The Advantages of a HIIT Routine
For many of us, the idea of doing long, boring cardio sessions is a daunting thought. Luckily, there is an alternative. It’s called High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short. It’s a kind of training that will give you a body like those you see above. It involves alternating between periods of low or moderate intensity and periods of extremely high intensity, and you can do it in a fraction of the time of a normal cardio workout. The problem with HIIT is that many people don’t really know where to start, in this post I’m going to share with you what is, in my opinion, the best HIIT routine.
On top of losing fat, HIIT routines have a whole slew of things that it does better than regular cardio:
- Increases your V02 max much more than steady-state cardio. This means it increases the amount of oxygen your body can take in during exercise. Translation? You’ll be in better shape when you go play ball with the guys.
- Doesn’t cause you to lose precious muscle mass like traditional steady-state cardio does. When you engage in long, slow cardio sessions, your body can enter a catabolic (or muscle wasting) state. This means your body literally starts to consume its own muscle for energy. This won’t happen during a HIIT training routine.
- Combined with a slight increase in calories above your maintenance level, HIIT workouts can actually be anabolic, meaning they’ll help you gain muscle. This is certainly something you can’t get from normal cardio.
Of all the slight variations amongst HIIT routines, the one that works this best is the 30 second/90-120 second split. Let’s break it down for you.
The Best HIIT workout routine:
1. Maximum intensity for 30 seconds.
2. Recovery for 90-120 seconds (only rest as long as you have to).
-Repeat this cycle 6-10 times, depending on your level of fitness. Before your HIIT routine, it’s best to start with a 5 minute warm up at a comfortable intensity. After your HIIT workout, finish with a 5 minute cool-down period before you stop moving completely. Even the longest HIIT workouts can be completed in about half an hour.
As time goes on, you will be able to perform this routine without difficulty. At such time, you need to start introducing changes to keep your body stimulated and to keep progressing. The best way to do this would be to either shorten your rest periods, or increase the length of your maximum intensity periods. For example:
Maximum intensity for 45 seconds.
Recovery for 90-120 seconds.
or
Maximum intensity for 30 seconds.
Recovery for 60-90 seconds.
Continue with this until again, you find yourself unchallenged. At that point, do the same thing, either shorten your recovery period, or increase your maximum intensity period (or both, if you think you’re hardcore enough). The important thing here is to always progress. If you do the same thing over and over, sooner or later your body will stop being challenged and your fat loss will grind to a screeching halt.
Do I have to run when doing HIIT?
HIIT training routines can be done with any kind of cardio. Whether running outdoors, on a treadmill, on an elliptical, a bike, or a rower, HIIT is a great option.
How often should I do HIIT?
HIIT is very intense. It should be eased into your weekly exercise regime and only performed 3-4 times a week. Due to its high intensity, you should never do it more often than this because you’ll risk overtraining and injury.
That’s all there is to it. Get out there an have fun!
- Josh
{ 71 comments… read them below or add one }
man your a beast you just took my trx training to a whole new level thanks this was really helpfull
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I am sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thanks for your effort!
Thanks josh. The truth will always set you free.kudos
Awesome post! I will keep an on eye on your blog.
Hi,
I’ve heard that this training is only effective if you have are at 90% of your maximum heart rate. I dont see anything here about the heart rate…
Can anyone tell me more about this?
Thnx
Kiril
Hey Kiril,
Generally speaking all HIIT workouts should be done at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. If your hearts not going that fast – you’re not doing HIIT. That’s not to say that working out less intensely is a waste of time, it’s simply not HIIT.
Remember though, if you’re working out below 80% of your maximum heart rate, you should be doing it in a sustained matter, lasting at least 20 minutes.
Hope this helps,
Josh
I am going to start doing this but I was curious about the recovery phase. Should I be walking at a quick pace or jogging? I have tried doing variations of this before and I am usually needing to walk during the recovery phase. I think I am in good enough shape to really work hard at this but I want to be very specific in what I am doing. Thanks for the help!
Derrick,
That’s a good question actually. As long as you’re giving it your absolutely maximum during the high intensity sprints, you can walk if you need to during the low intensity phase. Only do this for as long as you need to. Over time, as you find yourself better able to recover, begin shortening your recovery periods. After a little while, then extend the low intensity period again, but this time do a slow jog. It’s ok if this period is very long, do it for as long as it takes to catch your breath.
