[knobhdy]

I put skip in quotes because I am not really skipping days of exercise.
You see I jumped into a number of new activities in January and upped the intensity in February. I am currently finishing up the 100 push-up challenge (3-4 days a week), taking an hour long strength training class once a week (with homework to do the routine an additional time a week -- so 2 days a week), attending fight practice (weight baring martial arts practices) (1-2 days a week) , and doing the 30DS (5-6 days a week)

That comes out to more than 7 days a week so often times I am doing two or more of these activities on a given day. I know I am wearing myself out and my muscles are yelling at me to take a break.

But every time I take a rest day that bloody scale is up first thing the next morning. It is totally frustrating! I want to workout, I am happy when I am working out (or at least happy afterward ) but my muscles are no longer particularly happy about holding me up in a push-up or supporting my shield for very long, and it is making my form sloppy, which I know can lead to other injuries.

I want to keep going, and I know I should slow down. But mostly I really want to lose and get fitter.

I just want to scream!

[squishysquirrel]

I have the same problem. Whenever I take a day off, such as today, from exercising, I gain weight. I wake up, weigh myself, and become so frustrated by my weight gain from taking ONE day off that I just give up on exercising. I've exhibited this pattern for years and so have episodes that my boyfriend refers to me as "hardcore exercising" followed by weeks of binge eating and just not doing anything. But I'm trying to take a different approach this time; I'm going to wake up in the morning feeling better from having my day off and exercise even if I've gained weight. What sense is there for me to give up because I've gained a pound or two after losing several.? We'll see what actually happens in the morning. Take your day off so you can feel better and get back to exercising when you recover.

[nelie]

The scale measures a lot more than fat It could be that your body was retaining water as part of your rest day and muscle recovery.

[VernDern]

I was thinking about this the last few days. It doesnt matter if I work out 6 days a week and then take off for a rest day the scale will jump up 3 or 4 lbs the next day. I dont even want to talk about what happens if I dont work out for 2 days in a row...its so frustrating. I know its not a real 3/4 lbs and more than likely water weight or whatever but it really hurts to wake up and see that higher number.

On the other hand Ive also noticed that even with the gain from not working out as soon as I work out again that extra lbs is suddenly gone plus a little more so I try and stay positive and not take the scale too seriously because I know if I just go work out it will go away quickly.

So just stay positive, dont feel guilty about a rest day here and there because we need it, and remember that any extra lbs you gain mysteriously from skipping one day will fall off when you work out the next day or two plus some!!

[knobhdy]

Thanks ladies.
I know all these things but it helps to hear them.

I am back in the saddle and committed to a full rest day at least once a week. Now I just need to figure out how to fit that in with everything. I think the 30DS will go by the wayside until the strength training class is over, which is only two more weeks.
Then I can reevaluate.

[ubergirl]

Ha! I was just feeling sorry for myself because I took three days off due to a minor injury and this morning the scale was up FOUR POUNDS!!!

That's why I'm glad I track my calories. Because I can always manage to reassure myself that it's just a weird body thing, not an actual fat gain.

[Shmead]

This is against the conventional wisdom, but I don't do rest days. I do 90 minutes of cardio (in two sessions, AM and PM) every day. I find this so much easier than taking a day off--it's like if my body knows a day off is an option, it wants to take that option every day, and I have to fight it tooth and nail. It takes me 1000% more willpower to exercise 5 days a week than to exercise seven.

So you might consider shifting around what you do to where it is something every day, even if one day is just gentle cardio. I mean, people all over the world for the last 10,000 years have walked 10 miles every day just to get water.

[PeanutsMom704]

I didn't think a rest day was necessary for cardio - I thought it was just for strength training and you needed to have a certain amount of time off between working specific areas of your body.

I don't take a rest day either, at least not planned. I did skip a couple of days this weekend because of being sick and coughing too hard any time I exerted myself (I get a form of asthma when I get a cold, and coughing is from that, not just from the cold itself).

My weight is up, which may be due to no exercise, but could also be due to a fever, body aches, and making some questionable eating choices.

I guess that's why even for those who do daily weigh in, it's better to look at the trends. Normally, I'm up on Mondays because I do extra exercise on weekends, but then that disappears Tues/Wed and I start seeing a drop. So I guess my question is whether the gain from skipping a day disappears within a day or two? If so, you know you simply have a different baseline for the day after you skip a workout.