How can you burn so many calories?

kelli_panzera

I go to the gym 6 days a week for about 60-90 minutes a day. Granted, I have been going for about 5 weeks now, but I do about 35-40 minutes on the elliptical, gets the heart rate up to about 150-160 for at least 25 minutes and then I walk on the treadmill for about 20-30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour. According to the machines, I may burn 450-500 calories during this time. I see people here talking about how they burn 700+ per day when they're at the gym. Is there a possibility the machines are off or am I just not putting enough into it? :frown:
What do you do to burn so much? I always want to do better, but since i'm doing some minimal weight training also the weight isn't coming off like it did in the beginning. Am I proud of what i'm accomplishing? OH YES!! I feel healthier and people see a complete change in me. I would just like to know what you guys do to burn so much and tell me about what works for you.
Thanks a million, Happy Easter!!

Kelli

kelli_panzera

I go to the gym 6 days a week for about 60-90 minutes a day. Granted, I have been going for about 5 weeks now, but I do about 35-40 minutes on the elliptical, gets the heart rate up to about 150-160 for at least 25 minutes and then I walk on the treadmill for about 20-30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour. According to the machines, I may burn 450-500 calories during this time. I see people here talking about how they burn 700+ per day when they're at the gym. Is there a possibility the machines are off or am I just not putting enough into it? :frown:
What do you do to burn so much? I always want to do better, but since i'm doing some minimal weight training also the weight isn't coming off like it did in the beginning. Am I proud of what i'm accomplishing? OH YES!! I feel healthier and people see a complete change in me. I would just like to know what you guys do to burn so much and tell me about what works for you.
Thanks a million, Happy Easter!!

Kelli

iRun4wine

Off topic, but...

My name is Kelli, too! I don't know about you, but I don't find many people that spell it the way we do (maybe only 3 or 4 in my life)... just thought I'd share:happy:

kelli_panzera

LOL I know it is a strange and wonderful thing :bigsmile:
I have only met a couple who spell it that way too...typically when someone asks me how i spell it, I tell them and they spell it wrong anyways HAHA. Gotta love how people pay attention!

iftcheiaf

Heart Rate Monitor. I think most people that burn over 700 calories probably have a heart rate monitor that is specified to their height, weight, age. Once I got mine, I realized the machines were greatly underestimating my calories burned.

kelli_panzera

Heart Rate Monitor. I think most people that burn over 700 calories probably have a heart rate monitor that is specified to their height, weight, age. Once I got mine, I realized the machines were greatly underestimating my calories burned.

Thats what I had hoped. After all the reading i've done here, I think my next trip will be out to get the heart rate monitor and keep on kicking my own butt, LOL. Thanks!

tayner

the machines at the gym are not always correct. The only way to know for sure is to get a HRM. I bought one the other day, and after getting all the settings correct on it (it was confusing and i had it wrong for a day or two) I noticed i burn about 1/3rd more calories than the machine says I do, based on all factors my HRM calculates including height, weight, age, time, plus some others...

my suggestion (for what it is worth) is invest in a HRM or experiment with your exercise calories (whether to eat them all back, part of them back, none back, etc) until you find a workable scenario, since we are all different

spicy618

Hi Kelli,

Just wanted to share what i do to "burn so many calories".

On the days i do eliptical... 45 minutes on level 8, incline of 16 0r 17. That is about 400 calories, depending how fast I go. I have a heart rate monitor, so I know almost exactly what I'm burning. When I compare it to what the eliptical my HRM is usually under what the machine says.

On the days I go to step class... 60 min class, about 550 calories. I usually do 2 classes on Saturdays, so that is over 1,000 calories... my heart rate will stay in the 90% of my target heart rate. I deduct for maintenance and usually log about 800. Also, on days I go rollerblading for 1 hour, I burn about 700 calories.... it all depends how high your heart rate is. However, the higher your heart rate is to 100% the more carbs you burn which could mean you are burning up muscle it you do this too long... I'm not an expert, just read a couple articles.

Hope this helps.

charliesgold

Larger people burn more calories exercising as well so that's something to keep in mind The skinnier you get the harder it is to burn large numbers of cals doing the same exercise routines.

iRun4wine

LOL I know it is a strange and wonderful thing :bigsmile:
I have only met a couple who spell it that way too...typically when someone asks me how i spell it, I tell them and they spell it wrong anyways HAHA. Gotta love how people pay attention!

me too! I'm such a dork:blushing: - I think it's SO exciting to find someone with the same name :happy:

kelli_panzera

Thanks so much for everybody who has taken the time to give me some much needed advice and information! Everybody on this site is so wonderful, I am thankful my doctor told me about MFP!!

Georg

I'm a lot older & heavier than you, but I burn about 400-500 at the gym several days a week, then use a bike at home for another 400-600 calories.
Some days hubby & I walk for around 250-300 calories, so a combination of two of these daily works wonders.
Until I started hanging around here, I was satisfied burning 200-250 walking 3 days a week!:huh:
After hearing how much others do & watching their success, I was inspired to do more.
It feels great.
:flowerforyou:
Good luck.

rstarks54

I go to the gym 6 days a week for about 60-90 minutes a day. Granted, I have been going for about 5 weeks now, but I do about 35-40 minutes on the elliptical, gets the heart rate up to about 150-160 for at least 25 minutes and then I walk on the treadmill for about 20-30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour. According to the machines, I may burn 450-500 calories during this time. I see people here talking about how they burn 700+ per day when they're at the gym. Is there a possibility the machines are off or am I just not putting enough into it? :frown:
What do you do to burn so much? I always want to do better, but since i'm doing some minimal weight training also the weight isn't coming off like it did in the beginning. Am I proud of what i'm accomplishing? OH YES!! I feel healthier and people see a complete change in me. I would just like to know what you guys do to burn so much and tell me about what works for you.
Thanks a million, Happy Easter!!

