How Fast is Progress Lost

raegan724
raegan724 Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, so I've been fighting a pretty nasty cold for the past two weeks or so. I usually workout 4 days/week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (30 minutes of HIIT, 40 minutes of weights, 30 minute walk). Last week, I did Monday and Tuesday before succumbing to the cold and resting the rest of the days. This week I did Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, but I'm feeling awful today (Friday) and I know I won't be able to workout this weekend because I have family coming to visit.

How detrimental will this break in routine be to overall progress? I have been consistent in this routine for the past 3 months.

Also, I eat an average of 1700 calories per day. Will I have to decrease this now that I've taken a few days off?

Thanks!

Stats:
19 yrs
Female
105 lbs

Replies

  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    It's life. Happens to everyone. You're not going to lose anything enormous. Focus on family and getting better and get back to your routine when you can.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Missing a few days doesn't really have an impact on your fitness. If you are at a relatively high level of fitness, it can take weeks of nothing to start to lose some fitness...even then, it comes back very quickly. *kitten* happens. I've been injured numerous times over the years which has held me out for a month or more and my reduction in fitness was minimal and returned very quickly. To really knock you back to square one takes months if you have a relatively high fitness level.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    You won't lose much in that amount of time, especially at your age, especially if not VeryVery new to fitness.

    Even at my age (65), I wouldn't lose much in that amount of time, and I guarantee I backslide faster now than I did when I was younger, if I take a break. I admit I'm not new to fitness, but if you've been at it steadily for 3 months and you're 19, I don't think you'll see a huge hit. Pay attention to how you feel in the first workout(s) when you resume, go a little bit lighter if you feel strain or fatigue that isn't normal, that's about it. You'll be fine, no major progress hit. If you can keep your sleep & nutrition decent while skipping the workouts, that'll mitigate impacts, too.

    You might even find you're refreshed and renewed when you get back at it. (Curmudgeon mode on: HIIT 4 days a week can be an over-stressful plan . . . no matter which kind of HIIT. HIIT is soooo overyhyped these days! /curmudgeon)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    raegan724 wrote: »
    Hi all, so I've been fighting a pretty nasty cold for the past two weeks or so. I usually workout 4 days/week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (30 minutes of HIIT, 40 minutes of weights, 30 minute walk). Last week, I did Monday and Tuesday before succumbing to the cold and resting the rest of the days. This week I did Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, but I'm feeling awful today (Friday) and I know I won't be able to workout this weekend because I have family coming to visit.

    How detrimental will this break in routine be to overall progress? I have been consistent in this routine for the past 3 months.

    Also, I eat an average of 1700 calories per day. Will I have to decrease this now that I've taken a few days off?

    Thanks!

    Stats:
    19 yrs
    Female
    105 lbs

    Sounds like you got those 1700 calories from a TDEE calculator, rather than MFP, which uses NEAT, and has you log your exercise as you go, which give you extra calories for that day?

    This is why I prefer MFP - on days I don't exercise, I don't get those exercise calories.

    Someone who does use TDEE may be able to better advise you - my advice is to use MFP the way it was designed :smile:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Fitness and strength changes slowly (both ways), fatigue/freshness changes fairly rapidly.

    A few days off might benefit you if you are fatigued but won't have any significant impact on your base fitness/strength.

    Think of an athlete peaking for an event - a heavy training block builds both fitness and fatigue and then they taper down before the event so that their fitness level remains high but fatigue level low and freshness high.

    "Also, I eat an average of 1700 calories per day. Will I have to decrease this now that I've taken a few days off?"
    No you don't have to but you haven't given any clues if you are trying to lose, gain or maintain weight or how you have calculated your calorie allowance.

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