diff --git a/src/damaris/experiments/Experiment.py b/src/damaris/experiments/Experiment.py
index 763db7d..9c0b954 100644
--- a/src/damaris/experiments/Experiment.py
+++ b/src/damaris/experiments/Experiment.py
@@ -96,12 +96,10 @@ class Experiment:
         
         #for tracking the experiment length:
         #because loops are possible we need to track the length for each loop level
-        self.total_time=[]
-        self.total_time.append(0.0)
+        self.total_time=[0.0]
         
         #and we need to know the number of iterations of the loops to multiply the state.
-        self.loop_iterations=[]
-        self.loop_iterations.append(1)
+        self.loop_iterations=[1]
 
     # Commands -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------