Basically what I’m trying to say is to do it in baby steps. Start slow, walk until you catch your breath. When that becomes very easy, introduce the jogging. Hope this helps,
Josh
Josh, thank you so much for the information.
I was able to complete my first HIIT workout tonight. I wanted to make sure I am on the right track before I continue however. I did this all on a treadmill. I did 5 minutes at about 6MPH to sttart, then I did 10 MPH for 30 second, 90 seconds at 6MPH. I did about 7 intervals. I was pretty dead after this and at about 17 minutes. I had no choice but the walk at about 3.8MPH for 5 minute cool down. It seems like a rather short workout but I was dead. I typically am dead after my cardio workouts. Should I be doing anything after this workout or this is it 3 times a week for cardio? I did some stretching and now I am having my protein drink as I always do. I am trying to lose the extra 10 lbs around my belly. Hopefully this is the right start in the right direction! Thanks again for any help you provide! Great advice!
For your first time, getting through 17 minutes is awesome! HIIT workouts are short by nature, especially when compared to their longer, low intensity counterpart.
In addition to your HIIT workouts 3 time a week, I’d recommend doing weight training on another 3 days. That is, one day HIIT Cardio, one day weight training, one day HIIT Cardio, one day weight training. Take the 7th day off every week. You’ll lose fat much faster when doing cardio and weight training in combination then you will by doing only one of these activities.
You’re off to a good start, keep it up! Hope this helps,
Josh
I joined a bootcamp style class that does HIIT for one hour classes for 8 weeks. They recommend going 3-4 times per week. My goal is to lose 16 – 20 lbs and tone up. I’m down 2 lbs in the first week and hope that continues. However, I don’t know if I want to join up for the next 8 week session as it is expensive and wonder if I should invest in weights instead to keep up the muscle toning and just do cardio on my elliptical at home or running outside to keep the weight off?
I’d recommend the weights. They will stay with you forever, the classes and its benefits will be over in 8 weeks. You can do HIIT on your own on your elliptical or, even better, outside while running. Do cardio (whether it be normal or HIIT) 3-4 times a week. Do weights on the other 3-4 days a week. As long as you watch your diet, you’ll reach your goal of 16-20lbs. Hope this helps!
Josh
Josh, thank you for the info!
Would swimming work for this routine, do you think? If yes, would you say it’s ok to do a longer cool-down (leasurely laps with some breaks)? I ask because I love being in the water, and would rather not get out right away after anexcercise routine. Any thought on this are appreciated.
Alf,
I don’t see any reason why you can’t perform HIIT while swimming. Just make sure you can catch your breath adequately on the low intensity portions of your workout. Also, feel free to do as long a cool-down as you’d like. The more you’re moving, the better. Hope this helps!
Josh
Josh, I have been at my HIIT workouts for about 2 weeks now. I think I am doing pretty good at it. I had a follow-up question however. Since I have started this training I seem to be getting stomach craps mid-way through the workout. Do you have any tips or tricks to avoiding them? Thank you for all your help.
Do you do private emails? Or provide training of some sort? Thank you.
Whenever I get stomach cramps, it means that I’ve eaten too soon before my workout, or I simply haven’t had enough water and I’m quite dehydrated. Water makes a really big difference with stamina and cramps.
Also, the potassium in a banana helps with cramps a fair bit. A banana a day will go a long way in eliminating stomach cramps.
At the moment I don’t do private training, but I’m happy to answer any questions you have in the comment sections of this website. Hope this helps!
Josh
Very good tips, I will start tomorrow to do HIIT, I just want to ask something … I will do exactly Insanity Workout 20 min and do not know if you have the same results as running, the two are exercises for time intervals of high intensity.
What do you recommend??
Thank you very much!
Hey Perder,
I’m not sure what Insanity Workout that you’re talking about is. Could you explain what it entails so I can answer your question more clearly?
Josh
Perder is probably referring to Shaun T’s workouts.
http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do
Ah, thank you for clearing that up!
Josh
Hi.
I’ve been doing HIIT training on a treadmill. I’ve been running at 11.5 mph for 45 seconds then resting for 1 min. I do this between 10-12 times a session.
I’ve noticed that, when I’m running at 11.5, my heart rate is up at 181. Should I rest until my heart rate comes down to certain level before picking the pace up again? And would I see better results if I did?
