How accurate are the calories burned....

shaena26
shaena26 Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I do kickboxing 3-4 times a week and my fitness pal says I burn 1500 calories. When I fracked on Fitbit before I connected it to MFP it said 798. Which one is more accurate?

Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'd go with Fitbit, but even they can overestimate. So don't start out eating 100% of your exercise calories back. Try 50-75% at first and then go from there depending on your weight loss. Losing too quickly, eat back more. Too slow, eat back less.
    Just make sure your food logging is as 100% as possible if you are going to eat your ex cals back.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Both sound very high to me - but I always say when in doubt go with the lower number.
  • HazeNV
    HazeNV Posts: 19 Member
    Fitbit uses HR so that would be the most accurate of the 2.
  • shaena26
    shaena26 Posts: 3 Member
    My Fitbit doesn't have heart rate monitor. And every time I do kickboxing it says I burn the same exact calories....which can't be possible because I work out hard on most days but sometimes I have to take it easier. @keithahayes78
  • HazeNV
    HazeNV Posts: 19 Member
    Oh ok. Well a HR monitor is the only way to know for sure because otherwise any app or device has to guess based on weight and time and that's not accurate. Before I got my fitbit I was logging my food and mostly doing cardio on an eliptical at high intensity. I was losing weight very rapidly and didn't know why because even mapmyhike was saying I was only burning 400 and something calories. Now that I have a fitbit I understand why I was losing so quickly. Mapmyhike was off by around 300 calories per workout. I now lose weight at right about the rate I should be given the food I log and the calories that fitbit says I burn. I recommend getting some sort of HR device if you can swing it. It's a game changer and the only accurate way to tell how many calories you personally burn during activity. Plus a fitbit charge HR or similar device tracks your entire day so you know how many calories you burn not just during training/workouts.
  • shaena26
    shaena26 Posts: 3 Member
    @keithahayes78 I have an Apple Watch, but because kickboxing is so sweaty I usually don't wear it to class. Maybe I should and see how that compares to calories burned. I did have a FitBit Charge HR, but when I got my Apple watch I got rid of it.

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