elliptical trainer question

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betty51
betty51 Posts: 52
in Fitness and Exercise
:flowerforyou: I just wanted to know how fast and how much weight did you lose using the elliptical and staying under your calories ?
Also where did you see change on your body first (hips,thighs or lower legs?What about the upper body??
I started working out on the elliptical on August 1st . I really don't "see" any change yet BUT I do feel slimmer if that makes any since at all. Also I am working out 20 to 30 mins a day till I can build up to longer workouts (I haven't workout in a year)
Thanks ,I am just hoping that this will help me .
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Replies

  • birdlover97111
    birdlover97111 Posts: 346 Member
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    I use my elliptical 6 days a week, sometime 7...The first place I noticed inches lost was my stomach, believe it or not....I have since lost also in my legs, hips, rear and face....I love my elliptical.... :flowerforyou:
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    I loveeee my elliptical. I literally would live on it if I could.
    I use it about 5-6 times a week, an hour each time.

    I lost a lot of inches from my chest/waist/hips.
    Not so much off my thighs, although I've lost an inch.
  • shesblossoming
    shesblossoming Posts: 426
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    I lost about fifteen pounds the first month of using the elliptical, and I would use it six times a week (I should get back to it). I've been doing Bikram yoga lately, so that's been exhausting! However, I'm starting off at a higher weight, so it was easy for me to take it off.

    The elliptical is great though as long as you keep on going with it. The first time I went on, I was on for maybe five minutes and was so exhausted, but I'm at about forty minutes now.
  • m_hollywood
    m_hollywood Posts: 7
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    The elliptical is AMAZING! If you can get yourself to do it, you will burn the most calories on this machine. It's great because it works all areas of your body (if you keep your arms moving). You will lose in your core if you keep good posture and use your abdominals to steady your breathing.

    Personally, when I use the elliptical (usually daily), I aim to burn at least 10 calories a minute. It will keep you motivated and you can almost test yourself on how long you can go. On my good days I'll burn over 50 calories of my goal. I usually do it for an hour with a 5 minute cooldown, which would mean a lot of times I burn 700 calories in 65 minutes! This can get tiring so don't forget to change up your routines once in a while. Overall, coming from me, this is absolutely the best cardiovascular exercise you can do at the gym.

    Hope this helps, good luck!
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
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    Hips,legs and booty. I love it!
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
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    I started to use the elliptical when I first began losing weight, I weighed 258 at the time and it really helped me lose a lot of weight! One thing I made sure was to record my distance and to try and beat it every time. I also started out at 30 minutes and built my way up to 45 minutes.
  • whispiri
    whispiri Posts: 43 Member
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    Initially using just the elliptical and walking worked well for me. It still use it but not as the only form of exercise. However I know I lost the first 10 lbs with quite a bit of ease utilizing it. And that was in the first 3 weeks.

    Initially, when I had no endurance I started doing about 5 minutes stretches at least 4 times a day. After about a week I did anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes a day plus two 15 minute walks during my coffee breaks at work.

    Today, I use it for about 15 minutes in the morning before getting ready for work. And I combine it in the evening when I work with my resistence bands to break up those exercises (usually about 2 to five minutes in between those reps). But I am also doing the 30-day shred as well. I never measured when I started to see how much and what came off.....I only weighed.....that was more important to me at that time.

    You body will get used to it after awhile so it doesn't hurt to ad more strengthening exercises in with the elliptical to trick your body into working harder.

    Hopefully a personal trainer can give you more information on that end. My advice is not to eliminate the elliptical trainer but to find other exercises to incorporate with it.

    Shannon
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
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    How are you supposed to log calories lost.......i have a cheaper elliptical and I m pretty sure its not accurate.......so I'm not sure what to log.....so I go inbetween what my elliptical says and what MFP estimates!

    Any advice???
  • deckerp
    deckerp Posts: 4,365 Member
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    I use an elliptical a lot and like it a lot. It took me longer to lose weight I think because I was recovering from knee surgery. I had to ramp up the time and intensity slowly.

    I found my elliptical seemed to overestimate the calories burned. My weight loss seemed to plateau and then I started losing again once I started using the MFP estimate instead of the elliptical estimate.

