Actual calories burned on the elliptical?

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riss526
riss526 Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have any suggestions on getting an relatively accurate number of how many calories you burn on an elliptical trainer? I feel like mine is low-balling. With how much I currently weigh and how hard I push myself and how much I sweat during my 40 minute work out, I feel like the 325-350 calories my elliptical displays at the end of my work out has to be wrong. I've looked at several online calculators and most of them are coming up with an average of approximately 500 calories (give or take) for my age, height, weight, etc. mixed with the amount of time I'm on the elliptical.

Just wondering if anyone else had any issues like this and may have found a way to track close to what they're actually burning.

It would be nice to know if I was actually burning almost 200 more calories per work out than my elliptical is giving me credit for. While I know my body will show the results of extra calories burned over time... I just wonder what I'm actually burning.
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Replies

  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    325 - 350 calories is likely high as machines tend to overestimate quite a lot. I don't know how fast you go, but doing a pretty intense HIIT session for half of that time will get me about half of that number at 6'1" 260lbs.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited June 2015
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    actually, your elliptical is probably closer to right than 500...but probably generous depending on your weight...I'm a 190 Lb guy and probably burn somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 calories for 45 minutes on the elliptical. 500 calories for 40 minutes would be 12.5 calories per minute beyond your basal burn and that would be a pretty tall order.

    keep in mind that you burn calories 24/7...you don't have to go do a *kitten* ton of exercise to try to burn a whole bunch of calories...in fact, you should try to look at fitness for the sake of fitness. for most people, calorie burn from exercise is relatively insignificant as compared to calories burn merely by the act of existing plus calories burn throughout the day with general activity. unless you are an athlete or training as such, exercise burns are going to make up the least of your calorie requisites.
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
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    I put in my weight and age and the elliptical says I burn 300 in 30 minutes. MFP says 250. I actually count it as 150 and only eat back 75 to be super conservative.
  • riss526
    riss526 Posts: 36 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I'm really new to using an elliptical. I wasn't aware that they were infamous for overestimating calorie burns. Like I said, I guess I just felt like with how hard I've been pushing myself that maybe I was burning more with the extra weight that I have right now. I guess I was wrong. I'll just make sure that I input about 1/2 or so of what the elliptical says I burn into MFP to make sure I'm not essentially getting credit for calories I didn't burn.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    The one I use (LifeFitness) overestimates mine by almost exactly a factor of 2. For 40 minutes I think the correct answer is about 350 calories when I take out 80 kcal/minute for my BMR+NEAT.

    OP, yours may be lower or higher depending on your intensity, weight and age. For reference I'm 48/M/67".
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    riss526 wrote: »
    I'm really new to using an elliptical. I wasn't aware that they were infamous for overestimating calorie burns. Like I said, I guess I just felt like with how hard I've been pushing myself that maybe I was burning more with the extra weight that I have right now. I guess I was wrong. I'll just make sure that I input about 1/2 or so of what the elliptical says I burn into MFP to make sure I'm not essentially getting credit for calories I didn't burn.
    And, if it turns out that you're burning more calories than that, bonus.
  • winnie141
    winnie141 Posts: 211 Member
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    I usually input my weight into the elliptical and it's pretty close to what MFP tell me so I usually use that!
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
    edited June 2015
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    riss526 wrote: »
    With how much I currently weigh and how hard I push myself and how much I sweat during my 40 minute work out, I feel like the 325-350 calories my elliptical displays at the end of my work out has to be wrong. I've looked at several online calculators and most of them are coming up with an average of approximately 500 calories (give or take) for my age, height, weight, etc. mixed with the amount of time I'm on the elliptical.

    I burn around 280-300 cals on the Elliptical (50 mins) and i'm 5,4 and 128 lbs.
    So you could actually be burning more than 350, if you're heavier and/or taller than me.
    What's your weight and height OP?
    Maybe it'd be best to use a heart rate monitor, for accuracy.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    riss526 wrote: »
    I'm really new to using an elliptical. I wasn't aware that they were infamous for overestimating calorie burns. Like I said, I guess I just felt like with how hard I've been pushing myself that maybe I was burning more with the extra weight that I have right now. I guess I was wrong. I'll just make sure that I input about 1/2 or so of what the elliptical says I burn into MFP to make sure I'm not essentially getting credit for calories I didn't burn.

