Will 20 minutes on the elliptical make a difference?

LadyBaggins
LadyBaggins Posts: 56
in Fitness and Exercise
22 and 178lbs here. Just started going to the gym and I'm wondering if 200 calories burned 3x a week on the elliptical is enough to lose some weight?
I'm also fairly active at my job.

I've also been eating my exact calorie goal as well.
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Replies

  • bonniejo
    bonniejo Posts: 787 Member
    It can help! Anywhere you can start is something :)
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    It can help! Anywhere you can start is something :)
    Very true. After getting used to it I'll slowly keep upping the time.
    But I'm also on my feet for 8 hours at work so that's another 100 calories + c:
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Weight loss is all about your diet. Exercise can help you maintain a bigger calorie deficit, but really the goal to working out isn't usually just weight loss because it doesn't work without the diet component.

    That being said, 20 minutes on the elliptical 3X a week is a great place to start with a workout.
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    Weight loss is all about your diet. Exercise can help you maintain a bigger calorie deficit, but really the goal to working out isn't usually just weight loss because it doesn't work without the diet component.

    That being said, 20 minutes on the elliptical 3X a week is a great place to start with a workout.
    True. Well I've been trying to eat a bit healthier. Started making green smoothies.
    Which is extremely tasty and a great way to add a bunch of veggies and fruit to my diet.
    Just need to work on cutting out some carbs really, that's my weakness.
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  • yummyboogereaterr
    yummyboogereaterr Posts: 23 Member
    Everything you do will make a difference because everything adds up. On a side note though are you going off what the elliptical is saying you burned? I recently read an article talking about how ellipticals can overestimate your calorie burn by like 40%. If you're going to keep working out I suggest investing in a HRM for accurate calories burned.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    yes. small changes will yield big results. and it won't be 20 a session for very long. as your endurance and conditioning builds, you'll be doing 25 minutes each time soon enough. then you'll be saying things like "meh, i don't have to go do that thing today, so i can spend an extra twenty minutes here at the gym."
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
    YES!
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  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    Echoing everyone else - yes

    Calorific deficit = weight loss

    Cardiovascular exercise = improved heart, lung etc performance

    New exercise routines = decent initial weight loss

    If its at the gym & its offered you might find switching to 30x 3 a week in a metafit/HIIT class &/or lifting will serve you better long term later on. But any starting point is a good one.
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
    Yes.

    Work the diet too. Eat less / healthy and move more, you'll lose weight.
  • kinmad4it
    kinmad4it Posts: 185 Member
    If you're accurately monitoring your calorie intake then yes. Otherwise no! You can not out exercise a bad diet.

    Also would like to echo the point made earlier about being careful how you get your calories burned estimates. Machines are notorious for over estimating.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    yes.
  • hippiefemme
    hippiefemme Posts: 35 Member
    Definitely! However, you might want to switch it up in a few weeks just as a way to avoid a plateau. For example, you can doing intervals on the elliptical rather than keeping a steady pace, either by increasing the resistance or upping your speed.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    Absolutely it may not feel like much now but you will be surprised how quickly your stamina will improve just keep pushing. try to add 2.5 - 5 minutes a session whatever you think you can manage. if you push hard enough you could even hit an hour in a week.

    if you want more direct energy rather than stamina you could also stay at 20 minutes and gradually up the intensity. By increasing speed and resistance.

    Don't be afraid to start small just be afraid to stay there.
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    Thanks for all the positive comments! I'll give what I'm doing about a month and record what my results are :)
    I've been attempting to eat healthy-ish the past 5 days! If anyone wants feel free to add me and check out my diary and recommend what I should be cutting back on.

