Give your body a break to lose weight

crux · November 2011

There’s a trend I keep seeing from the friends that I interact with, I also see this pattern in my own weight loss. Time after time, people are not losing weight, for a weeks at a time, then all of a sudden they get a big loss.

The funny thing is that very often this big loss co-insides with a week off either with illness or injury or some kind of forced break from exercise…

I schedule cut back weeks in my training schedule, and every so often work/life forces me to take multiple days even maybe a week away from training. That’s often when I get my best weight loss results…

Co-incidence? I don’t think so… I have no scientific back up for this but I truly believe that the body needs regular periodic multi day rests to get rid of accumulated inflammation, retained water and general exercise stress.

If your one of those people that has monster burns, high volume exercise weeks, lots of cardio and just is not losing like you think you should be, then try a rest week once in a while… It may be just what your body needs to show up the real loss you have been masking with exercise stress.

niallse · November 2011

This is happening to me this week. I've taken a rest week having not lost anything for a while, and all of a sudden, 3lb down! I can't explain it, but I'm certainly quite happy it has happened.

allie864 · November 2011

I agree that bodies definitely need a break now & then. So, here's to me being sick right now (not exercising) in hopes I lose a little weight

drivermarshy · November 2011

i see this happen too and wonder weather its water muscles are holding onto for repair letting it go??

Kilter · November 2011

Every 4th week I do a lower volume recovery week. It really helps with injury prevention and mental fatigue. Coincidentally (or not) it also matches the once a month reduction in weight that I get. Go figure. Of course it's also the week that my body isn't forced to build any muscle to keep up with the demands of training.

S

foremant86 · November 2011

Yup, happens to me too. I take a couple days off from working out and then i see a pretty nice drop on the scale

RBXChas · November 2011

You may be on to something. My sister and I run 6 days/week. We did C25K and were doing 30-minute runs, then on Sunday we decided to start Bridge to 10K. So Sunday and Monday we did 4, 10-minute runs with 1-minute walking breaks, then yesterday to break the monotony we did 2, 18-minute runs with a 4-minute walking break (since a 1-minute break is painfully short).

I have had zero movement on the scale in a week, which, coincidentally, is the last time we took a day off. I know my eating is spot-on, and I'm surprised to not have had at least a slight dip, not even .2 pounds or .4 pounds. I'm not discouraged, just surprised.

Today we are taking a day off because our legs are just TIRED. I am hoping tomorrow will show some progress on the scale. I will definitely report back tomorrow!

crux · November 2011

You may be on to something. My sister and I run 6 days/week. We did C25K and were doing 30-minute runs, then on Sunday we decided to start Bridge to 10K. So Sunday and Monday we did 4, 10-minute runs with 1-minute walking breaks, then yesterday to break the monotony we did 2, 18-minute runs with a 4-minute walking break (since a 1-minute break is painfully short).

I have had zero movement on the scale in a week, which, coincidentally, is the last time we took a day off. I know my eating is spot-on, and I'm surprised to not have had at least a slight dip, not even .2 pounds or .4 pounds. I'm not discouraged, just surprised.

Today we are taking a day off because our legs are just TIRED. I am hoping tomorrow will show some progress on the scale. I will definitely report back tomorrow!

Don't get discouraged if you don't see it in 1 day off, it takes me 3-4 days off to crystallize a loss.

3dogsrunning · November 2011

Oh the timing. I usually weight myself on Wednesday morning. This would be week 2 of no loss (maybe even up a pound) Like you, it is inevitable that I will end up taking a couple of days off because of work/schedule. Right now, I have the time and am not so worried about the scale so I will see then I guess.

RBXChas · November 2011

You may be on to something. My sister and I run 6 days/week. We did C25K and were doing 30-minute runs, then on Sunday we decided to start Bridge to 10K. So Sunday and Monday we did 4, 10-minute runs with 1-minute walking breaks, then yesterday to break the monotony we did 2, 18-minute runs with a 4-minute walking break (since a 1-minute break is painfully short).

I have had zero movement on the scale in a week, which, coincidentally, is the last time we took a day off. I know my eating is spot-on, and I'm surprised to not have had at least a slight dip, not even .2 pounds or .4 pounds. I'm not discouraged, just surprised.

Today we are taking a day off because our legs are just TIRED. I am hoping tomorrow will show some progress on the scale. I will definitely report back tomorrow!

Don't get discouraged if you don't see it in 1 day off, it takes me 3-4 days off to crystallize a loss.

Oh, I definitely won't, but thanks for the support

It's good to know just in case a loss doesn't materialize tomorrow.

