Will taking a break from cardio affect my weight loss

SosaMinosa
SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, everyone! I've lost 30lbs so far in the past 4.5 months through diet, cardio, and lifting weights. I'm eating around 1500 to 1600 a day (5'3 142lb female). So yesterday I stubbed my small toe on the leg of a coffee table and injured it pretty badly. Today, it's swollen, red, and a little bruised. I can walk on it but don't want to put too much pressure on it and might just stick to lifting and core exercises instead of hopping on the treadmill. Will cutting cardio significantly affect my weight loss? Should I cut my calories back if I drop cardio for a couple weeks? I really hate skipping workouts. Has anyone here continued their normal routine while nursing an injury? Thanks for any advice :)

Replies

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    Maybe there are wheelchair/seated cardio vids on youtube?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited November 2014
    If you're doing net method (logging and eating back exercise cals), no.
    If you are doing TDEE and adjust your TDEE to account for your changed activity level, no.

    ETA exercise is not for weight loss. It's for fitness, body composition, and to increase how much food you can eat. I do pretty much no cardio, I've lost almost 25lbs this way.
  • SosaMinosa
    SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
    obscuremusicreference wrote: »
    Maybe there are wheelchair/seated cardio vids on youtube?

    Awesome idea! I'll give it a look :)
  • SosaMinosa
    SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    If you're doing net method (logging and eating back exercise cals), no.
    If you are doing TDEE and adjust your TDEE to account for your changed activity level, no.

    ETA exercise is not for weight loss. It's for fitness, body composition, and to increase how much food you can eat. I do pretty much no cardio, I've lost almost 25lbs this way.

    Thanks! I do eat back my exercise cals. I recently started logging everything I ate after taking a break from it for a while, so I'll just make sure I'm not over eating when I'm not working out. I have MFP set to 1450 a day but eat a bit more even if I'm not working out that day. Thanks for your response. I'm going to stop worrying so much, lol.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Imo you should exercise utmost caution when it comes ot injuries, so if I felt there was stress being put on the injured area I wouldnt do it. If you need to then get it checked by a Dr or nurse. Not sure if you have broken it or its just sore. Just stay off cardio for a week- 10 days and then see if its improved and rethink it.

    The amount you would lose from cardio depends on the amount you were doing in the first place. How much were you burning? Lets guess at 4 times a week 30 minutes on the treadmill at 250-400 cals a session. Thats 1000-1600 calories a week. If 3500 calories= 1lb then over a fortnight the amount youd be burning is 1/2-1lb. So not a lot. The point is its very hard for you ti burn weight off doing just cardio, mosy of it is diet.

    Should you cut back calories? Personal choice. Imo if you are in a routine and its working then I wouldnt change calories and take the slowdown in weight loss, its up to you and is dependent on how significantly cardio was plauing in your weight loss plan. You dontsay whether you are using tde or the net method.

    If I injure myself I always play it safe and stop till Im better. Knwoing your own body you cna tell when its just a niggle compared to discomfort and when its something you should get looked at. Be patient and let it heal naturally. Maybe when you think its better then go back and start with walking or use any of the non impact cardio machines such as the eliptical or rower to ease you back in.
  • SosaMinosa
    SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    Imo you should exercise utmost caution when it comes ot injuries, so if I felt there was stress being put on the injured area I wouldnt do it. If you need to then get it checked by a Dr or nurse. Not sure if you have broken it or its just sore. Just stay off cardio for a week- 10 days and then see if its improved and rethink it.

    The amount you would lose from cardio depends on the amount you were doing in the first place. How much were you burning? Lets guess at 4 times a week 30 minutes on the treadmill at 250-400 cals a session. Thats 1000-1600 calories a week. If 3500 calories= 1lb then over a fortnight the amount youd be burning is 1/2-1lb. So not a lot. The point is its very hard for you ti burn weight off doing just cardio, mosy of it is diet.

    Should you cut back calories? Personal choice. Imo if you are in a routine and its working then I wouldnt change calories and take the slowdown in weight loss, its up to you and is dependent on how significantly cardio was plauing in your weight loss plan. You dontsay whether you are using tde or the net method.

    If I injure myself I always play it safe and stop till Im better. Knwoing your own body you cna tell when its just a niggle compared to discomfort and when its something you should get looked at. Be patient and let it heal naturally. Maybe when you think its better then go back and start with walking or use any of the non impact cardio machines such as the eliptical or rower to ease you back in.