    My worry there is, the MFP estimate can't take into account how much effort you're putting into your workout. The built in calorie meter can.

    Results are what counts and I've had better results using the MFP estimate.
  • krystonite
    krystonite Posts: 553 Member
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    How the hell do you guys stay on the elliptical for more than 10 minutes? My quads freaking ACHE!!! And I'm not even doing it on a strenuous level. What gives????
  • DrewD2011
    DrewD2011 Posts: 66 Member
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    I agree...love the elliptical, especially the Life Fitness Models. I also agree with the 10 kcal a minute level to really put you in a weightloss mode...I also like intervals and rolling hills because on the HR modes or the flat level manual ones, they get way too monotonous and boring. I think your body learns and it defends itself against the same old routines. Try new things...take your hands off the striders, using different leg patterns and pull that core in!

    Use this e to help get in shape, but find a variety of exercise to keep the weight off and then really enjoy the ride!
  • betty51
    betty51 Posts: 52
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    I use an elliptical a lot and like it a lot. It took me longer to lose weight I think because I was recovering from knee surgery. I had to ramp up the time and intensity slowly.

    I found my elliptical seemed to overestimate the calories burned. My weight loss seemed to plateau and then I started losing again once I started using the MFP estimate instead of the elliptical estimate.

    My worry there is, the MFP estimate can't take into account how much effort you're putting into your workout. The built in calorie meter can.

    Results are what counts and I've had better results using the MFP estimate.
    Well I know my ellptical is not recording the calories burned right at all ,It doesn't have a place for you to add your weight so its giving me numbers as if aI was maybe 140 lbs . and this is not a cheap one either .It was 1200 $ on sale for 800. I record what MFP tells me I burned .
  • pbruce161
    pbruce161 Posts: 3
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    I use the elliptical 6 days a week and I LOVE it. I typically go 60-90 minutes. I also do weight training 3-4 days a week cause I have always been into lifting and never like cardio till lately.

    In 3 weeks I have lost 20lbs and have lost substantial size. So far I lost 2.75 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my hips, 1 inch off my neck, 1.25 inch off my thighs and an inch off my arms.

    I take weekly body measurements to document progress, it more motivation when you can see the numbers in front of you regardless if you can see it on yourself. Just keep with it and you will see the changes happen.
  • lausa22
    lausa22 Posts: 467 Member
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    I burn about 200 cal in 20minutes, so that's 20cal a minute? (according to my elliptical) I go about 15K/hour average.
    I totally don't trust my elliptical calorie counter though, on MFP I burn almost 700cal an hour, on my elliptical counter I burn 450.

    I just call it 600 :)
  • pbruce161
    pbruce161 Posts: 3
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    I'm lucky enough to be a large individual so in an hour I burn 1000-1200 calories, which is nice
  • akgary
    akgary Posts: 52
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    nice i dont use mine as much looking at this i think im gonna jump on it at least a few times a week mine is a cheaper one so im gonna go off of mfp:)
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
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    so much love for the elipticals. i actually HATE the eliptical. it feels like a cross between a treadmill and a bike and its just odd. i can actually run on the treadmill faster than i go on the eliptical.

    the only time i use them is when i am either waiting for another machine, usually a bike cos thats what my gym has the least of.
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
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    double post
  • akgary
    akgary Posts: 52
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    i know what you mean i love my treadmill better but i do have a ellpitical at home sometimes i love it but i do like my treadmill better:)
  • AmazingStace
    AmazingStace Posts: 92 Member
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    I love the ellptical! I'm fortunate that my mom let me bring hers to my house, since she can get to the gym much easier than I can. I've used it most everyday for 2 weeks. Three days, I opted for my Walk Away the Pounds DVD instead of the elliptical just to change it up a litlte. I started at 298 on Aug. 1, and as of Monday, I'm down to 284.6. I'm very out of shape. Haven't exercised since high school. There's no way I could "run" on a treadmill. I find the ellpitical to be easier than actually running. I usually average 4-5 miles in 30 minutes, depending on how hard I'm pushing myself. And I go off what the elliptical says I burned since the MFP reading is usually higher. I'd rather underestimate than over estimate. I'm hoping to get a HRM so then I'll know more accurately how many cals I'm burning.

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