buying an elliptical
 

anyone here ever used the smooth ce elliptical ?

i need to start getting in shape, and i'd like to buy an ellpitical. i'm not sure what kind is good that is within my price range, but this one seems to come up a lot. it has to be less than $1500.

anyone have recommendations ?

Re: buying an elliptical
 

You won't use it.

Instead, find something you really really love to do that also happens to be exercise and go nuts.

If you do really enjoy elliptical, please disregard.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

i've never actually used one before, (i know it's stupid to spend that much without trying it) but i'm convinced having a piece of exercise equipment is better than not having one.

i'd be pretty motivated to use it. it might eventually end up being a clothes hanger, but i think i can get some good use out of it.

unfortunately there aren't really any sporty type things i like to do... :/

Re: buying an elliptical
 

Join a gym and go 3-5 times a week. Equipment in your home will go unused. If you manage to drag yourself to the gym you will exercise, as that is what is expected from people that go there. Seriously the only hard part is getting to the gym. You will never feel like going but once you get there you will find it easy to exercise and you always feel great after. Like cleaning the house it is hard to start but then it is easy to keep going and you always like the end results.

If you are worried about going to a gym because you feel out of shape and you think people will look at you weird you are probably wrong. People at the gym be they in shape or trying to get there have almost all been "new" to the gym scene at one time and they remember how it feels. Plus you will just blend in with all the resolutioners that show up in January so you won't be noticed and by the time they disappear around the end of February you will be in great shape and the gym will feel like home.

Join a gym and force yourself to go. 1 or 2 months and you will fit in I promise. If you can't bring yourself to join till you get in better shape walk or run outdoors. It is funner and it is free.

Edit: If you do find people staring at you in the gym it is not cuz you are fat and out of shape it's the boobs. Take it as a compliment it's not like we can actually look away voluntarily when they are moving. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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unfortunately there aren't really any sporty type things i like to do... :/

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[censored] more. With someone who lasts a long time.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

thanks for your advice stuey i'm sure you are right, but i hate going places , and that isn't going to happen. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

Maybe you should try this thing called "jogging." Or maybe it's pronounced "yah-ging" with a soft j, I dunno. Apparrently you just run, it's sounds pretty easy.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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unfortunately there aren't really any sporty type things i like to do... :/

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[censored] more. With someone who lasts a long time.

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i'm not sure my boyfriend would approve ? (ha ha)
plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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Maybe you should try this thing called "jogging." Or maybe it's pronounced "yah-ging" with a soft j, I dunno. Apparrently you just run, it's sounds pretty easy.

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maybe you should try running with big boobs and see how that goes.
i don't like jogging.
especially not in the snow.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

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but wouldn't it be fun to try?
and do you really think you have 50lbs to lose?

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

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but wouldn't it be fun to try?
and do you really think you have 50lbs to lose?

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yes. i am 5'10 and weigh 192 lbs. i am getting too fat.
i was around 146 in high school, i doubt i will ever be that thin again but it'd be nice to be closer to that than 200.!

Re: buying an elliptical
 

You'll never use it. $1500 on a piece of equipment that does one thing is ridiculous. Join a gym.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

If you just want to lose weight, I would recommend trying out Dance Dance Revolution at home. In my opinion, it is one of the most intense cardio one can do at the higher levels, and the fact that it is a game makes you play it more. I would say that playing for an hour can probably burn a thousand calories at higher levels.

If you have a playstation or x-box, check it out. If you don't have a games system, you can download DWI or Stepmania (google them), and you can play from your computer.

The fact that you are having fun exercising means you will keep playing, unlike an exercise machine which you would have to be extremely disciplined to keep up.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

1. youve never used an elliptical machine

2. you dont do any "sports things" now

3. you want to spend up to $1500 the equipment

that sounds like a really bad idea. you don't have any experience, dont know your level of motivation and want to spend a boat load of money to develop those two things.

most people use their in-home equipment for less than a year.

id recommend one of two things:

1. buying used equipment(off craigslist). find someone else that bought it new and thought they would spend their life using it forever and then let it collect dust after 6 months. let them take the hit on the price.

2. or join a gym and pay a monthly fee. it will take a long time before your monthly fees add up to $1500. after the new year gyms have some specials because people start their new years resolutions. keep an eye out for those. they usually waive sign up fee or something along those lines.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

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but wouldn't it be fun to try?
and do you really think you have 50lbs to lose?

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yes. i am 5'10 and weigh 192 lbs. i am getting too fat.
i was around 146 in high school, i doubt i will ever be that thin again but it'd be nice to be closer to that than 200.!

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none of that came across in your photos ...

i agree with everyone who said it's better to join a gym than buy equipment but exercising at home is better than not exercising at all.

remember to start slow and don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. just stay at it. and eat right!

good luck!

