Elliptical and Fat burning question

E

Elevenation

New member
I have a question regarding the Elliptical trainer as opposed to running. If I get on the elliptical, according to the calorie counter I can burn approximately 1,000 calories every 30 minutes. However if I run 2 miles on a 7:30 pace I am much more exhausted. I understand these are two different workouts with 2 very different time frames, but I'm wondering which do you think would be better to continually do to add to my weight loss program.

About me: I used to weigh 290, and am now down to around 200. I'm 18, and have been stuck around this weight for the last year or so. It has been frustrating because when I weighed 290 I literally lost about 60 lbs in a matter of months during football season 2 years ago, and then slowly lost the rest of the weight to get to my current weight, but I have been unable to lose the rest of my stomach fat since. My weight fluctuates a lot every few days, some days I'm around 198 others I'm about 203. I would like to stay at about this weight, but lose the fat that I have around my stomach (and of course get a solid core, and build muscle all around). For the last week and a half or so, I have used the elliptical machine, and then lifted, and the next day used the elliptical machine again and did a plyometric workout. I probably eat around 2,000-2,500 calories a day and I have noticed results in my upper body strength, and due to the plyo workouts I can actually jump a tad higher (I think; I have yet to actually measure my vertical). Like I said, about 3 days ago I stepped on the scale and was about 198 lbs, however I stepped on the scale yesterday and was 203 (clothes have no factor here :)) I don't know if the little muscle that I have gained could weigh that much, but I would figure to see some results in lb lossage (word?) I seem to be going in the wrong direction!!! lol.

To be honest, I don't think that the elliptical calorie counts are right which is why I'm asking. I can easily "burn" 1,000 calories in a half hour, lift, and then do it again and not be tired whatsoever. However if I run the 2 miles at a 7:30 pace I work up about as much sweat as 1 session on the elliptical machine and my legs are discernibly more tired for an extended period of time than when I use the elliptical machine.
 
I like the elliptical because I get more calorie burn per session. I have started jogging on the tredmill for a mile and a quarter then going to the elliptical for 40 mins. I find that it is hard for me to jog, and thus my body becomes anaerobic; meaning my muscles are breaking down, and I am not burning as much fat. I can keep my heart rate in the fat burning range on the elliptical where as on the tredmill it goes was past that.

Also, 1000 calories in 30 mins? I think that is a defective machine unless you are putting in on like 20 resistance and making a 9 min mile on the thing. In 65 minutes I burn about 850 calories, and that is only if I try REALLY hard like sweat is a puddle underneath me. As a trick I always set the machine to say I weigh less then I really do to get a more accurate reading.

Either way, good luck :) Both are good for weight loss, but I prefer the elliptical and a little bit a tredmill.
 
The resistance on the Elliptical I use goes from 1-40 (I believe) and I put it at 34 with a constant RPM of about 70-75. There is another machine in the gym, maybe I'll try that one today but it makes a weird noise haha. I'm actually about to go to the gym with a friend in about 20 minutes and will pay more attention to everything, because most people say they burn around what you said.

Edit: I definitely will check out the other one today, because a little over 30 calories a minute seems insane.
 
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I highly doubt you're burning anywhere NEAR 1000 calories in 30 mins. Never rely on the numbers on the machines. They're never right. The average 200 lb person working out at a medium-high intensity will burn around 400 cals in 30 mins. The key there is "around" - some people will burn more, some less. But I've never heard of anyone burning 1000 cals in 30 mins.

You're overthinking the exercise part of it and completely neglecting the food part of it. The bottom line is this: you have to eat less than you burn and until you know what you're eating, you're probably not going to make much more progress.

Start by figuring out how many calories you need to be eating by reading this thread: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/nutrition/40273-how-many-calories-should-i-eat.html

Then register for a free account on FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal or Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and start to log your food. This will let you see how many calories you're eating and how your nutrition levels are breaking down. Once you know that, you'll be able to see more clearly where you can make adjustments, cut back, change your nutrition, etc.

And quit overthinking exercise. Any cardio you do is going to burn calories, which will aid in burning fat. It doesn't matter if you run, use the elliptical, ride a bike, whatever. The goal is to raise your heart rate - how you do it and how many miles you do and what resistance you use is really immaterial. Do whatever you need to raise your heart rate. Period.

And add in some weight lifting/strength training. Read this thread: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weig...ise/32836-conceptual-side-weight-lifting.html and integrate what you learn into your program to help push your weight loss towards fat loss while maintaining muscle.
 
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Kara I would like to thank you for your reply. I figured as much that the machines calorie counters are useless, as are their heart rate monitors (I should be dead half the time, when looking at those things). I just got back from the gym and decided to take pictures of the machine while in use, and this is actually the other machine rather than the one I typically use (there are only 2, it's a small free gym at my apartments). These machines are rather new and I got the same results on the other one. They are "True" machines, you can check them out at truefitness.com, and although you have given me the answer I figured is correct I would still like a general idea of how many calories I burn when working out on these machines. Here are some pics of the machine from the workout, sorry about the blurriness, they are the machines that use your body's momentum to power them. The resistance actually goes up to 43 (random number?), I set it to 34. As for miles I believe it says I did 7.71 miles in a half hour (That's like 15.4mph lol)

The only reason why I bring this up is because I would like to have a general idea of how many calories I burn when doing these workouts. I don't want to see a drop in weight as much as I would like to see a drop in fat, which like you said, I need to do cardio regardless. Still just a curiosity :D Any ideas, both on these machines and roughly how many calories I really burn during these workouts?
 