You should rest only until you have caught your breath. Don’t worry too much about your exact heart rate. As you get more fit, you will be able to continue with the higher intensity portion of the workout with increasingly higher heart rates, while still feeling rested.
You won’t get better results by sticking to a particular heart rate – just go by feel. 181 beats per minute is perfectly normal during a high intensity portion of a HIIT workout. Hope this helps,
Josh
I did a HIIT workout the other day. It went something like this. I did pushups, squats, burpees, mountain climbers and lunges. Each exercise for 30 seconds for 4 rounds.
Awesome, many people don’t realize that they can use body workouts for a variation of HIIT.
Josh,
I love this stuff and finally the general public agrees with us.
Live Well,
TBF Trainer
Thanks for the comment, I agree, HIIT is great!
Hi Josh,
I have been going to the gym for nearly 6 years so I have quite a lot of muscle and have been playing Volleyabll for the last 11 months so I no longer need to be big and just want to get my six pack showing more and look a bit more athletic.
I have been doing HIIT on/off for a while but have been getting back into it the last fortnight on the treadmill for 20 minutes, 30 seconds sprint 90 seconds jog then doing some weights of around 80% max 3 times a week.
Can my body cope with that as at the moment I still feel ok but with 2 sessions of Volleyball training on top of that I don’t have time to split my cardio and weights like I used to.
Thanks,
Chris
Yup, that schedule sounds good to me, as long as you feel ok. Always listen to your body, if your body can’t handle your schedule, you’ll know it. But on paper, it definitely looks A-OK with me.
Josh
I am doing this for the last few years. I now do 12 by 30 seconds flat out sprints out doors,and I just stop and focus on the recovery but, which I have got down to 25 seconds. The 25 seconds feels like 10 seconds while recovering and the 30 seconds flat out feels like 60 seconds. But the gut wrenching part of this session is just 10 minutes.
This training is mentally hard, but it’s of such a short duration it’s very doable, and combined with (HIT)strength training every other day one should have a good program.
The HIT strength training is psychologically similar to the HIIT, short sessions with single sets to failure.
Thanks for the comment. It is difficult – it’s meant to be. No pain, no gain
But yes, it’s definitely do-able.
Josh
Hiya,
I want to lose weight NOT build muscle. I’m a model and was unwell for a while so i have gained 20lbs. This is purely in fat though. I was very skinny with extremely lean muscle (not much though!!!) I need to get back to this shape, however i am worried that i will build too much muscle, stay the same size i am but become more solid – not sure if that makes any sense! Basically i am not very big by any means, but need to lose weight but not gain muscle, im worried because im quite slim i will build muscle instead of lose the fat!! I do not want the ‘bulky’ look. Im going more Karlie Kloss/Rosie Huntington Whiteley than J-Lo/Rihanna – who are both very thin but very muscular!
Would you recommend HIIT for this? As i have read it is great for fat loss and not building muscle.
Hope that makes sense!
Thanks
I wouldn’t recommend HIIT for this, as it will promote some muscle growth in the legs. Instead, I’d recommend marathon cardio, that is, running sessions of 45 minute to 60 minutes. This will help you lose size all over, and won’t cause you to gain size.
Have a look at this article on how to lose weight in your thighs: http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-to-lose-weight-in-your-thighs
and this one on how to lose muscle: http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-to-lose-muscle-in-your-legs
Also, make sure you’re not eating too much during this time. Whether you gain or lose weight is heavily depended on your eating habits. If you’re eating less than your body needs on a daily basis, you will lose weight. If you’re eating more than it needs on a daily basis, then it is easier to gain unwanted body muscle/fat. Have a look at this article for more information: http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat
Hope this helps,
Josh
Hey Josh,
Is a glass of low-fat Chocolate Milk good for your body in terms of post-recovery after a HIIT session? I do take into consideration about the calories involved in the glass of low-fat Choco Milk as well, thank you!
Sure is, in fact, I’ve written a post on that very topic. You can read it here if you’d like: http://www.laststopfatloss.com/should-you-drink-chocolate-milk-after-a-workout
Josh
Thank you Josh, that was indeed a great article to read.
WOW!! Thanks a Lot!!
i have only a question, you said that i must perform it 3 times a week, for example: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
can i make a 2.5Mph walk for 20mins on the remaining days that must spend for rest?
