Confused about calorie burn

Aetheldreda

I have only recently started to pay attention to my calorie burns and TDEE on a daily basis and I am confused by the numbers I am seeing for my exercise burns.
Example: Today I went for a walk for 9km on undulating terrain. It took me 102 mins.
When I looked at my FitBit report for the walk, it has given me 637cals (avg. heartbeat 112bpm).

Does this seem rather generous? 637cals seems like a heck of a lot for something that I found very easy.

I was considering the method of deducting 500cals from my TDEE (as given by my fitbit) so that on days where I exercise more I can enjoy more food. I am just worried that the burns it is giving me are waaay too generous and I will mess things up.

Stats:
41
Female
5'2"
CW: 143.25lb
Resting heart rate: usually between 56bpm and 60bpm

So my friends, does that calorie burn seem right to you..given my stats?

StaciMarie1974

637 cals burned in 102 minutes works out to about 5.26 per minute. Personally I do not find that high. I am a few pounds lighter, 41, 5'5.5" and Fitbit credits me for about 5 cals a minute when walking briskly and 6-7 when running. It seems fairly acurate based on my goal deficit and weight loss results.

One way to adjust for potential error on the Fitbit is to reduce the TDEE by 10%. Look at your reports and you should be able to get a weekly or monthly average. Take that # and multiply by .9. Such as if its 2500 then 2500 x .9 = 2250. Then take 500 of that, and eat at 1750. In this way you build in a buffer.

Ninkyou

Sounds about right. Depending on fitness level, you can estimate 100 calories per mile (I read this somewhere about running in track, it works the same for walking). So at 5 1/2 miles, that would be 550 calories, at least. If you're newer to exercise, 637 is not much of a stretch.

CasperNaegle

It's very common that these wearable devices over estimate the calorie burn. I'd just try to use best judgement when coming up with your TDEE. I have figured out over time that my typical week and working out puts me at x and keeing myself in a 20% deficit from that gets me cutting vs. staying flat.

NorthCascades

Ninkyou wrote: »

Sounds about right. Depending on fitness level, you can estimate 100 calories per mile (I read this somewhere about running in track, it works the same for walking). So at 5 1/2 miles, that would be 550 calories, at least. If you're newer to exercise, 637 is not much of a stretch.

Obviously how much energy you burn per mile depends on how much you weigh, and whether the mile is flat or up or down hill. Heavy people do more work than light people because they have to move more weight.

Running burns about twice as much energy as walking, per mile. When you run, you're constantly jumping from one foot to the other, with every step. It takes more work to cover the same distance.

On flat ground, the formulas from Runners World are:

Walking Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.3
Running Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.6

StaciMarie1974

Is this gross or net?

NorthCascades wrote: »

On flat ground, the formulas from Runners World are:

Walking Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.3
Running Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.6

StaciMarie1974

@NorthCascades could you post a link/resource? The walking seems very low IMO. I tried to find it by Google and just came upon a Runnerworld online calculator. Using it, entering my stats, it says 510 for me for running 5 miles in an hour. But the formula you post would be 405.

Edited: found this.

http://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

Cals per min would be .03 x pounds for walking and .7 x pounds for running

cals per mile would be .57 x pounds for walking, and .72 x pounds for running

Aetheldreda

Thank you for all your replies, I do feel somewhat more reassured now and definitely better informed.

WinoGelato

ach_75 wrote: »

I have only recently started to pay attention to my calorie burns and TDEE on a daily basis and I am confused by the numbers I am seeing for my exercise burns.
Example: Today I went for a walk for 9km on undulating terrain. It took me 102 mins.
When I looked at my FitBit report for the walk, it has given me 637cals (avg. heartbeat 112bpm).

Does this seem rather generous? 637cals seems like a heck of a lot for something that I found very easy.

I was considering the method of deducting 500cals from my TDEE (as given by my fitbit) so that on days where I exercise more I can enjoy more food. I am just worried that the burns it is giving me are waaay too generous and I will mess things up.

Stats:
41
Female
5'2"
CW: 143.25lb
Resting heart rate: usually between 56bpm and 60bpm

So my friends, does that calorie burn seem right to you..given my stats?

So when you say that FitBit gave you 637 cals for the walk - you are looking at FitBit, not the MFP exercise adjustment? Overall, I wouldn't look at those individual measurements - the great thing about FitBit is the ability to track your overall calories burned (a good estimate of your TDEE) and that it syncs with MFP to provide an exercise adjustment based on what FitBit says you burned compared to what MFP thinks you would have burned, based on the activity level when you set up your profile.

You provided some good stats, but what are your:
Average Step Count
Total Calories Burned (average)

I think that's far more helpful to know whether or not the systems are accurate for you, and then obviously, over time, does having the two synced and eating back the adjustments help you achieve your goals, in the desired timeframe?

For what it's worth I'm:
42
Female
5'2
SW - 155
CW - 120 (maintenance range 118-122)
Average Step Count - 14,000
Total Calories Burned ~2200

I lost about 15 lbs after getting my FitBit and syncing it with MFP (first 20 just with MFP alone) and have been using it to maintain ever since. I always ate back my exercise adjustments and found the two systems to work together well. I also have negative calorie adjustments enabled.

Aetheldreda

WinoGelato wrote: »

So when you say that FitBit gave you 637 cals for the walk - you are looking at FitBit, not the MFP exercise adjustment? Overall, I wouldn't look at those individual measurements - the great thing about FitBit is the ability to track your overall calories burned (a good estimate of your TDEE) and that it syncs with MFP to provide an exercise adjustment based on what FitBit says you burned compared to what MFP thinks you would have burned, based on the activity level when you set up your profile.