Well I pretty much gave you the number above. :) The average 200 lb person will burn around 400 cals per 30 mins at a medium high intensity. Other than that, no one can tell you a real number. The only way to find out the closest possible to actual number is to buy a heart rate monitor and use it. Using a series of calculations based on your actual heart rate, your weight, your height, and your age is the only way to get an accurate number of calories burned.

Even then that number is only an ESTIMATE.

The thing is, too many people get hung up on how many calories they're burning and not how many calories they're eating. It only leads to frustration.

Use the link I posted to find out how many calories you should be eating, eat that amount, and consider calories burned by exercise to be a bonus.
 
I think ignore the trying to workout how many calories your burning. I use a HRM, I use the HRM to ensure I work hard enough, I use the calories on the HRM to know when I have done enough week to week, I do not for a second believe I am actually burning the calories stated (whatever Polar say about its accuracy!) but it gives me a goal post to meet.

I think its hard if not impossible to know exactly what your burning, you could go by "work as hard as possible and assume its the max 400kcals" which Kara mentions above, but how do you know your always working at the same level? you may have a bad day, you may sweat more as the air-con isn't as high as normal and 'feel' like your working harder due to sweating more or you may have had less sleep and move around at a slower rate or you may feel more stressed and your heart rate may be artificially higher then normal....all in all making it very hard to know exactly where you stand.

Best thing I think is to keep sort of markers to log your progress: if you watch how fast you run, aim to do similar or better within 8 weeks, aim to go one level higher/10 rpm faster on average on the elliptical machine in x weeks...this will keep you on the ball and hopefully keep your workload as high as you can manage, this will help you burn calories.

If your wanting to know how many calories your burning for weight loss purposes, its not as easy as that, its not a simple equation like that your body does this slowing down thing to retain some calories if it feels your overdoing it and so you may think your burning a certain amount, actually no, your body only allows a certain percentage of these burnt calories to matter. Food intake matters more then exercise- although both are important and helpful for weight loss. Monitor your food over your exercise if weight loss is your number one concern.
 
If you have extra dough to spend you can pick up a body bugg, I really want one, you wear it on your arm all day and it tells you how many calories you have burned and it changes based on your activity... it also lets you link it into your computer and tells you your stats and lets you input what you have eaten and stuff... pretty cool but VERY expensive... about$300 plus the monthly membership... you could ultimately just guesstimate and save a bunch of cash though :p
 
Hi there,

Wow sounds like you do a lot of work. If you are not satisfied with what the eliptical is doing for your core and abs, then I suggest keep your eliptical work to 30 minutes, then do 30-45 minutes of weight training with a lot of core work incorporated into it. And on the eliptical, do intervals. So, steady pace for 3 minutes, sprint for 60 seconds, easy pace for 60 seconds, steady pace for 3 minutes, sprint for 60 seconds, etc etc. You burn more, push your body more. Once you get good at it, you can even take it down to 20 minutes. Interval training gives serious results and takes away the boredom of having to sit on a machine for so long.

As for the rest, when you are doing the weights, you can try to set it out so that you do one upper body exercise, then a core actvity, then another upper body, core, etc. The eliptical is probably working your legs a heck of a lot so no absolute need to do squats and leg work, not unless you really really want to.

This routine for me has given me a six pack and I've had 2 kids. I never believed it could work, but it does. As for what to do for core, if traditional sit ups bore you senseless (and rightly so), then there's a whole bunch of wierd and wonderful things you can do instead, such as half plank, full plank, side plank, scissor legs, geez I could go on and on. But maybe you can google "core exercises" and get some idea of a great variety of things you can do to shift the abdominal lard. Once your core is stronger, you'll also find that any other exercise you do becomes easier. Strong arms and legs are great, but if you don't have the core to support it, the overall effect is not so great.

Good luck and keep up the hard work.

:)
 
I never look at the calories I burn...ever! The machines are so way off in their calculations it is untrue. Food is Key!!

Count your calories and exercise and you won't go far wrong ;)
 
Workout Machines

Remember to put in your weight and height when your are on a workout machine. It will give you a more accurate reading also if you have not done it get a physical assessment at the gym you attend because they are educated trained professional with a degree who will help you with your work out and weightloss goals . Also rememer that it depends on your metabolism when it comes to burning fat, and the more you work out the faster your metabolsim speeds up. Dont look at the calorie count but go by your endurance eating right and regular excerise will keep your metabolism going. I hope this helped
 
My gym's ellipticals must be pretty close then, well at least for me. I'm 230lbs, and i do 1 mile on the elliptical, which takes me about 12-13mins doing 65-70rpm at level 2, which I'm about to increase, but I always do a full 15 minutes before moving on and at the end of my session it says I've done 1-1.2 miles, and around 208 calories burned.
-Kristen
 
kristen said:
My gym's ellipticals must be pretty close then, well at least for me. I'm 230lbs, and i do 1 mile on the elliptical, which takes me about 12-13mins doing 65-70rpm at level 2, which I'm about to increase, but I always do a full 15 minutes before moving on and at the end of my session it says I've done 1-1.2 miles, and around 208 calories burned.
-Kristen
Click to expand...

I'd say closer to 150kcals for 15 mins and 120-130 for 12 to 13 mins. But get a heart rate monitor for a better result but remember that most if not all machines exaggerate, you could find this out the hard way by consuming the calories you thought you burnt- this would have you gain weight. Calorie counters tend to err on the side of what is correct and give you a higher burnt amount then what is true.

Trust the machines at your peril!
 
I'll be back on this post!
 
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