will the elliptical help?

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kvaldez95
kvaldez95 Posts: 25
in Fitness and Exercise
okay so i am going to do the elliptical 5x a week for 30 minutes. i need to lose weight now atleast 15lbs in 1 month cuz im trien to get down to 160 i am 215 and really need help. I also will be doing weights to help tone myself any advice?

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  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Anything is better than nothing, just watch you don't get burned out on one thing after a while. Might want to switch it up ;)
  • mamawildbear
    mamawildbear Posts: 93 Member
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    I've heard great things about the elliptical. I haven't done much of it because I prefer classes but I know that one is kind on your joints, etc. I also prefer to vary my workouts more because I've heard your body can get used to what you're doing and then weight loss slows. What you can do is interval training on the elliptical. Do bursts of very intense work interspersed with easier recovery periods. I've read that makes your workout much more effective.
  • lraymond558
    lraymond558 Posts: 30
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    elliptical is so amazing because it is low impact on your knees, hips, you whole body actually ! and it is way easier to run at a high speed on it than a treadmill or the road. it's super amazing :)

    and remember as you build muscle tone, weight will come with it too. if you are trying to tone up, i suggest your final goal be a combination of weight and inches lost in all areas of your body, as you could weigh on a scale ten pounds more with a built body than you would with the same frame and in the same size clothes without any muscle. hope that makes sense !
  • corey_e
    corey_e Posts: 162
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    What you can do is interval training on the elliptical. Do bursts of very intense work interspersed with easier recovery periods. I've read that makes your workout much more effective.

    Yup! I do the elliptical everyday for 60 mins and I do intervals and I burn a lot! I follow that with some strength traing as well. But I gotta say when I have the resistance high and I start pushing to go faster I can feel my lower abs getting worked. It's awesome.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
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    Yes cardio for at least 1/2 hour will help tremendously. I do 1.5 hours of cardio and weights 3x a week minimum. :)
  • WTFitness
    WTFitness Posts: 77 Member
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    I've heard that weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise, so definitely try to cut back on processed foods and make sure you're burning more calories than you are consuming. You'll be able to burn calories using an elliptical but I think more intense cardio would be more effective (perhaps try a workout program like Turbo Fire). Good luck!
  • markelita
    markelita Posts: 1
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    hi!... im doing the elliptical 5 times per week, but for 45 or 60 minutes on the "weight lost", everyday I try to upgrade the level and it works!! i lost a lot of inches from the waist, hips, tummy and thighs. i don´t know if your elliptical have the calories counter, and the heart rate... My coach always check that does not exceed 120 in the heart rate, because that is fat burning heart rate
    . (100-120). good luck!!!
  • UcallMeJay
    UcallMeJay Posts: 96
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    Don't forget to change up your routine. If you continue on the same exact routine you will eventually plateau.
    It is best to keep your body guessing.
    Change up what you are using for cardio, switch to a stationary bike, or treadmill. or go running at the park or track.

    I also recommend a heart rate monitor if you want to know how many calories you are really burning. I don't work out in a gym, but I have read alot on the the forums about how the equipment usually isn't accurate with your calories burned and/or your heart rate.
    A decent Heart Rate Monitor will cost you around $40 to $70 dollars.
  • WomanPower79
    WomanPower79 Posts: 37
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    its awesome.. i lost 28 popunds in one month on it.. its a staple in my workout regimen..
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Losing 15 pounds in 1 month isn't healthy. The most you can reasonably expect to lose is 2 pounds per week.
  • ashleyjea1985
    ashleyjea1985 Posts: 190
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    30 min 5 times a weeek is good, but you should really do an hour
  • JDeeds08
    JDeeds08 Posts: 2
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    I'm a big fan of ellipticals, but i like the ones that combine the aspects of a stepper into it too. I do 45-60 mins of cardio 5x a week and lift 4x a week. Cutting out processed foods and making sure you are getting enough fiber is crucial to weight loss. More veggies less carbs kind of thing. Lifting actually trains your metabolism to work faster whereas cardio speeds your metabolism up while you are working out so I find that a combination is best, but also remember to vary your workouts every 1-2 weeks so your body doesn't "plateau" aka get too comfortable and stop losing weight. I've been there done that and it is just plain disappointing. So now that I've lost 40 lbs pre-MFP I'm hoping to lose even more with MFP. Good luck with your goal!!
  • antipholous
    antipholous Posts: 116
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    Exercising and eating under your caloric limit will help you lose weight. If you're trying to lose 15 pounds in a month you're going to need to do more than 30 minutes a day on the eliptical.

    There are 3,500 calories in a single pound. You'll lose weight once you've lost 3,500 calories by either exercising it off, or eating under your BMR (in your case you'll do both).

    3,500x15 - 52,500 calories you'll need to lose. Dividing by 30 is a 1,750 calorie deficit each day. You'd probably need to eat 500 calories less and work out 1,250 calories more.

    That being said...you might want to adjust your goals. 1,250 calories burned in the gym is going to be a 2-3 hour work-out each day. Not for the faint of heart.

    Also, be weary of MFP's exercise logs. The calorie burns are typically grossly overestimated.
  • mamawildbear
    mamawildbear Posts: 93 Member
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    Also, be weary of MFP's exercise logs. The calorie burns are typically grossly overestimated.

    I've been wondering about that. They seem to be quite generous, although in general they agree with the Cardio Trainer program. After posting several times on the benefit of eating back your exercise calories, I find that I'm hesitant to do so because I don't believe I'm really burning that many calories.
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
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    the elliptical is definitely a great cardio workout. while it's good to work out consistently and frequently, how fast you lose weight will depend mostly on what you eat. be conscientious about that and invest in a kitchen scale if you don't have one yet.

    also, it's somewhat of a myth that exercising just in the fat burning zone is better for losing weight. you can either burn calories from fat or carbs, and the percentage of calories burned from fat is the highest with a lower HR zone. however, losing weight ultimately comes down to *total* calories expended > calories consumed. you want to burn as many calories as possible, and your body doesn't care whether the calories burned are coming from fat or carbs. so if you just have 30 minutes, keep your HR as high as possible -- within reason of course! :) -- because your total number of calories burned will be more than the number burned with a lower HR zone.
  • lilbuddytatertot
    lilbuddytatertot Posts: 57 Member
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    30 min 5 times a weeek is good, but you should really do an hour


    what if your going at a pretty fast pace, still an hour? or slow down to do an hour
  • antipholous
    antipholous Posts: 116
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    I've been wondering about that. They seem to be quite generous, although in general they agree with the Cardio Trainer program. After posting several times on the benefit of eating back your exercise calories, I find that I'm hesitant to do so because I don't believe I'm really burning that many calories.

    Well one major problem that occurs from it is that they calculate the same burn for everyone, regardless of weight and fitness level. There's no measurement for fitness level on this site, of course, but even as your weight changes your calories burned remain constant. Not realistic.

    The calories more reflect what a morbidly obese person would lose on their first attempt of doing any of these exercises, coming straight from an almost complete sedentary lifestyle. That could reflect a lot of member's first few weeks, but that's about all.
  • heniko
    heniko Posts: 796 Member
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    30 min 5 times a weeek is good, but you should really do an hour


    what if your going at a pretty fast pace, still an hour? or slow down to do an hour
    and what is you are doing the higher levels also?
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    -HIIT routines on the elliptical
    -Increase resistance to the highest you can do with proper form during the increased intensity bursts
    -????
    -Profit.

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