Absolutely, in fact I encourage long, low intensity cardio on your off days. It really complements HIIT well, and it will improve your fat loss results. Stay well,
Josh
Hey, i am very muscular but have some fat around my stomach. About 13 or 15% body fat.I have been doing hiit every second day for a couple of weeks and have been watching my diet pretty closely. I am just wondering how long it will take before i see significant reults. Thanks
Significant results will take 6-8 weeks. You should see the first real differences in the mirror after about 3 weeks. Try throwing in some low intensity long distance cardio in with the HIIT. This will speed up your results. Hope this helps,
Josh
I want to lose weight overall and become more defined. I have been doing more marathon running with weight training but I want faster results in losing weight and becoming more defined. Would HIIT along with my current weight training give me these results quicker? I want to lose about 15-20 lbs in about 2 month time frame. I want to do this naturally but I am considering protein drinks, if I do would it also help me produce results quicker?
Yes, HIIT would absolutely get results quicker when added to marathon running and weight training. The more variety, the more your body is stimulated, the better the results. Protein shakes won’t get you results any quicker than eating normal, whole protein. In fact, I’d argue that they are worse then whole food protein because shakes lack the thermogenic effect of real food. That said, protein shakes are better than no protein at all, so it’s really dependent on your diet.
I do treadmill 5 sets at 3 min each set at high intensity,cyclng 5 sets 2 min each,walk 5 sets 1 min each,I m doing in correct manner or no ,let me know,I want 2 lose 25 kgs weight!
Sounds like a pretty basic cardio circuit. It’s not quite the same as HIIT, as HIIT you won’t be able to sustain 100% intensity for 3 minutes. Try adding long distance steady state cardio and true HIIT into your routine as well. This should have the pounds falling off.
Thank you for this article Josh, I love it! For a while I’ve been doing some circuit training that incorporated body weight exercises such as burpees and mountain climbers with light weights. After losing a good bit of post pregnancy weight, I feel like I’m ready to intensify my workouts with heavy weights and HIIT, but I get bored easily. I was thinking of using several different exercises in a single HIIT routine…will some something like this be as effective?
5 min warm-up
30 sec sprint with 90-120 recovery
30 sec mountain climbers with 90-120 recovery
30 sec burpees with 90-120 recovery
and repeat all three a second time.
5 min cool down
I would like to alternate 3 days of weight training with 2 days of HIIT. ! day of steady cardio and 1 day of rest or walking. The goal is to build crazy lean muscle. Sound like a good plan?
Sounds like a great plan. In general, the more variation, the better!
Josh,
My first HIIT was today, just to see what you think this is what I did,
5 minute warm up at 5.0 mph
30 seconds at 9.1mph
90 seconds @ 5.0 mph (did that for ten minutes)
5 minute cool down…..
20 minutes total. This sound like going in the right direction?
Sounds good. Definitely the right direction. Just remember to go as fast as you possibly can in the high intensity portions. This is key to getting the most out of HIIT. Keep it up.
Hey Josh, I am just wondering if you could give me a few diet tips. What not to eat, what not to eat etc.. Thanks
In short,
Eat:
Lean Protein
Complex Carbohydrates
Healthy Fats
Water
Stay Away From:
Processed Carbohydrates
Alcohol
Excess/Added Sugar
Soda/Juices
Hi Josh,
I did my first hiit today, consisting of 10 reps of 1 minute jump rope and 30 second rest (not doing anything). Am I doing it the right way around? Your advice suggests less high intensity time than rest, whereas I am using a 2:1 ratio in the opposite direction.
Tom
It’s usually the other way around because when doing HIIT, the high intensity portion is done at an extreme level. For example, if you were running, you should be running like you were running away from a cougar that is chasing you. At that pace, it’s hard to keep it up for longer periods of time, and you need the extra time.
Are you able to get the required intensity up while jumping rope? If not, it may be best to switch to something else. Just don’t cheat yourself – make sure you’re working at 100% capacity during that high intensity phase.
Josh
Thank you.
