Exercise Calorie Calculation

scottsteurer

Is just just me or is the calorie calculation when you log an exercise completely off? Ill 30 min of weightlifting and it will say i burned over 400 calories. Im 205 lbs. Does this sound accurate. Every calorie calculator says im in the 200s. Does anyone else have this problem?

5050110

I never count any calories for when I'm lifting. I think it's better to not count exercise calories at all. Just focus on your diet - the exercise is a bonus for feeling goog and looking better.

5050110

*good

mmmpork

Totally agree with ^^

Don't take MFP too literally. It should be used as an estimate at best.

While you need to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, it's tricky to measure how our bodies actually metabolize those calories. I just pick a target and monitor my hunger level and weight loss, and adjust as necessary. Listen to your body, if you genuinely feel hungry after weight lifting, then you probably need to bump up your calorie intake a little. I like hard boiled eggs after strength training, low in calories and high in protein and other important nutrients. Whole milk is good too. Just experiment and see what works for you.

Jbell0213

Yeah I think it's off a bit. My husband and I both were pretty close in steps today and I had more exercise calories that he did. He was pretty mad because his was so much more off.

M30834134

While I share your concern of the accuracy of exercise calories - it's always good to double check and err on the low side - I do not agree with above posters to ignore them altogether. If you use TDEE then yes, no need to be concerned with the exercise calories as they are already included; but if you use MFP method (NEAT) then you might consider eating back if not all but at least some of the exercise calories (depending on the type of activity, your current wight loss stage, BMR, etc.)

OP, how did you enter your exercise? When I enter my weightlifting (Cardiovascular -> Strength Training), I'd say that MFP is not that off as your numbers. For example, I'm 189 lb and for 30 min strength training MFP shows only 129 calories. 400 cal for 30 min of lifting does not seem accurate. I would say that 1 hr of real intense and vigorous weight lifting should amount to around 300 or so calories.