    My problem though is eating my calorie goal (1450.)
    I seem to find that I'm well under most of the time.
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    Everything you do will make a difference because everything adds up. On a side note though are you going off what the elliptical is saying you burned? I recently read an article talking about how ellipticals can overestimate your calorie burn by like 40%. If you're going to keep working out I suggest investing in a HRM for accurate calories burned.
    Yeah, I've been going by what the elliptical at Planet Fitness says. I enter in my weight and age though.
    I plan on investing in a HRM sometime soon!
  • jjplato
    jjplato Posts: 155 Member
    A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. You're burning 600 calories per week on the elliptical (assuming the calorie count is correct). Therefore, your elliptical workout is contributing roughly 1/6 lb per week in weight loss.
  • nlcs_nickyv32
    nlcs_nickyv32 Posts: 84
    Like everyone said yes. I would recommend doing it after a weight lifting session. Someone else also said it. Lifting weights is the best way to keep fat off.
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. You're burning 600 calories per week on the elliptical (assuming the calorie count is correct). Therefore, your elliptical workout is contributing roughly 1/6 lb per week in weight loss.
    Thanks. I also have a Pacer on my phone and it says I burn typically 150 calories just from my steps taken throughout the day so I've been including that also.
  • paulandrachelk
    paulandrachelk Posts: 280 Member
    You steps per day (regular activity) should count in your activity level. You may need to up your level but don't count steps per day as exercise.
  • EdoLuna
    EdoLuna Posts: 10
    Yes it is :3
    Atleast its something
    if you want to get that extra push try putting the incline at 10-15 and the speed around 2.5
    it might be slow but it will make you sweat for those 20 mins
  • marilandica
    marilandica Posts: 88 Member
    Every minute you spend not sitting on the couch eating potato chips is a helpful minute. Keep up the good work. Exercise gets addicting. You'll find yourself doing more of it as you lose weight and pick up energy. Keep in mind of course, that it's the calorie deficit that causes the weight loss -- exercise contributes to the calorie deficit, but you still have to be careful about what you eat.
  • jtrack3d
    jtrack3d Posts: 91
    In - Out = Direction you are headed. so, yes... while you may not have made it turn around you've at least moved the needle that way.
  • keithpeters101
    keithpeters101 Posts: 5 Member
    In pure numbers, 200 calories isn't much. But it's something. And if you're counting your calories and keeping those within range, that's even more. But beyond that, I would never discourage any activity. It puts you in the frame of mind that you're doing something positive about it. And after a few weeks, you might find yourself itching to go a bit longer, or maybe even jump over onto the treadmill, or even hit the road and do some light running. Success breeds confidence. Confidence will make you do more of what won.

    Just don't fall into the trap of, "Oh, I burned 200 calories on the elliptical, I can have a few extra slices of pizza!"
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    all very good advice here. highly recommend an HRM. i found that after an hour on the elliptical, it would tell me 1,000 calories burned. got the hrm and it's more like 500-700 depending on effort i put into it. same thing on the bike. way over estimated. Or, don't buy an HRM, but be careful if you eat back exercise calories.

    diet will be the biggest part of weight loss. add some strength training to increase muscle mass which will help your metabolism, but as someone else said, you can't out-exercise a bad diet if you are trying to lose. when you get to maintenance, you have a little more room for error, but if you are in loss mode, you need to be diligent on your calorie tracking.
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    Thanks for all the positive comments! I'll give what I'm doing about a month and record what my results are :)
    I've been attempting to eat healthy-ish the past 5 days! If anyone wants feel free to add me and check out my diary and recommend what I should be cutting back on.

    My problem though is eating my calorie goal (1450.)
    I seem to find that I'm well under most of the time.

    add a hard boiled egg as a snack or some greek yogurt. handful of nuts, an apple with a schmear of peanut butter. lots of ways to hit your calories (and avoid the carbs you mentioned before).
  • nopotofgold
    nopotofgold Posts: 164 Member
    all very good advice here. highly recommend an HRM. i found that after an hour on the elliptical, it would tell me 1,000 calories burned. got the hrm and it's more like 500-700 depending on effort i put into it. same thing on the bike. way over estimated. Or, don't buy an HRM, but be careful if you eat back exercise calories.

    diet will be the biggest part of weight loss. add some strength training to increase muscle mass which will help your metabolism, but as someone else said, you can't out-exercise a bad diet if you are trying to lose. when you get to maintenance, you have a little more room for error, but if you are in loss mode, you need to be diligent on your calorie tracking.
    I have noticed if i want to see I burned more calories the Elliptical is the best for that. It is alway way higher on calories burned than a treadmill.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I'm a 20-minute elliptical gal ... but as a SAHM with a home gym, I do it 3-5 times a day. Just got into the 20min habit because often that's only as long as I could fit in between mommy duties. Also, my feet fall asleep for anything longer! All exercise is good. I tend to take it pretty easy on my elliptical (it's my TV time) ... much depends on how much effort you put into that 20 minutes too!
  • LadyBaggins
    LadyBaggins Posts: 56
    You steps per day (regular activity) should count in your activity level. You may need to up your level but don't count steps per day as exercise.
    Oh thanks I forgot *facepalm*
    I'll go try to fix that

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