Calories burned calculations...

blytheny
blytheny Posts: 63 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, if I use the manual calculators here to figure out calories burned, they're usually higher than what the machines at the gym say. (i.e. elliptical trainer, treadmill) But if I use manual calculations, such as the ones given on Livestrong.com and other fitness/health websites that have you use your weight x cal/min, I get WAY higher numbers than even what's given here!!

Any input on what I should be using to get an accurate idea? Wondering if the reason I haven't been losing is my numbers have been way off, and I haven't actually eaten enough to offset the calories I'm burning??

(LIke yesterday - thought I burned 400 cal at gym on elip - I'm "allowed" 1200 cal on a regular day, so of course my "allowed" calories went up to 1600. I ate 1490. But if I use Livestrong.com's calculations, I actually burned more like 600 cal - so then I would have been WAY below my calories.)

Thanks for any ideas/input!

Replies

  • blytheny
    blytheny Posts: 63 Member
    Bump....
  • Lillyeatslilies
    Lillyeatslilies Posts: 91
    The most accurate thing for calories burned is a heart rate monitor and that still isn't 100% accurate. I generally log my exercise and only eat back around half of the calories. It works for me but everyone's a little different.
  • julialdr
    julialdr Posts: 100 Member
    A HR monitor will prob be the most accurate but even they can be a bit off and they are expensive. Cardio machines which don't ask you to include your weight etc will not produce accurate readings and the one size fits all calculations can be very off depending on the resistance/speed etc you use. Use a bit of trial and error to figure out what feels right for you.

    I find MFP to be a bit on the high side for my cardio burns. I'm about 120lbs and burn roughly 400 cals an hour on the treadmill doing intervals of 4mph/6mph.

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