Am I not doing all that I thought I was? Input greatly appreciated :)

I have an ellipitical at my house that I have been using religiously for the last two weeks( religiously being every day) When I first started I could only do 12 mintues. I'm now up to 22 minutes.. my problem is that it that the resistance is broken.. so there is no reistence, however I get an increased heart rate, I'm totally out of breath by the end and sweating like a piggy!! I started googling about ellipticals with no resistence and what I found made me wanna cry!! Everyone was bad mouthing it and saying it is practically useless.  I know it can't be totally useless if I'm feeling the way I do afterward. I am obviously increasing my cardio and burning calories, right?? I'm just discouraged and confused now and need some advice here!!
I'm trying to remember to write everything here that I think people will be asking in their responses.. ummm... I'm 21, 5'6, and about 230.  I'm just trying to loose weight and get healthy.. I'm not training for a marathon or anything . I do other excercises beside the elliptical (mostly kickboxing and core excercises).  Alright everyone.. sorry for the run-on sentences and frantic tone! lol.. any input would be greatly appreciated :)

I think you are burning calories because you are moving for a period of time, but it may not just be the "optimal" workout because the resistance is broken.

You can also do other things, like walking, jogging, excercise tapes/dvd's too.

 

 

 

Hi, don't be discouraged.  Your body just has to feel like it is working.  If you are getting your heart rate up for a good period of time and sweating, then you are doing the right things.  However, your body does need to do some form of resistance exercises in order to build muscle (which burn more calories at rest).  If you are doing kickboxing and core excercises, you are doing great!! Good for you for getting started.  Now, lets add some lunges and side leg lifts and add some weights or bands to doing some arm raises after your work out on the ellyptical.  Lunges and Leg Raises for about a minute and a half across the room rest and repeat.  Arm raises for about 3 sets of 12-15.    This will help with your resistance.  Good luck and don't let yourself get discouraged.  :)

At the present time, the effect of "resistance" is being provided by your own body weight.  However, as you lose fat and gain muscle mass...and get stronger...you'll naturally feel a "need" for more resistance.  Then you can replace your faulty elliptical with a good one.   Or, as tsanmigu suggested, do some standing exercises that use your body weight as resistance.  Or even get a Pilates machine!  I LOVE mine!  (They're not that expensive from QVC.)

Well.. I hope get stronger and loosing weight will also get me more money! !!  (to replace my faulty elliptical) Thanks for everyone's suggestions :)

Original Post by plumpirate:

Well.. I hope get stronger and loosing weight will also get me more money! !!  (to replace my faulty elliptical) Thanks for everyone's suggestions :)

 Well, I WAS thinking a few months down the road.  Also, you can list yourself on freecycle.org and maybe someone will be giving one away!  Or you can buy a Pilates machine from QVC when they're having a show, when they put them on the 5-month "Easy Pay" plan.  Or join the "Y"!  And, in the meantime, at NO cost, you can do the lunges and/or other exercises that tsanmigu suggested.  And bands are CHEAP.  You just need one for your arms and a stronger one for your legs.