Cross Trainer, tracking the burn

[losingit]

Wanted a new topic separate to my main diary one where i can just talk about exercise. I'm on Atkins and doing OK but the loss is slowing down. Got a new cross-trainer a couple of weeks ago which i have set up in my bedroom and am going on every other day for 30 minutes at a time. Need to keep motivated so i'm going to log the calories i burn here and any other bits relating to exercise.

Over the last two weeks i've taken my fitness level from 5 minutes on cross trainer and literally 20 calories burnt (!) and then collapsing, to doing 30 minute stretches at a time and burning close to 250 cals. Now i just need to maintain all that progress and keep going!

Target for March - i have 15 'exercise days' available to me. At 250 cals a time that is 3750 calories. I'll add another 250 cals to try and increase my progress slightly... so the target for March is 4000 calories burnt.

Depressingly, 4000 calories amounts to just over a single pound of fat. Just as well i'm dieting at the same time, otherwise i'd wonder about what the point was, and i guess it is equal to 1 stone when looked at over a whole year, so it's got to help.

If anyone else wants to join me on burning 4000cals this month you are welcome to - good luck!

 

[Kat1e]

Hi losingit, found your exercise diary. Good luck - you're doing really well. Dont worry too much about the calorie impact of exercise on atkins - you can actually eat much more than other diets and still lose. Do enjoy getting fit, burning off energy and firming everything up.

Just a warning that exercise can make you hungry and you dont want your body to think there is a famine - so do eat some of your exercise calories if you are at all hungry. As long as it's low carb, you will still get good losses. I tend to focus on time for exercise and use the monthly challenges to track - feels pretty good to know that I'm moving more of the time

Keep going!
Xx

 

[losingit]

Yep, i'm not too concerned about the calorie thing, it's just a nice bonus, the main reason for doing this is to improve my overall health and fitness so i can run around with my daughter, and maybe tone up any loose skin (might have to add in weights for doing that though which i'm not too keen on). I have to put some kind of calorie target for my 30 minute exercise session otherwise i'll start dawdling and spend 30 minutes doing a lot of nothing and burning around 50 cals, lol, i'm lazy like that. Yes, exercise does make me more hungry. Most mornings i'm making a 2 egg cheesy omlette, and i split it between me and my daughter (i have the larger portion!), on exercise days i make it with 3 eggs instead (i exercise first thing in the morning) and it probably only uses an extra 70 cals or so but it's definitely needed... and i feel on an energetic high for the rest of the day.

Completed 30 minutes cross trainer today and burnt 261 calories.
3739 calories to go for March.

 

[losingit]

230 calories today - tried a different program on the cross trainer and didn't like it!

3509 calories to go

 

[losingit]

did a random 34 cals yesterday, and a huge 283 today in my 30 minute session.

3192 calories to go.

 

[losingit]

285 calories in 30 minutes, hooray! I have photographic evidence today too, it seems unreal cos i could barely do 50 calories just a month ago.

2907 calories to go.

 

[losingit]

280 calories today

2627 calories to go

 

[G-man02]

I was in a similar position back in Jan, I bought a cross trainer and in the first go I struggled to even do 5 minutes, after 2 weeks I was doing upto 40 minutes a time. I then had to get my gall bladder removed in Feb and since then been putting it off but know after the first couple of sessions I'll be back to doing 40 mins again.

Best part about it is the buzz you get from beating your target, I would always keep saying to myself "just 5 more minutes" then suddenly you're past the 30 min mark.

 

[losingit]

Another record day again, 302 calories in 30 minutes!

2325 calories to go.

Yes, the buzz of reaching a target is great . I want to increase my time eventually, but want to maintain the current burn off pace at the same time. Now i know i can do 300 calories in 30 minutes (i thought it was impossible before now) then i should be able to do 400 calories in 40 minutes, eventually. Will work up slowly. Next target is to hit 300 calories 5 times in a row to prove that today just wasn't a fluke . After that will try for 35 minutes and 350 calories, and so on... right up to a full hour and 600 calories. Although i think i might get bored doing 60 minutes each time so will give myself permission to just do 30 min if i want also, don't want the 'magic' to wear off - and i'm enjoying it right now .

