NSV....that sorta bummed me out.

Bess_74

Since joining MFP I've been really bad about working out, in fact I've only made it to the gym twice to go swimming, but I've been losing steadily and figured no big deal I'll get serious about it when I hit a plateau or something. Well last night my boyfriend and I ordered a pizza, it was a veggie pizza with artichoke hearts & fresh tomato and all sorts of goodies, but I had three pieces and a breadstick and went over my daily calorie goal for the day, for the third time since joining at the beginning of the month. I decided that I would go swimming today to assuage my guilt.

Here's where the NSV comes in....I get up early and wake my boyfriend to see if he want to go with, but he says "go back to sleep, it's raining." (It's an outdoor pool). I could have, I thought about it, then I thought about that pizza and decided to go to the gym anyway. You need to know that I HATE going to the gym. I feel awkward and out of place. I know it's stupid, but I feel like I'm too fat to go to the gym, but I sucked it up anyway and went. Yeah me, right? My gym limits how long you can be on the equipment to 20 minutes per piece at a time so I get on the elliptical and set it on fat burning mode at level one (don't want to over do it my first time in like 4 years), then after 20 minutes move to the treadmill and set it on fat burning mode for 2.5 mph, which is what felt comfortable. By the time I finish my face is red, I'm nearly out of breath, and I'm sweating pretty good....the whole time thinking, "Yeah me!," "Good job!," and "I did it!"

Here's where I get bummed.....I get get home go to log in my exercise, still a little red faced, still a little sweaty, and see that I didn't even burn 500 calories! Seriously???!!! I felt like I was working my tushie off. When I swim I burn around 750 calories or so. I felt like I was working way harder than when I swim. I expected to burn at least that many if not more....at least I feel better about that pizza now!

soulfulsally

LOL, that's how I feel about pilates. Very little burn rate on the MFP calculator, but I'm sweaty and my muscles are shaking so I feel like it deserves a higher burn rate. If it helps any, remember calculators can only give estimates. Enjoy the act of exercising! View the burn rate as a bonus.

edge_dragoncaller

It's all about muscle 'memory' I'm assuming you're used to swimming since you have your own pool, so that type of excercise is easier for you.

When I get on my bike, I can pedal forever it seems....get me on the elliptical and I'm a dead man in 15 minutes.

LouChelseyLou

I think those estimates are off a lot of the time. Swimming does burn a lot of calories, but if you feel like you worked just as hard or harder on the machines, I bet you did! You can also be satisfied that the muscles you worked will keep burning some calories for days after. Great job getting out of bed in the rain to work out--very impressive!!