Not burning what I hoped...

birdie_mmw

What are the best calorie burning workouts? I did a bootcamp style class this morning and was sweating (a lot!) and breathing hard, etc. my Fitbit says I only burnt 154 calories. Kind of bummed, it was and hour!! Any thoughts?

TeaBea

FitBits have no heart rate component to help estimate your exertion level. FitBits better estimate step based workouts. So it could be your calorie burn was higher.

Get a few guesstimates from on-line sources. Calorie burn is just one small perk of exercise. You are building stamina, and any resistance training helps you keep lean muscle while eating at a deficit.

glevinso

Run. Simple, effective.

MeanderingMammal

Just use online approximations for something like that. Fitbit isn't an appropriate tool.

Someone will be along shortly to recommend an HRM. That's not appropriate either.

katsmo

Your fitbit most likely just measures step-based activity. It has no idea if you're just standing in place, waiting to use the microwave at work or is you're standing in place and doing 25 squats at boot camp class. You probably burned more than what your fitbit says, but I'd be careful not to overestimate either. I usually find some middle ground to log.

birdie_mmw

Thanks guys! Running is not an option right now because of ankle and knee damage. I'll look up the stats online. I thought the Fitbit would work for calorie burning estimations glad I know now!

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I'm curious why a HRM isn't appropriate, at least for steady state cardio.

wilsoncl6

I say just log what it says and go with it. The low count will force you to be very careful about your logging. For example, I do a lot of free weights every day after my cardio but I don't get any credit for it but it ensures I reach my weight loss goal. Do you plan on eating back your calories? What I do is just adjust my weekly weight loss goal over time to match my actual results to compensate for any miscalculations in exercise.

brianpperkins

CallMeCupcakeDammit wrote: »

I'm curious why a HRM isn't appropriate, at least for steady state cardio.

HRMs are inherently flawed, especially the low end ones that are so popular among MFP users (not designed or programmed for all activities, limitations in what parameters they use to calculate burns, reporting gross vs net calories burned, etc). That, and the boot camp style workouts aren't steady state cardio.

MeanderingMammal

CallMeCupcakeDammit wrote: »

I'm curious why a HRM isn't appropriate, at least for steady state cardio.

A bootcamp class isn't consistent training in the aerobic range, so an HRM will overestimate the calorie consumption.

If one is doing consistent training in the aerobic range then an HRM is a useful tool to inform the training, but an accurate calorie approximation requires an awareness of ones VO2Max, and body composition. I wouldn't go as far as to say that they're fundamentally flawed, but they're designed to use in a narrow range of circumstances, and people are using them for things they're not designed for.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

Thanks, both of you. I've never taken a bootcamp class, so I don't know what they would fall under.

MeanderingMammal

Circuit training with a quasi-military bent.

Wronkletoad

wilsoncl6 wrote: »

I say just log what it says and go with it. The low count will force you to be very careful about your logging.

best to be more conservative.

habit365

I would override the fitbit estimate with one that is more accurate for the workout you did (50-75% of the MFP estimate, perhaps?) I find it much easier to do intense workouts if I properly fuel them and 154 calories does not sound right at all for an hour of bootcamp.

SonyaCele

jogging burns the most for me.

birdie_mmw

habit365 wrote: »

I would override the fitbit estimate with one that is more accurate for the workout you did (50-75% of the MFP estimate, perhaps?) I find it much easier to do intense workouts if I properly fuel them and 154 calories does not sound right at all for an hour of bootcamp.

I definitely don't think it was accurate! I think I will just go with a generic estimate and go on the lowest end of that.

CallMeCupcakeDammit

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

Circuit training with a quasi-military bent.

Oooooh, ok.