Two things...

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Splasheh
Splasheh Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I went to the gym for the first time this morning. I was motivated, I got up at 4am! But anyway...

If you put your weight into a cardiovascular machine, will the calorie burn be precise? Or is it still off? It didn't ask for age/height/gender.

I also spoke with a personal trainer and they said that calories don't matter... as long as you exercise and eat healthy, 3 meals a day and not too much of anything. Has this worked for anyone before? I know two people this has worked for, I'm just unsure if it does.

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  • RoanneRed
    RoanneRed Posts: 429 Member
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    It's my understanding that cardio machines will give you more accurate feedback on calories burned if you put your weight in - otherwise they will use their default setting. Heavier people burn more calories as they have more mass to move.
  • sophieshaped
    sophieshaped Posts: 228 Member
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    4am?! Bleugh. Well done you.

    I'd get a HRM if you want an accurate reading.

    His advice sounds fine, but some of us need a little more guidance and control than that... personally when I was heavier I was eating 3 meals a day and thought it was a balanced diet, but since calorie counting I've learnt a lot of healthier habits.

    Good luck x
  • SetecAstronomy
    SetecAstronomy Posts: 470 Member
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    I went to the gym for the first time this morning. I was motivated, I got up at 4am! But anyway...

    If you put your weight into a cardiovascular machine, will the calorie burn be precise? Or is it still off? It didn't ask for age/height/gender.

    I also spoke with a personal trainer and they said that calories don't matter... as long as you exercise and eat healthy, 3 meals a day and not too much of anything. Has this worked for anyone before? I know two people this has worked for, I'm just unsure if it does.
    Lately it takes me longer and longer to get going in the mornings these days, but I start off trying to wake up at 3AM...usually not getting up until about 4:30...but if that's where you have your energy, kudos for getting up early!

    The treadmill I use has me enter duration, weight, and age (not gender) so I feel it's pretty precise.

    I'd have to disagree with the personal trainer about calories not mattering. The new way of thinking seems to be more frequent meals per day (like 5) but smaller in quantity. But you don't want to consume 1000 calories per sitting, otherwise the weight loss isn't going to happen...
  • 8rules
    8rules Posts: 169
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    I went to the gym for the first time this morning. I was motivated, I got up at 4am! But anyway...

    If you put your weight into a cardiovascular machine, will the calorie burn be precise? Or is it still off? It didn't ask for age/height/gender.

    I also spoke with a personal trainer and they said that calories don't matter... as long as you exercise and eat healthy, 3 meals a day and not too much of anything. Has this worked for anyone before? I know two people this has worked for, I'm just unsure if it does.

    I find machine calories accurate enough, I think you will find they exaggerate by about 10% compared to running out and buying a HRM. So its splitting hairs.

    As for personal trainers, I have universally found that unless they have lost a boat load of weight themselves, their weight-loss advice is usually pretty worthless. If we could stick to 3 reasonable meals a day without calorie tracking, we would be in shape already.
  • Sezmo83
    Sezmo83 Posts: 331 Member
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    There are two four o clocks in the day? :noway:

    3 healthy meals a day and not too much of anything is WAY too vague for a lot of people. One person may not see 3 burgers with a mountain of chips as too much, another may see one burger and a handful of chips as way too much.
  • LushLoni
    LushLoni Posts: 161 Member
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    I went to the gym for the first time this morning. I was motivated, I got up at 4am! But anyway...

    If you put your weight into a cardiovascular machine, will the calorie burn be precise? Or is it still off? It didn't ask for age/height/gender.

    I also spoke with a personal trainer and they said that calories don't matter... as long as you exercise and eat healthy, 3 meals a day and not too much of anything. Has this worked for anyone before? I know two people this has worked for, I'm just unsure if it does.

    Well done for getting motivated!

    It will vary, I don't know what the default is, but I don't think they can give you a really "true" reading.

    I pretty much take anything PTs say with a larger than average pinch of salt. Having spoken to more than I'd have liked to in my time I realise that they each have their own intepretation of what's correct, and what is tosh as far as they are concerned. The next PT you meet will probably tell you that calories are all that matter.

    But what they are actually talking about is everything in moderation.... which isn't a new science, but it is rarer than common sense.

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