Will this make me gain weight

ClareMandy1904
ClareMandy1904 Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been feeling pretty run down lately and flu-ish and went to the doctor today. He said I have basically worn myself down plus on top of that he thinks I am coming down with the flu. I am a bit of a fitness addict and like to run every day as well as doing weights at the gym. He's told me that I need to lay off all exercise for a week because my body is basically completely over stresseda nd over tired. I've been given advise like this before and have ignored it but of course thats always ended badly! So I will actualyl take his advice but I'm really paranoid and fearful that I will gain weight in this week. I am so used to running every day that the thought of just not exercising at all scares me..I will decreased my calorie intake as I obviously won't be burning nearly as many calories perday. Will one week off from exercise make me gain weight or should it not effect me too badly?

Replies

  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    You shouldn't gain weight as long as you stay within your calorie goal. Log your food and rest up, at least your muscles anyway. Keep busy so you don't get bored and eat. Have a great week!
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    maybe you aren't eating enough to begin with.
    I see you are on 1400 cals and 5 foot 4 inches tall
    With the amount of exercise you do that sounds way too little

    Listen to your doctor

    edit to add : make that extra food good healthy stuff, not chips ok?
  • AggieFan2011
    AggieFan2011 Posts: 551 Member
    Take a deep breath. You'll be fine. I seriously doubt that you will gain weight from a week of no exercise, especially a week when you're sick with the flu and probably won't be wanting to eat very much anyway. It's important that you rest this week and get your body healthy again. If you don't, then you will probably end up even more sick in the long run, which nobody wants. Take the opportunity to relax... make some soup and hot tea and catch up on your tv/movie watching or book reading. You'll be feeling better and getting back to your regular routine in no time, I promise. Also, if you do gain any weight it will more than likely fall back off super fast once your body gets back to it's normal routine of eating and exercising.

    I hope you feel better soon! :smile:
  • an3nguye
    an3nguye Posts: 1 Member
    Hi Clare, your doctor is definitely right in suggesting that you don't exercise. Your immune system is already weakened by the illness, you can catch a secondary bacterial infection which could potentially cause more serious complications like pneumonia. That being said, if you keep track of your food intake and adjust your caloric intake by the calories that you would burn through normal exercises, then you will definitely not gain any weight. In the mean time, you could find songs that pump you up or look up new routes to get you excited to run again when you recover! I'm a medical student and always have patients who are in the same position you are in. Don't stress it!
  • rachelblair09
    rachelblair09 Posts: 33
    i was off the gym for 2 weeks with an injury. i actually lost 4lbs lol.
  • lilaboo34
    lilaboo34 Posts: 6
    Hiya,

    I wouldn't stress it, I eat less than 800 calories a day and my work out is way severe.. (yes before you all jump on me I do have issues which I am working on :smile: ) I am also a chronic asthmatic. For the last 3 weeks I have been battling a lingering cold, exhaustion and a chest infection. For the first 2 weeks i kept everything the same, pushing my body and then some. Then my Doctor sat me down and told me to eat a minimum of 1200 calories and NO WORK OUTS.

    Apart from driving me crazy from not being in the gym, I have semi-enjoyed the week off and found that as I have kept my calories more than usual but less than what you need I have still lost a little weight. Plus even if you did put on a lb there is nothing more damaging than killing yourself for the sake of it, when in a week you could be back to training :)

    Take some time out for you and get better soon :)
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
    I lose more in the periods when I can't work out than when I do. Since I work out regularly (but nothing like you!!!), my body enjoys a few days with no muscle soreness, and I lose all the water I otherwise tend to retain. Also, I am less hungry.

    Take those days of rest and enjoy them. If you end up seriously ill, you may get into a fix where you can't work out at all, you need medicine that messes with your metabolism and you end up bloated and out of shape, all because you couldn't take a healthy few days off. And that is just silly, from such a strong-willed woman.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    You will not gain weight from a week off from exercise unless you eat significantly above your calorie limit. Your body will thank you for the time off and when you get back to it, you may find your performance has improved. I hope you aren't running AND strength training EVERY day with no rest days at all? Don't be so mean to your poor body! :flowerforyou:

Categories