You’re very welcome.
hey – great article!
i’ve been doing hiit for a few weeks now. i used to sprint outdoors 2x’s a week, but i have kids and blah blah blah….it’s very hard for me to be able to run. so, i have started a new routine and would love your opinion:
tabata time (20 work/10 rest) for 8 rounds:
burpees
mountain climbers
high knees
jumping jacks or fast jump roping
then i rest 1 minute and perform these exercises 3 x’s through:
50 jumping jacks/rope skips
5 push-ups
20 mountain climbers
20 crunches/ab exercise
7 burpees
30 second plank
i usually extend the last plank to 2 minutes, doing side planks instead.
i have a pretty clean diet – 90/10….maybe 80/20 sometimes.
does this sound okay? i have a very limited amount of time so HIIT has been a lifesaver. again, i’d love your insight/feedback. i’ve lost 20 pounds doing kickboxing, but it’s taken me 8 months. i have 10-15 stubborn pounds to lose.
thanks!
Sounds great! Nice amount of variety and it’ll definitely hit your aerobic system hard. If you’re eating right, you shouldn’t have too much trouble losing those last 10-15lbs with this routine.
I understand you don’t have much time, but doing long duration cardio one or twice a week might really help in addition to HIIT if you’re having trouble with the last super stubborn 5 or so pounds.
Josh
Hey josh,
First of all thanks for this great article. Really impressive tips.
I just want to ask you if i can combine the HIIT with weightlifting iam working my body muscles separately like this( saturday chest, sunday back, monday biceps & triceps and on tuesday shoulders) after this i will rest on wednesday then go again with the same cycle. So my question is can i do the HIIT training along with my scheduale ?
If my body can take should i do it or i will lose muscles?
Note: basically iam performing 1 min fast jogging and 30 sec fast walking for around 20 min (is this considered HIIT?)
Hey Waleed,
HIIT won’t cause you to lose your muscles – not at all. You can safely perform HIIT 3 or 4 times per week along with your weight training routine for added fat loss without fearing any muscle loss.
What you describe is definitely interval training, but HIIT is slightly higher intensity. You should be at an all out sprint (pretend you’re being chased by a cheetah) for 30-45 seconds, and then recovering for 60-90 seconds after by walking or jogging slowly. Give that a try!
Josh
I’ve done years of regular interval training not knowing the difference between it and real HIIT so real significant results were lacking.
Started doing HIIT few weeks back and seen some good results, just wondering what the differences are in 30, 45 or 60 sec interval lapses?
Hey Maarten,
There is definitely a major difference in results when it comes to weight loss between normal interval training and HIIT workouts. The difference in time lapses can be attributed mainly to your personal level of fitness. As you progress in HIIT, you can add time to your high intensity period, and/or decrease the time in your rest period.
The whole idea is to simply have multiple periods of time where you’re working out at maximum intensity. Naturally, it’s impossible to keep that amount of intensity up for too long, and that’s where the rest periods come in.
- Josh
Just tried HIIT for the first time this week! IT IS GREAT! I feel really well after!
One question I got in mind….what about the incline of the treadmill? Should it be flat zero? or like 1-2 Incline?
My routine : I do 5/6 MPH for 5 minute warm up, then I start sprint at 9MPH (30 second)….and then I do 90 3-4 MPH for 90 second…those 6-7 times.
Should I go more than 3-4 MPH I feel like I can jog at 5 like in the warm up.
Thank you this is great stuff!
Rony,
Awesome! HIIT really does give you a great feeling afterwards. As for the incline, it’s really up to you. An incline will tend to put more focus on the muscles of the legs, promoting some muscle growth. Flat doesn’t do that to the same extent.
If you feel like you can do more on the low intensity period, this means you’re not putting in enough effort in your high intensity period. Run faster than 9mph, you should really be at an all out sprint – like your life depended on getting away from something. If you’re doing that properly, you will probably not feel like the 90 second rest period is too easy.
However, if you really feel like you’re at your max in the high intensity phase, then you may simply be at a level of fitness which either allows you to decrease the 90 second low intensity period (maybe down to 60 second), or to increase the speed of the low intensity period. Your choice.
