Since June 30, I've been working out five days a week at our tiny little local gym. After an initial 5 pound gain to 220 pounds, I've consistently lost one or two pounds a week until last week.
My daily regimen has consisted of 25 minutes on either the treadmill or recumbent bike, with a majority of days on the bike in the past few weeks, and then 45-50 reps with 50 pound weights (five different types of lifts) on my arms, and same weight and reps (two lifts) for my legs. In all the workout is 45 minutes to 1 hour per day, five days per week.
I've cut calories, as well, to an average of 1,300 to 1,500 per day, depending on the day and how busy work is. I'm eating more fruits and veggies, and smaller portions of the things that are bad for me.
Until the final week in September, things went well. I was burning, according to the machine, about 150-170 calories on the bike every day, then more lifting weights. The weight loss came along with the cutting and burning of calories. Then last week I got on the elliptical trainer.
In 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer (which asks me to input my weight and age when I start) at a resistance of no lower than 3, I burn 50 calories. From all the articles I've read, and posts I've looked back at on this forum, that seems WAAAAAY low. But since my weight loss stopped at the exact time I began using the ET, I'm thinking it's almost GOT to be pretty accurate. Yesterday I got on the ET for 20 minutes at a higher resistance (5) and burned only about 60 calories.
So I guess my question is whether it's that the machine, which works my WHOLE body and makes me feel like I've worked out, isn't helping me burn calories, or if it's helping me build muscle that's offsetting any weight loss? I'd like to keep doing it, because it IS a good overall feeling when I get off the thing, but if it's not going to help me meet the ultimate goal of weight loss then I don't want to waste three days a week, and the goal I'd set of 30-45 minutes per session, when I could be on the recumbent bike, working my legs and burning more calories.
My daily regimen has consisted of 25 minutes on either the treadmill or recumbent bike, with a majority of days on the bike in the past few weeks, and then 45-50 reps with 50 pound weights (five different types of lifts) on my arms, and same weight and reps (two lifts) for my legs. In all the workout is 45 minutes to 1 hour per day, five days per week.
I've cut calories, as well, to an average of 1,300 to 1,500 per day, depending on the day and how busy work is. I'm eating more fruits and veggies, and smaller portions of the things that are bad for me.
Until the final week in September, things went well. I was burning, according to the machine, about 150-170 calories on the bike every day, then more lifting weights. The weight loss came along with the cutting and burning of calories. Then last week I got on the elliptical trainer.
In 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer (which asks me to input my weight and age when I start) at a resistance of no lower than 3, I burn 50 calories. From all the articles I've read, and posts I've looked back at on this forum, that seems WAAAAAY low. But since my weight loss stopped at the exact time I began using the ET, I'm thinking it's almost GOT to be pretty accurate. Yesterday I got on the ET for 20 minutes at a higher resistance (5) and burned only about 60 calories.
So I guess my question is whether it's that the machine, which works my WHOLE body and makes me feel like I've worked out, isn't helping me burn calories, or if it's helping me build muscle that's offsetting any weight loss? I'd like to keep doing it, because it IS a good overall feeling when I get off the thing, but if it's not going to help me meet the ultimate goal of weight loss then I don't want to waste three days a week, and the goal I'd set of 30-45 minutes per session, when I could be on the recumbent bike, working my legs and burning more calories.
