isn't moving doesn't mean you haven't lost fat. Water weight can EASILY mask fat loss.

This assumes your food logging is accurate and you are in a calorie deficit, of course.

~Lyssa

callsitlikeiseeit

rest days are to rest muscles - whether you lift weights or do cardio or a combination. your body still needs a break to repair and heal itself.

weight loss occurs in the kitchen. If you are not losing weight, its likely you are eating more than you think (i didnt look at your diary or even to see if it was open). that said, if its only been a week or two, it may just be a natural fluctuation. I will have the occasional week of no loss, or even a gain, and then in the next week or so it falls off of its own accord.

LFiestan

This happened to me lately too and i was gonna ask about it here. Last night I increased my calorie intake from 1200 to 1500 thinking im probably starving myself.

Ive been doing alot of cardio (2hrs a day, thats 20 min stretch/yoga with 30-35min strength training the rest all cardio) I did get sore muscles but it wasnt that bad so i pushed myself even harder. Ive been doing it for 2 weeks already, thats 5days straight taking weekends to rest only.

One of my MFP pals told me that my cortisol was probably high since ive been over doing my exercise, particularly cardio. So this time, im taking time off and alternate my exercises (like cardio today and tomorrow will be weights or do HIIT) I'll see what will happen.

http://www.shapefit.com/exercise/adrenal-fatigue-overtraining.html