Kelli

I think you should feel proud of your accomplishments, do what you're doing, and not worry about what others say or do. Now, the best way to accurately track your calories burned is with a heart rate monitor, that you can program your sex, age, weight, resting pulse rate into...it makes it a lot more accurate. If your cardio is that high, chances are that you are burning in 25 minutes more than what is registered on the machines. Best to you always, Rick

muimuimui

oioi;; I have this same problem. I enter my weight into the treadmill and even if I'm off and running continuously for 35min+, I can barely make it past 250cals. Makes me feel like I haven't put enough effort in even if I'm exhausted.

Get a HRM~ The machines at the gym are probably inaccurate.
I want to. But I don't have the money right now;;
But it just makes me wonder how I'm really doing..

sassekel

another Kelli checking in............:bigsmile:
I don't usually burn 700 cals a workout either, no biggie I just workout as hard as I am able, that's gonna have to be good enough.

Kelynn are you a Kelli Lynn like me?

arewethereyet

I have an HRM. Today I went for 45 min intervals on the treadmill ( 3 min 90% hr, 3 min 80% hr 3 min70% hr...lather, rinse, repeat)

I then worked for 45 minutes on weight training (upper body), ab work and stretching.

Grand total 785 calories burned.

:drinker: Jeannie

Iceprincessk25

I just bought my HRM and I can't wait for it to get here!!! I'm so curious to see what I'm really burning!

stratdl

The MOST accurate way to find out how many calories you're burning is to have your exercise metabolic rate tested while you're actually exercising. It's not something that's all over the place, though. I was fortunate to have found this feature at a gym I used to attend.

The test is performed on a treadmill (or bike, or something that enables you to experience a gradual increase in intensity), and you wear a funky face mask and breathe only through your mouth. The mask is hooked up to a computer that is also hooked up to a HRM. The breath is measured somehow to account for the oxygen you're using while exercising and it will give you your actual VO2 max (not an estimated one).

The computer program then does some sort of analysis and gives you "zones" in which to work out. The goal is to move your aerobic base to your anaerobic threshold--meaning that your body is maximizing the efficiency of the workout.

The good news is that this test will actually break down the difference between fat calories burned and total calories burned. The fitness coach will then give you a printout that tells you how many calories (and fat calories) you burn per minute per zone. You can get some really intense workouts this way.

The bad news is that your body becomes much more efficient at burning calories (if you do the workouts) and eventually you end up getting less "bang for your buck".

I had this done twice and the second time I found out that my body decided to get really efficient, so I only ever burn about 6-9 calories per minute total regardless of zone and about 4 fat calories a minute (also regardless of zone).

In summary, I'd have to say that the machines are rarely correct, but they've always recorded way too high for me.

I realize this is a book, but I just wanted to put in my $1 (2 cents is a smaller post).

-Deborah

Tamishumate

I burn over 700 calories in a 1 hour class at the gym. i love my HRM, without it I had no clue how much I was burning. also, i burn way more in a class, than I do on the machines.

ness13hill

If I use machines, I up the inclines. I burn more with an incline than without on the same pace. Hope this helps a little...

arewethereyet

If I use machines, I up the inclines. I burn more with an incline than without on the same pace. Hope this helps a little...

Yeah, and add arms. Simply lifting your arms over your head will up the rate!

MommaDot

I have a HRM and still don't burn what other people do. I just did Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 (lasts 50 minutes) and burned 270. I burn about 175 when I do strength training. When I walk outside, it's hard for me to even get my heart rate up. My legs are screaming and my heart rate just won't pick up sometimes. I don't think any two people are the same. However, I also have my HRM to keep me in my fat burning zone, which for me is not over 145 BPM. If you want to know your fat burning zone, go here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4423926_find-target-heart-rate-fat.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Good luck!

arewethereyet

I have a HRM and still don't burn what other people do. I just did Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 (lasts 50 minutes) and burned 270. I burn about 175 when I do strength training. When I walk outside, it's hard for me to even get my heart rate up. My legs are screaming and my heart rate just won't pick up sometimes. I don't think any two people are the same. However, I also have my HRM to keep me in my fat burning zone, which for me is not over 145 BPM. If you want to know your fat burning zone, go here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4423926_find-target-heart-rate-fat.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Good luck!

Certain medications will do that to you. I had taken one of my as needed pills and my HR was 125 and would go no higher. SAME workout yesterday and I burned 385 cals.

Even allergy meds can have an affect.

MommaDot

Interesting about medicaitons. I'll have to research that. I am on several daily meds (that I will always have to take). Of course, I've been on them for the last several years, so I don't have any workouts in recent memory to compare with.

Wolfena

When I got my HRM I learned the machines always OVER-estimated my calories... by A LOT. They'd tell me I was burning 700 when I was really burning only 375 or so.

The only time I burned anything close to 700 calories was when I ran 6 miles at a shot - actually, that was still probably only 600+, not quite 700.

I have no idea how people do it either, unless they are just starting out and very large - as someone else pointed out, the heavier you are the more you burn for the same activities.