Calorie Burn argument....help settle it

[slowerthanslow]

Hi everyone. I am currently add odds with someone regarding this question.
We both agree that the "calories burned" on cardio machines at the gym are not completely accurate. I believe, though, that if you punch in your weight, age and you are wearing a heart rate monitor, that it reads your hr and based on your weight, the computer bases calories burned on those 2 factors. My opponent believes that no matter what the machines are preset to give you a reading for a 170lb (or whatever) male. Period end of story. I would agree with that if you didnt punch in any personal info or werent wearing a monitor. So.....

[gobbla]

HR has little to do with calories burned...so your friend is probibly closer to right. The only thing that your heart is telling you is how fast your heart is beating. It could fluccuate for any number of reasons...and will...from one day to the next doing the exact same excersise.

example:
You jump on the treadmill and run 3 miles at a 10min mile pace with an avg HR of 155.

You sleep really bad that night...making you sleep thru your alarm in turn missing breakfast, on the way to work you get chased by a pack of rabid dogs for 2 miles. You go to the gym and hop on the treadmill and run 3 miles at a 10min mile pace but due to the course of events your HR avg is 165.

Moral...same pace...same distance...same calories.

[slowerthanslow]

[img]tongue.gif[/img] damnit! Serious? I thought for sure they were tied in! I mean I get the whole if your sick, overtrained, etc..your HR may be higher than others, but I thought for sure it was an indication of how "hard" you HR was working, i.e. your bod was working/burning calories!!!
At least I didnt put any money on it!
Gobbla, question: I am still lifting heavy and I've drastically upped my cardio again partially due stress reduction, partially due to the concept of calories in, calories out. I have reduced my cals to around 1300 a day and burn between 400-1000 cals a day. Assuming this will lead to a little over a pound a week. Assuming Im not concerned about gaining muscle, merely maintaing my current muscle....will I lose some weight??!!

[gobbla]

It's not that it's not an indicator at all...but the difference is minute enough that it's not really worth figuring out.

A: Stop reducing your calories! If you go too far then you won't have enough to repair yourself and you're going to get hurt. Try to make a special point to stay no more than a 500 calorie deficit. Even if it means eating more on some days than others.

B: Make sure your calories are coming from good sources. Every meal consists of vegi's, protein, fruit in that order...anything that doesn't fall into that category, eat sparingly.

C: Make sure you're changing out the excersises in your weight training program. After you've cycled thru...adapt it. Different grip\stance or totally different excersise

D: Make HIIT your primary cardio tool. Pick as many different rest work ratios as you do days that you're doing it (1:2; 1:3; 1:4). If you do it inside pick a different machine for every day and every week slide the program one over. (bike, eliptical, stairs week 1...eliptical, stairs, bike week 2). Try to do it IMMEDIATELY after the weight room. If you want to do additional cardio then keep in mind that it's a privilige\fun thing. Don't let it get in the way of your lifting or HIIT.

Make sure you're doing that stuff...then we'll see where we're at.

[Marykaa]

"eat sparingly" I have a little trick that sometimes helps me... I heard of this book (haven't read it, not worth buyinging) who's title is :

"French Girls Don't Get Fat"

(girls from France, not Québec ). In it, the author says that to "taste" something, and get all the pleasure of tasting it.. we only need three bites. Anything over that is overkill. And I think it works. The first 3 bites of something I like, I really take time to appreciate it, then I say to myself.. ok.. "been there, done that" for that food, won't get any new sensastions from it.

This helps me.. but I'll see during the X-mas parties if it really works..

***

That said, I'm having alot of trouble this week with my diet.. am on anti-inflammatories for my shoulder and have trouble with my stomach (à little). up 5 lbs on the scale (must be mostly water , but still) .. and my PMS is just starting so this week will be worse.

SLOWERTHANSLOW

I have reduced my cals to around 1300 a day and burn between 400-1000 cals a day.

If I may say.. I'll take inspiration from your dedication.. and try to stick with it as you do.

[slowerthanslow]

Gobbla, thanks, all great advice and thats what we're here for. Just gotta find a way to bang it into my head that HIIT and not hours of cardio is the way to go. Not to mention just my love for running long and slow. Gotcha on the 500 max deficit too. No problem eating more on certain days.

Hey Mary!! Sorry to hear about those tummy troubles!! I too have been sick with a bronchitis sorta cold thing for like a week now and havent been able to work out. I did for the first few of the sickness and it only got worse. So I forced myself to stop. Your "gain" is def water! Your bod will retain so much water with "issues" like that. Ima itchin to get back to the gym!!

[Marykaa]

SLOWER ! Thanks for the encouraging words! When will you try the gym again? Hope you're getting better real soon!!!

[slowerthanslow]

I refused to meet my hub at the gym to train him because I knew that I would workout along with him and that Im not ready. Though my trade off was that I am gonna do a run on the tmill tomorrow. Just a slow one until it doesnt feel good.
Hope you get better soon too!

[Marykaa]

Good for you! you have to think of yourself.

bah.. I think my shoulder will take quite a while yet :/ I don't feel much change. But well.. that's how it is. Might as well not get DOWN about it as well, then I'll have 2 problems.