    All machines, including fitness bands, are infamous at overestimating calorie burns simply because calorie burns are simply an estimation already. The general rule is to only apply half of what the machine/fitness band gives you, and then either eat that, or don't eat it back at all.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    riss526 wrote: »
    Does anyone have any suggestions on getting an relatively accurate number of how many calories you burn on an elliptical trainer? I feel like mine is low-balling. With how much I currently weigh and how hard I push myself and how much I sweat during my 40 minute work out, I feel like the 325-350 calories my elliptical displays at the end of my work out has to be wrong. I've looked at several online calculators and most of them are coming up with an average of approximately 500 calories (give or take) for my age, height, weight, etc. mixed with the amount of time I'm on the elliptical.

    Just wondering if anyone else had any issues like this and may have found a way to track close to what they're actually burning.

    It would be nice to know if I was actually burning almost 200 more calories per work out than my elliptical is giving me credit for. While I know my body will show the results of extra calories burned over time... I just wonder what I'm actually burning.

    I don't know what your stats are, but I'm 53, 5 ft 5 and weigh 139 lbs, and my HRM renders about 300 calories burned for 40 minutes of elliptical, or any other cardio where I sweet like a piggie and keep my heart rate up.

    Don't realy on elliptical machines, or any other machines, for your burns, because they are overestimated because they want people to buy and/or continue using thier machines.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Go with the low number and eat back only a portion.
  • riss526
    riss526 Posts: 36 Member
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    ExRelaySprinter wrote: »
    riss526 wrote: »
    With how much I currently weigh and how hard I push myself and how much I sweat during my 40 minute work out, I feel like the 325-350 calories my elliptical displays at the end of my work out has to be wrong. I've looked at several online calculators and most of them are coming up with an average of approximately 500 calories (give or take) for my age, height, weight, etc. mixed with the amount of time I'm on the elliptical.

    I burn around 280-300 cals on the Elliptical (50 mins) and i'm 5,4 and 128 lbs.
    So you could actually be burning more than 350, if you're heavier and/or taller than me.
    What's your weight and height OP?
    Maybe it'd be best to use a heart rate monitor, for accuracy.

    I'm 5'8" roughly 260lbs.
  • mewickla
    mewickla Posts: 71 Member
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    I was only on for about 30 minutes today and it said I burned 99 cals. I feel ya. :s
  • angellll12
    angellll12 Posts: 296 Member
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    So..... Now the elliptical aren't accurate...? So damn annoying.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    Go with the lower amount and only eat back half. It's better to under estimate the calories you burn than to over estimate.
  • riss526
    riss526 Posts: 36 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I always work out at the end of the day when I know I'm not going to eat anymore food so I never eat back any calories. So, whatever I burn whether it's more, less, or roughly the same as what the elliptical says, I don't eat any calories back. It would just be nice to have a fairly accurate idea of what I'm actually burning. But, I know I'm sweating, I know I'm pushing myself further each time, so I know I'm doing my body good.. at least better than what I used to do which was eat a huge meals and sit around on the couch.
  • Caitoriri
    Caitoriri Posts: 87 Member
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    riss526 wrote: »
    I always work out at the end of the day when I know I'm not going to eat anymore food so I never eat back any calories. So, whatever I burn whether it's more, less, or roughly the same as what the elliptical says, I don't eat any calories back. It would just be nice to have a fairly accurate idea of what I'm actually burning. But, I know I'm sweating, I know I'm pushing myself further each time, so I know I'm doing my body good.. at least better than what I used to do which was eat a huge meals and sit around on the couch.

    Well, then you should be all good! :) It would be nice if we actually did burn what the machines told us... then I could burn 500 calories in one short hour on my exercise bike...
    Anyways, I've found the information on this site pretty enlightening.
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx

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