Josh
Hey, thanks for the great info. I’ve recently been getting back to the gym and have heard a lot of great things about HIIT. I was wondering if you could answer a few quick questions for me though. I want to do strength training too, because I’ve heard that will help me lose the weight I need to even faster, and I want to get toned as well. I guess after reading all the comments on here, I’m thinking I’ll do HIIT 3 days a week and then 45 min of low intensity cardio 3 days a week and rotate days with those. Does that seem okay? But then also I’m wondering, when would be the best times to do my strength training, on my HIIT days or cardio days? I’ve broken it down to 3 days a week, back/biceps, legs/shoulders, and chest/triceps, but am not sure when would be ideal to do them. And one more thing, I was reading your article on making my thighs smaller, because I do have that problem, I have some weight to get off them right now, but even back when I was slim I’m always had more larger, muscular thighs, so I guess my question is, would you recommend me cutting out my legs as far as strength training goes? I appreciate you time and help.
Hey Jenn, glad I could help.
3 days of low intensity cardio rotated with 3 days of HIIT is an awesome plan. If you want to switch it up a bit, you can even do 10-15 mins of HIIT, followed by 20-30 mins of low intensity cardio on the same day. That combination has given me pretty wicked results in the past.
Strength training would best be done on low intensity days, HIIT is simply too draining.
I’d say if you’re trying to lose the absolute most amount of body fat in the least amount of time possible, then keep doing your leg exercises. If at such a time you get to a point where you’re happy with the level of fat on your body, and your legs are still larger then you’d like, only then would I cut leg exercises, and maybe even HIIT, and focus on low intensity cardio for a little while. It’s best to focus on your most important goals first. Hope this helps,
Josh
hey josh,
i’m starting to feel discouraged! i’ve been doing hiit mixed with a day of lower-level cardio for about 5 weeks now. my diet has been very clean – i do indulge in small amounts every once in awhile, but i use a calorie tracker and never blow my caloric intake. if i have a treat, i exercise to balance it out. i thought by doing hiit and some weight training that the weight would come off faster. it’s hard to push myself so hard to workout 4-5 days a week when i am not seeing results. i know it takes time, but how long?
thanks!
jen
Jen,
Are you not seeing results on the scale, or in the mirror? They are two very different things because muscle weighs a lot more than fat.
If you’re not seeing any kind of results, it will boil down to your calorie intake. Have a read:
http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat
Get this under control, weigh out your foods if you have to as your calorie counter could be off a bit.
All in all, it probably takes a good 2-3 months to see good results.
Josh
Hi Josh,
Great article! After years of low intensity cardio workouts (running and cycling) with little success, considering the amount of time I was putting into it, I’ve finally decided to give HIIT a go. I’m 35 and medium build and my objective is to reduce overall fat specially around mid section. I do exercise lightly on a regular basis so I’m in ok condition. My plan is to do 3 days of HIIT + strength training and alternate with 3 days of low intensity cardio workouts.
During the 3 HIIT days my plan is to do 30 minutes of strength training followed by 15-20 minute outdoor hill cycling (high intensity uphill and recovery downhill).
During the alternate 3 days my plan is to do 1 hour of low intensity outdoor cycling.
Does this sound like a good plan to achieve my objective of belly fat reduction? And, would you suggest I change my diet depending on whether its a HIIT day or not? If so, any recommendations?
Thanks a million for your help!!
David
David,
That sounds like a great plan, without doubt. If you’re looking for a little extra fat burning, you may want to give running a try as well, maybe sub it in for one or two of your cardio workouts when you’re feeling bored. Running is really unparalleled at reducing the overall size of your body mass.
As for your diet, make sure you have your calorie intake under control. Refer to this post: http://www.laststopfatloss.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat
For now, I wouldn’t worry about changing your diet at all from day to day. Just make sure you’re eating at or below your TDEE (you’ll find out what that is in that article), and you’ll be fine with the amount of exercise you’re doing.
Keep me updated with your progress and let me know if you have any questions.
Josh
Thanks for the response Josh. Yes, will exchange one of the cycling days for running. Will keep you posted with progress and will surely ask for some additional advice further down the line. Thanks again.
No worries! Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks for responding!
I see very slight changes in the mirror, but I want to crank it up. I do count calories and usually eat 100 less than the counter says just in case it’s off. Question: should I be “eating back” my exercise calories? In other words, I do the BMR test and found out how many I should eat to lose weight (about 1500/day). If I do hiit, I calculate that I burned 150 calories. Then my counter says I earned those towards food (since I already took 500 calls off previously). Is that ok?
Hope that makes sense?!?
Jen
Also, if I go over one day as a cheat meal, am I ruining my efforts? I follow the 80/20 rule most of the time.