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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i've never actually used one before, (i know it's stupid to spend that much without trying it) but i'm convinced having a piece of exercise equipment is better than not having one.

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I'd try one out in a store first, even if you are planning to buy it online.

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Completely silent mechanics - whisper quiet.

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Stuff like this is important. I had a stationary bike that used air resistance. It was noisy and used to blow all the dust out from under my bed. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Of course it was only about $200.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

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but wouldn't it be fun to try?
and do you really think you have 50lbs to lose?

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yes. i am 5'10 and weigh 192 lbs. i am getting too fat.
i was around 146 in high school, i doubt i will ever be that thin again but it'd be nice to be closer to that than 200.!

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none of that came across in your photos ...

i agree with everyone who said it's better to join a gym than buy equipment but exercising at home is better than not exercising at all.

remember to start slow and don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. just stay at it. and eat right!

good luck!

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thanks, but i weighed no less than 185 in those pictures.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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plus i doubt you can lose 50 lbs just from having sex.

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but wouldn't it be fun to try?
and do you really think you have 50lbs to lose?

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yes. i am 5'10 and weigh 192 lbs. i am getting too fat.
i was around 146 in high school, i doubt i will ever be that thin again but it'd be nice to be closer to that than 200.!

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Ok let's do some internet math here, gimme a minute...

I've got 5'8 3/4, 204. Yeah, you could lose some.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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thanks, but i weighed no less than 185 in those pictures.

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and you were sitting down with your body partially obscured in all the ones i've seen so height and weight is hard to determine.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

like i said, i know joining a gym is the best idea. but it's not going to happen. if that is my only option, i'll stay fat.

i don't really know about dance dance revolution but i could see something like that being a good idea if i could get into it. hmm.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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like i said, i know joining a gym is the best idea. but it's not going to happen. if that is my only option, i'll stay fat.

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why do you hate gyms so much? and how would you rate your eating habits?

Re: buying an elliptical
 

vetoed.

why won't the gym thing happen? Couldn't you and BF go together?

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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like i said, i know joining a gym is the best idea. but it's not going to happen. if that is my only option, i'll stay fat.

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why do you hate gyms so much? and how would you rate your eating habits?

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it's not that i hate gyms, but i hate going places. i have issues.

eating habits are bad but im working on that.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

I've done a bit of home equipment purchasing myself lately. If you have the motivation, you'll use it. I use my new (5 months old) recumbent bike for a good 4 hours a week.

I wanted to get an elliptical at first, since that's what I used the most at the gym. I went to a few fitness stores (also the crappy sports good stores like sports authority and Dick's) to go for a few "test runs".

Obviously, the sports good stores elips are trash.

The only ones I liked cost about $2500 in store (and not much cheaper from the ones I found online). I'm 6'5, so that may be a factor due to the world being made for short people.

So the moral of my little story is to make sure you test out any machine that you're going to buy. What may be comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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So the moral of my little story is to make sure you test out any machine that you're going to buy. What may be comfortable for me may not be comfortable for you.

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thanks, good point...
and good to know you get use out of yours [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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thanks, but i weighed no less than 185 in those pictures.

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and you were sitting down with your body partially obscured in all the ones i've seen so height and weight is hard to determine.

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yes, good example of why you must always ask for body shots before meeting girls online !! ! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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thanks, but i weighed no less than 185 in those pictures.

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and you were sitting down with your body partially obscured in all the ones i've seen so height and weight is hard to determine.

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yes, good example of why you must always ask for body shots before meeting girls online !! ! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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trust me, i would have asked you for a full body pictorial if that was the case [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

why not diet? it's free.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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like i said, i know joining a gym is the best idea. but it's not going to happen. if that is my only option, i'll stay fat.

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why do you hate gyms so much? and how would you rate your eating habits?

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it's not that i hate gyms, but i hate going places. i have issues.

eating habits are bad but im working on that.

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I can never tell when you are joking or being serious I imagine you have the same problem figuring me out as well. Either way if this is actually the reason you don't want to try a gym there is nothing to be ashamed of. You might think this is a major character flaw but it is minor if you ask me that is if you do something about it before you get really cutoff from the outside.

Everyone has flaws and most are much worse than this. Drugs, smoking, sleeping around, you just didn't pick a very fun flaw!

You can change your weight, health, and you can become a person that likes to go places and try new things. Or maybe just a person that can go places that they feel they need to go is enough lets not get carried away you might end up as a stripper! None of this will be easy but that's a good reason to try it imo. And the changes happen much faster than you can imagine.