    Thanks :) I'll just skip cardio for a while, at least until I feel comfortable putting more pressure on it. Who knows, I might enjoy the break from cardio. Thanks for your reply :)
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    inkteen wrote: »
    999tigger wrote: »
    Imo you should exercise utmost caution when it comes ot injuries, so if I felt there was stress being put on the injured area I wouldnt do it. If you need to then get it checked by a Dr or nurse. Not sure if you have broken it or its just sore. Just stay off cardio for a week- 10 days and then see if its improved and rethink it.

    The amount you would lose from cardio depends on the amount you were doing in the first place. How much were you burning? Lets guess at 4 times a week 30 minutes on the treadmill at 250-400 cals a session. Thats 1000-1600 calories a week. If 3500 calories= 1lb then over a fortnight the amount youd be burning is 1/2-1lb. So not a lot. The point is its very hard for you ti burn weight off doing just cardio, mosy of it is diet.

    Should you cut back calories? Personal choice. Imo if you are in a routine and its working then I wouldnt change calories and take the slowdown in weight loss, its up to you and is dependent on how significantly cardio was plauing in your weight loss plan. You dontsay whether you are using tde or the net method.

    If I injure myself I always play it safe and stop till Im better. Knwoing your own body you cna tell when its just a niggle compared to discomfort and when its something you should get looked at. Be patient and let it heal naturally. Maybe when you think its better then go back and start with walking or use any of the non impact cardio machines such as the eliptical or rower to ease you back in.

    Thanks :) I'll just skip cardio for a while, at least until I feel comfortable putting more pressure on it. Who knows, I might enjoy the break from cardio. Thanks for your reply :)
    My break from cardio has been going on for.... 4 months? lol.
  • SosaMinosa
    SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    inkteen wrote: »
    999tigger wrote: »
    Imo you should exercise utmost caution when it comes ot injuries, so if I felt there was stress being put on the injured area I wouldnt do it. If you need to then get it checked by a Dr or nurse. Not sure if you have broken it or its just sore. Just stay off cardio for a week- 10 days and then see if its improved and rethink it.

    The amount you would lose from cardio depends on the amount you were doing in the first place. How much were you burning? Lets guess at 4 times a week 30 minutes on the treadmill at 250-400 cals a session. Thats 1000-1600 calories a week. If 3500 calories= 1lb then over a fortnight the amount youd be burning is 1/2-1lb. So not a lot. The point is its very hard for you ti burn weight off doing just cardio, mosy of it is diet.

    Should you cut back calories? Personal choice. Imo if you are in a routine and its working then I wouldnt change calories and take the slowdown in weight loss, its up to you and is dependent on how significantly cardio was plauing in your weight loss plan. You dontsay whether you are using tde or the net method.

    If I injure myself I always play it safe and stop till Im better. Knwoing your own body you cna tell when its just a niggle compared to discomfort and when its something you should get looked at. Be patient and let it heal naturally. Maybe when you think its better then go back and start with walking or use any of the non impact cardio machines such as the eliptical or rower to ease you back in.

    Thanks :) I'll just skip cardio for a while, at least until I feel comfortable putting more pressure on it. Who knows, I might enjoy the break from cardio. Thanks for your reply :)
    My break from cardio has been going on for.... 4 months? lol.

    Lol! I might not return either :) I kind of enjoy it though.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    I was doing T-25 5 days a week but got completely sick of exercising so I stopped 3 weeks ago and it hasn't hurt my weight loss at all, calorie counting is more important for weight loss, exercise is for fitness. I'm still getting 2lbs/week with no exercise, although I will start strength training on Monday as I feel that's more important to me than cardio.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Weight control is largely about energy consumption...when you're less active, your body requires less energy...therefore you have to consume less energy (calories). when you're more active, your body requires more energy...thus you have to consume more energy (calories).

    A break from cardio will effect your weight control if your consumptions is still at the same level as if you were doing cardio...you're consuming the same amount of energy but with less activity. If you adjust your consumption accordingly, taking a cardio break won't effect your weight control at all.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    if you are still eating in a calorie deficit then you will continue to lose…

    calorie deficit = weight loss
    exercise = increased burns, overall health, something you like to do, but is not required for weight loss.
  • SosaMinosa
    SosaMinosa Posts: 41 Member
    Awesome! Thanks for everyone's replies. It definitely puts my mind at ease :-)
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    I have been battling bronchitis for almost 2 weeks and up until yesterday could barely move without wheezing. I just readjusted my activity level to one of no exercise and them eat at maintenance. For me that was 1523. I haven't gained anything. Once I get back in the gym I will readjust my calories again.
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