You provided some good stats, but what are your:
Average Step Count
Total Calories Burned (average)

I think that's far more helpful to know whether or not the systems are accurate for you, and then obviously, over time, does having the two synced and eating back the adjustments help you achieve your goals, in the desired timeframe?

For what it's worth I'm:
42
Female
5'2
SW - 155
CW - 120 (maintenance range 118-122)
Average Step Count - 14,000
Total Calories Burned ~2200

I lost about 15 lbs after getting my FitBit and syncing it with MFP (first 20 just with MFP alone) and have been using it to maintain ever since. I always ate back my exercise adjustments and found the two systems to work together well. I also have negative calorie adjustments enabled.

Thanks for your advice @WinoGelato
Yes, I got the calorie burn information from the FitBit website on my desktop.

My average step count (7 days) is - 17500
Average calories burned (7 days) is - 2300
When I am not very active it is usually around 1700 - 1800
I have MFP and FitBit set to sedentary as I was a bit nervous of putting lightly active just in case I have a couple of days being sedentary.
I have got negative calorie adjustments enabled. I imagine that if I did select lightly active, and having negative calorie adjustments enabled, FitBit and MFP would just sync and sort out the numbers?

I am happy with my weight loss and how it has been going while being less active and sticking to 1200 (which I have found ok so far).
With my new increase in exercise, which I am enjoying (the 2300 average is the new increase figure) I suppose I just want to relax about eating back exercise calories (or a percentage of).

WinoGelato

ach_75 wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

So when you say that FitBit gave you 637 cals for the walk - you are looking at FitBit, not the MFP exercise adjustment? Overall, I wouldn't look at those individual measurements - the great thing about FitBit is the ability to track your overall calories burned (a good estimate of your TDEE) and that it syncs with MFP to provide an exercise adjustment based on what FitBit says you burned compared to what MFP thinks you would have burned, based on the activity level when you set up your profile.

You provided some good stats, but what are your:
Average Step Count
Total Calories Burned (average)

I think that's far more helpful to know whether or not the systems are accurate for you, and then obviously, over time, does having the two synced and eating back the adjustments help you achieve your goals, in the desired timeframe?

For what it's worth I'm:
42
Female
5'2
SW - 155
CW - 120 (maintenance range 118-122)
Average Step Count - 14,000
Total Calories Burned ~2200

I lost about 15 lbs after getting my FitBit and syncing it with MFP (first 20 just with MFP alone) and have been using it to maintain ever since. I always ate back my exercise adjustments and found the two systems to work together well. I also have negative calorie adjustments enabled.

Thanks for your advice @WinoGelato
Yes, I got the calorie burn information from the FitBit website on my desktop.

My average step count (7 days) is - 17500
Average calories burned (7 days) is - 2300
When I am not very active it is usually around 1700 - 1800
I have MFP and FitBit set to sedentary as I was a bit nervous of putting lightly active just in case I have a couple of days being sedentary.
I have got negative calorie adjustments enabled. I imagine that if I did select lightly active, and having negative calorie adjustments enabled, FitBit and MFP would just sync and sort out the numbers?

I am happy with my weight loss and how it has been going while being less active and sticking to 1200 (which I have found ok so far).
With my new increase in exercise, which I am enjoying (the 2300 average is the new increase figure) I suppose I just want to relax about eating back exercise calories (or a percentage of).

Sounds like you're on the right track and that uncertainty you're feeling about suddenly being able to eat quite a few more calories is normal. How much are you trying to lose total? Another 20 or so lbs? What is your target rate of loss set at?

My situation was very similar - when I started I didn't have a FitBit and I chose sedentary activity level because I had a desk job (plus I was quite a bit more sedentary then when I was overweight). As I began making exercise more and more a part of my routine, I also began just being more active in general. By the time I got my FitBit, I was averaging 10K steps/day and my exercise adjustments were very large, because my calorie goal was still set pretty low and I was still set at sedentary. I got good advice on here that averaging 10K steps/day is not sedentary, that's at least lightly active - so I upped my activity level and my goal rate of loss (from 1 lb to 0.5 lb because I had been losing pretty steadily) and got a higher baseline of calories to begin with. Now that I average 14K, my activity level is actually Active - even though I still have a desk job, I just take a lot of purposeful steps!

To the bolded point - yes that's exactly what negative adjustments are for. On days when I am stuck in all day meetings, or on a road trip, or ill and not moving much - those make sure that I don't eat the same amount as I would for my normal activity level. They take calories away from me, which I find very reassuring as to the accuracy of these tools.

Aetheldreda

Thank you so much again for your time and advice @WinoGelato
My goal weight is 8st 10lb (122lb) so yes, I have about 20lb to go. I currently have my loss set to 1lb per week.
I fully intend on keeping up with my new activities so I may well switch to lightly active and enjoy some more yummy food and see how it goes.

fitmom4lifemfp

NorthCascades wrote: »

Ninkyou wrote: »

Sounds about right. Depending on fitness level, you can estimate 100 calories per mile (I read this somewhere about running in track, it works the same for walking). So at 5 1/2 miles, that would be 550 calories, at least. If you're newer to exercise, 637 is not much of a stretch.

Obviously how much energy you burn per mile depends on how much you weigh, and whether the mile is flat or up or down hill. Heavy people do more work than light people because they have to move more weight.

Running burns about twice as much energy as walking, per mile. When you run, you're constantly jumping from one foot to the other, with every step. It takes more work to cover the same distance.

On flat ground, the formulas from Runners World are:

Walking Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.3
Running Cals per Mile = {Body weight in lbs} * 0.6

That is simply NOT true. It maybe true for some, but certainly not for all. I burn around 250 cal in 3 miles, walking a good 4 mph pace. I burn 300 cal for 3 miles, running 5.5 to 6.

I have always used the estimate of 100/mile - whether walking or running. It's close enough, for me.