I also don’t like to go places and I have a constant struggle to force myself to get to the gym. I really don’t like when there are lots of people there and I have been going for years. Plus I was into almost every sport when I was younger and still do several so most people think I should fit right in there. But I don’t fit and that is ok I’m not there to make friends or impress people. I don’t think the uneasy shy type feeling will ever go away but it never kills me and some chicks even think it’s cute.

For future reference if I ever say something mean to you I am not being serious. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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why not diet? it's free.

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well, i still want to get exercise.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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like i said, i know joining a gym is the best idea. but it's not going to happen. if that is my only option, i'll stay fat.

i don't really know about dance dance revolution but i could see something like that being a good idea if i could get into it. hmm.

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ddr is probably the most fun option.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

yeah, ddr is a good idea

Re: buying an elliptical
 

Ellipticals are a good cardio machine. Since my knees are basically destroyed I have only two options - elliptical or bike. I can't stand bikes since I spent so much time on them when I was rehabbing my knee from its major hit.

If you'll actually use it, an elliptical's a good bet. However, I'd agree for the most part with those who suggest a gym.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

gorie,

I have a treadmill I use 5 times a week. Going to the gym may be cheaper but the time needed to travel to and from the gym is more valuable to me than the savings. If you are serious about this and keep up regular exercise it will be worth it. Of course, as others have noted, many people buy these things and keep them in the corner gathering dust.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

I recommend getting a dvd/tv set up in front of any static exercise machine (and infra-red/radio headphones too), so you can watch stuff while you train. Really helps keep it up.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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I recommend getting a dvd/tv set up in front of any static exercise machine (and infra-red/radio headphones too), so you can watch stuff while you train. Really helps keep it up.

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that's what i was thinking of doing. i'm sure that would help a lot!

Re: buying an elliptical
 

are you a shut in? Seriously

Re: buying an elliptical
 

The thing about doing a sport is always the best advice because getting in shape and staying in shape isn't good lasting motivation for most people. They'll get tired of the idea eventually and stop working out, or they'll figure they've improved so they're in good enough shape, and slack off so they have the same problem they started with. It's a rare person who can stick to a long-term fitness routine just to get in shape or keep the pounds off. People are generally just not built with that kind of discipline and are not about to acquire it anytime soon.

If you can't get into a sport, you should seek outside motivation for a reason to move your bod around that goes beyond doing it just because you have to.

You have to develop an actual interest in being good at something with your body. This type of thing can motivate you for years at a time, no problem, or even a whole lifetime. For some that's sport. For others it can be personal goals, like finally being able to do the splits or kick head-high, or becoming not reasonably slim, or whatever, but actually strong or fast or coordinated. (DDR is good for that reason -- you have something to aspire to and the fitness part is only incidental.) If you're going to the gym to become strong or good at a sport, it's much more motivating than just going to the gym to not look bad. You have something to shoot for where the rewards are psychologically really positive, and the goal changes.

With just getting or staying "fit-looking," the goal never changes and there's never really anything to achieve that can push you for years and years on end and get that last extra ounce of effort out of you(and off your gut). You will eventually find the goal of "just five more pounds" dull and unrewarding, especially since all it's working towards is being quite unexceptional -- that is, looking more the way you should. Rather than being able to do something really cool or fun or outstanding, that is better than just "okay." As in, Whew, I finally look okay! Yuck. Trying to get "not bad" is no motivation at all compared to trying to get good. People need a little more of a possibility for triumphs outside of just showing up to do exercise, and not failing. Not screwing up is a sad, dull motivator.

Even women can get strong. It's very foreign to the concepts of womanhood society sticks on them, but it works the same for them as it does for men. And even dedicated women find it very hard to put on the kind of mass that makes them look masculine. Short of steroids, you can work out like crazy and you're not going to get significant muscle bulk as a woman.

I'd suggest getting yourself some fitness goals rather than settling for essentially a grind you feel obligated to do. Be that yoga chick, or that strong chick, or that coordinated fluidly moving chick, or all of that. You can do it all at home and without spending a ton of money. Spending $1500 on an exercise machine that does only one thing probably won't motivate you any more than it usually motivates anyone else. You're very unlikely to be all that special or different that way. What you need is not the very best exercise hardware, but a lasting goal that makes being in shape the beginning of a long and satisfying process.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

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are you a shut in? Seriously

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yes.

Re: buying an elliptical
 

thx blarg i agree with what you said. that's the hard part... actually sticking to a plan! i still feel like i could use the elliptical to help get myself started on getting healthier tho :/ but you're probably right.
my bf & i started going for walks in fall (not enough , but i was just happy to get him to go with me at all because i won't go alone), but now it is too cold out.
i've tried exercising to dvds in the past but i can't seem to commit to doing that , they get boring and i give up. so it might just be the same with the elliptical, but i could see it being better since i can watch tv while doing it.