 

[G-man02]

Another record day again, 302 calories in 30 minutes!

2325 calories to go.

Yes, the buzz of reaching a target is great . I want to increase my time eventually, but want to maintain the current burn off pace at the same time. Now i know i can do 300 calories in 30 minutes (i thought it was impossible before now) then i should be able to do 400 calories in 40 minutes, eventually. Will work up slowly. Next target is to hit 300 calories 5 times in a row to prove that today just wasn't a fluke . After that will try for 35 minutes and 350 calories, and so on... right up to a full hour and 600 calories. Although i think i might get bored doing 60 minutes each time so will give myself permission to just do 30 min if i want also, don't want the 'magic' to wear off - and i'm enjoying it right now .

My worry of doing 60 mins is the boredom too but I tend to listen to music to keep me going, I was also thinking of watching something while doing it but then their is a chance I may not put in 100%.

Reading this thread has given me the push to start again on the cross trainer tonight.

 

[losingit]

Great , it's always hard to begin but once you are going just remember how good it will make you feel. Let me know how it goes.

 

[G-man02]

Went to go on the cross trainer and it's squeaking like mad, the LCD is also very faded even though I've put new batteries in. Absolutely gutted considering I just paid £180 in Jan for it.

Does anyone else have these problems with cross trainers? It's a Dynamix.

 

[losingit]

My cross trainer squeaks about once every 2 weeks so far... the screws seem to work themselves loose on a couple of the joints and i have to go around and tighten them up. Try checking that? No idea about the LCD though, mine is plugged into the wall. Try contacting the manufacturer, they might just send out a replacement LCD for it?

 

[losingit]

301 calories burnt today (30 minutes)

2024 calories to go

 

[G-man02]

301 calories burnt today (30 minutes)

2024 calories to go

Think I'll give it a go for 20 mins and have my music on so loud it'll drown out the squeaks.

Wish me luck!

 

[G-man02]

It's been about 50 days since I last went on and managed 211 calories / 20 mins, along with the 181 calories I burned at lunch time too so I'm really happy with myself

 

[losingit]

well done, that's great!! feels good doesn't it .

I jumped on and did 50 calories today even though it was my 'day off'. Now 1974 to go for march.

 

[G-man02]

well done, that's great!! feels good doesn't it .

I jumped on and did 50 calories today even though it was my 'day off'. Now 1974 to go for march.

I've pushed myself to go on this morning, which I haven't done in a very long time (usually because my kids always want attention) and managed 15 minutes / 165 calories, which IMO is good considering how little I've been on.

 

[losingit]

165 calories in 15 minutes is very good considering you are a bit rusty, amazing . Keep up the good work!

I added an extra 5 minutes to my workout today, so did 35 minutes total, and burnt... wait for it.... 367 calories! :=) so happy, and so exhausted! 1607 calories left to burn in March - my original "difficult" target for March is looking way too easy now .

 

[losingit]

OK, that mammoth 367 calorie session the other day has floored me, for the first time. To get the calories up i had to increase the resistance on the cross trainer and my muscles are ACHING in my legs... very sore but feels very good too, a nice kinda muscle stretchy pain.

So, today was going to try and do the same again but i just couldn't, my muscles weren't recovered enough from the previous session (and i had done an extra 50 calories on my 'day off' which probably didn't help). I decided to take it slow and just get through the 30 minutes and not worry about the result today.

But, i stil burnt 267 calories in 30 minutes, which i was pretty impressed with considering i felt like i was going so slow and not really working up a good enough sweat. I remember how tough it was to hit my 250 calorie goal originally but it's easy peasy now, which is nice .

So, that is 267 + 50 calories since my last report.

1290 calories left to burn in March. Dead easy target!