Has anyone lost weight only using one type of cardio machine? (Elliptical, stairclimber etc)

Veganvibesss

I lost a lot of weight going to the gym and I would rotate between the elliptical, stairclimber, treadmill and bike but I just bought an elliptical for home because I have a busy schedule and I want to lose 20 more pounds but have heard I won’t lose it doing the same machine everyday... shouldn’t it be okay as long as I’m pushing myself and not just on auto pilot?
Has anyone successfully lost weight only using one type of cardio?

laynieparvin4830

Yes. I have lost weight doing only the elliptical. I also have an elliptical for home use and use it every day. Technically any type of cardio is going to help you lose weight and be healthy. It doesn’t really matter if you do the elliptical over and over again. As long as you are combining that with a good diet, you will eventual lose weight and be healthy.

lorrpb

What you “have heard” is wrong and completely unfounded. Do the exercise you enjoy and have available.

kami3006

Weight loss will come from a calorie deficit. It doesn't matter what type of exercise you do or if you even do any at all as long as you're eating the right amount for your goals.

Focus on your intake for loss and exercise for fitness.

Cardio is great for cardiovascular health. Resistance training is great for retaining muscle, strengthening your bones, and body composition.

Keep in mind that the number given to lose weight on MFP already has your deficit built in but does not include exercise. So, you should be adding those calories in to eat.

And, doing one type of cardio will not keep you from burning calories. People become more efficient at the activities they continuously do but that does not mean you aren't getting benefits from them.

The reason for pointing this out is that many people find that with increased activity comes increased appetite and if you're not aware of your intake then it's very easy to undo your deficit. Especially on those last pounds when your deficit is already smaller.

ETA: congrats on your weightloss thus far!

AnnPT77

There's a myth floating around that you have to switch up your exercise to "confuse your body" and keep it burning calories, because somehow you'll get adapted to one activity and get efficient, and it will burn lots fewer calories doing the same thing at the same pace for the same length of time. It isn't true. Frankly, I think it's something the fitness product companies dreamed up to keep you buying new stuff.

As you get fitter, the same activity feels easier (such as the same length stationery bike session at the same simulated speed and resistance). That doesn't mean it burns fewer calories; it just means you're fitter, so it feels easier for you to do that amount of work. (It's kind of analogous to the way lifting a standard cement block is easier after you've been weight training for some months. The block isn't lighter; you're stronger.)

As you get fitter, a heart rate monitor may tell you you burn fewer calories doing the same activity (same duration/speed/resistance), because your cardiovascular system and muscles get more effective at working together to do that work, so your heart doesn't have to beat as many times per minute in order to do it. That doesn't mean it actually does burn fewer calories, even though the device may estimate that you do because heart rate is slower; again, it means you're fitter.

When you're doing the same amount of work for the same amount of time (at the same body size, for those activities where size matters to calorie burn), the calorie burn is about the same, because it's the work that burns the calories, not the feelings or the heart rate.

The only sense in which something burns fewer calories when you do it more often is if you literally become more efficient at it, in the sense of doing less wasted motion while doing the work. Typically, that effect is pretty tiny, in the grand scheme of things.

I agree with others that weight loss is about calorie deficit, and intake is the big deal. That said, you don't need to switch exercises to keep burning calories. Could get boring, but as long as you keep the intensity up, you'll be fine.

(Truth in advertising: I mostly did rowing & spin while losing weight: Rowing boats & spin in summer, rowing machine & spin in winter. By the time I started losing weight, I'd been doing the same rowing/spin stuff for about a decade, while staying obese. I didn't change my exercise to lose weight, I just ate less, and kept doing the same activities. Weight loss went fine, and I've been maintaining weight for 3 years now doing the same stuff, and eating the right amount.)

bisonpitcher

As far as cardio, I only use the treadmill (personal preference) for both HIIT and LISS. However, I also lift heavy 3x per week.

sijomial

Veganvibesss wrote: »

I lost a lot of weight going to the gym and I would rotate between the elliptical, stairclimber, treadmill and bike but I just bought an elliptical for home because I have a busy schedule and I want to lose 20 more pounds but have heard I won’t lose it doing the same machine everyday... shouldn’t it be okay as long as I’m pushing myself and not just on auto pilot?
Has anyone successfully lost weight only using one type of cardio?

How could the bolded possibly be true?
Using the elliptical requires energy (calories), where is that energy coming from if not from you?
(That would be like a car not using any fuel just because you use it daily.)

The pushing yourself part is a myth too, whatever intensity you exercise at burns calories. Even when just ticking over your car still uses fuel. Pushing the limits of your capability is to improve your fitness level.

My cardio of choice is cycling, Garmin tells me I've burned 172,007 calories this year despite being a cyclist for over 50 years. But a crucial point is that I haven't lost weight as I'm eating to maintain my weight.