But since we've literally upped our daily workouts by 25% (and from being somewhat comfortable to being tired and achy afterwards), I guess I should not be surprised that my body is hanging on to weight/water/whatever. It's a big change to make all of a sudden! The long-term effects should be really good, though! We only started running at the end of August, and I have to say, the difference in my leg muscle tone is astounding!

RAFValentina · November 2011

I'm guessing I'm one of those pieces of "evidence" aren't I matey!?

Got to back this up 100% - I took a 9 day break to go on holiday with my dad. It was a working holiday, but most of the "phys" was mild and orientated around "working" in the labouring sense. Shifting tree logs, grouting, making a staircase and putting it up, climbing up and down ladders... climbing up and down terraces and gardening. On top of that, we were pretty much camping so stuff like bringing in the wood, being colder than normal will have probably meant my calories out weren't entirely zilch after basal metabolism calories burned.

However... Back at "home" I'm a runner. Running for about an hour each day. Normally I follow this up with something like a bike or elliptical "short" stint of about 30 minutes... more as a lower intensity cardio which I find helps relax me after the super high of the run! (my workouts are typically in excess of 1000kCal)

Now, on holiday, I ate little snack bits most of the day...tiny little biscuits, and carbohydratey dinners like rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. Lunch was typically a baguette with ham and a small salad. Breakfast was typically a bowl of fruit and fibre with skimmed milk. We did have our indulgences (after all we were on holiday!) such as we went out for coffee and a pastry one day, we had 2 squares of chocolate with our coffee at morning and afternoon "tea" breaks. And we went and had a big ice cream too. Most nights we didnt drink but we did on a few, and one night we went through 3 and a half bottles of wine...between 2 of us! (My boyfriend was giving me crap and text broke up with me so I was pretty upset/angry that day!)

But we didn't go OTT on portion size and we ate very healthily in terms of content, quality, menu etc. And we were never hungry...

However... despite eating more than I normally do back at home and doing "less" activity, I still came back having LOST 2.2kg... (thats about 5lbs!) And it showed.. and I felt it too... especially around my hips! My mum commented and my clothes had about 1 and a half inches extra gap!

Coming back to the UK I've "upped" my exercise back to my usual... and the weight loss has slowed down. However. I'm NOT overweight and pretty happy at this weight (would like to see about another 3-7lbs go) and my key focus is on fitness and getting in to longer distances which is happening!

However, I envisage Christmas being a lot more relaxed on my training and we will eat similarly to how I did on hl as that's just the way my family operates...plus they don't tend to buy ALL the crap at Christmas... My family likes to cook like Italians/Russians and also be light on the fats! And I can't eat cream/heese because it makes me poorly so I'm gonna be avoiding things like that! However, will be on my feet taking dog out and cleaning/tidying/decorating etc... so I'll be resting but not inactive!

I'll probably throW two or three runs during each week of my 2 weeks off, just so I don't lose ALL my fitness that I've strived to get... but I'm not going to worry too much!

Valentina xxx

PS feel free to add me if you like! Just please send me a message about yourself when you do!

dkueter94 · November 2011

I have a question though....if we are doing the 30 Day Shred to lose weight and tone up...aren't you supposed to do it everyday for 30 days straight and not take a break??? I would LOVE to know! I've been doing it everyday but I would LOVE a day off!

RBXChas · November 2011

I have a question though....if we are doing the 30 Day Shred to lose weight and tone up...aren't you supposed to do it everyday for 30 days straight and not take a break??? I would LOVE to know! I've been doing it everyday but I would LOVE a day off!

I've done 30DS in the past and always took 1 or 2 days off/week. I think your body just needs regular rest periods. I don't 100% trust Jillian Michaels's fitness advice. Some of her exercises are just asking for you to injure yourself.

I would take a day or two off, as long as you know it won't break your routine

crux · November 2011

I have a question though....if we are doing the 30 Day Shred to lose weight and tone up...aren't you supposed to do it everyday for 30 days straight and not take a break??? I would LOVE to know! I've been doing it everyday but I would LOVE a day off!

I've done 30DS in the past and always took 1 or 2 days off/week. I think your body just needs regular rest periods. I don't 100% trust Jillian Michaels's fitness advice. Some of her exercises are just asking for you to injure yourself.

I would take a day or two off, as long as you know it won't break your routine

Agreed, and after you finish the program, take a good few days or a week off or very easy, before you start the next thing.

RAFValentina · November 2011

PS.... This is worth a read if you are a cardio monster!

Give your body a break to lose weight

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