did you really burn that many calories?

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  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    I follow whatever is on my ipod pedometer and that seems pretty accurate. I just don't eat them back to be safe
  • lindavitz
    lindavitz Posts: 6 Member
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    I only log the walking that Runtastic calculates for me. I stop my Runtastic workout about a block before I get home so that I don't overestimate the number of calories burned.
  • Gee_24
    Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
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    It definitely goes over!

    I used to log my work hours when I started here and MFP said I was burning 7-800 calories cleaning in one shift.

    Workmate has been consistently logging her calories burned on her HRM and its more like 500.

    So ive stopped logging all exercises and am keeping it simple by eating 1200 and thats that!
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
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    ... I would love to have an implant that could accurately calculate calories (both in and out) ... it's all such an estimation, but better to be keeping track and trying to estimate at least. If there is any question, I try to overestimate calories consumed, under estimate calories burned ... and I try not to eat back all my exercise calories (although I do eat back some, because I just can't stick with the 1350 MFP affords me).

    My personal goal is to get a 1000 calorie credit from exercise per day. This does take me 2-3 hours of dedicated activity. I always try to get two estimates for my workouts (I have a Fitbit, a HRM and my machine readings, which do take into account my weight) and I generally go with the smaller number.
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
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    I've seen some calorie burns that don't seem right to me so I don't trust what MFP says my burn is. I use a Garmin when I run so I use that and an online calorie calculator to calculate an average somewhere in between. I ran over 2 hours this morning so I'm sure that is good for somewhere between 1100-1200 calories but I've seen people list nearly that amount for running half that time. Now that said I am 130 pounds so what I burn is going to be different than say someone who weighs 20 more pounds than myself. I say trust your instinct and if you think it is too high chances are it probably is :wink:
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
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    the level of stupidy is in this thread to to dam high ;)

    You can burn 1000 calories +, i wear a HRM whilst running and running 10k gives me 940 kcals in 55 mins (at my current weight, 82.6kg, i'm 5ft 11) , if you note by sig banner, i think i'm doing it right ;)

    ^^^This. If I'm doing something wrong, good thing my body doesn't know any better. I know sometimes my burns sometimes look astronomical. I use a Polar HRM for my cardio, I also have a Jawbone UP activity monitor that not only confirms my HRM findings, but also calculates TDEE for me. Since I eat TDEE - 20% (ish) the exercise calories don't 100% dictate my consumption but I know I worked my butt off for those burns. I also only enter my exercise calories for cardio. For strength training I only enter 1 calorie since there's so much debate on how to accurately count this activity. I run about 50 miles/week and do Stronglifts 3-4 times/week. Not only have I lost 91% of my weight to get to my goal but I've also gone from 46% body fat to 24%.

    ETA: though no ESTIMATE of calories burned can ever be 100% accurate, we use the tools we have. If it's not broken don't fix it. If you aren't getting results, time to reevaluate. Are you burning less or eating more?
  • johbro
    johbro Posts: 17 Member
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    I underestimate the time too, as the calories burned seems unrealistically high. Sometimes I will eat the calories if I feel I really worked out. I use slow walking, leisurely swimming, light housework..... still they seem high.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    I used a HRM for a while for all the different classes I do to get an idea of more accurate calories. 45 mins of spin for example burned off about 350 calories, yet I see people logging that as 500. A Zumba class, for an hour, burns off around 300 calories, but I've seen an hour of Zumba logged as 600. I guess if you're really overweight then it's possible.

    When I use the gym I usually use the calorie burn the machines give me. When I used my HRM I actually found I was burning more calories on the treadmill and the cross trainer than the machine gave me.

    If you give a load of effort you will burn more, if you give less effort then you will burn less. I burn about 400 cals at Zumba and I work hard but I know I could give more. I burn about 550 at body combat, I bust my behind at that class.

    You can't compare calories burned on exercise that has such variables
  • SonoUCSB
    SonoUCSB Posts: 1
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    I only use my FitBit to adjust for exercise and not the MFP calculations. I find FitBit is pretty accurate.

    I do wonder about how some people burned hundreds of calories more doing the same exercise as me, and I even asked one of my friends but they had a pretty good answer - they weigh more and are male. If you weigh more, you are definitely going to burn more calories. If you are a guy, you are also going to burn more. :)
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
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    I call BS on the notion that MFP over estimates the calories burned. I have compared their numbers with 2 or 3 other calculators and sometimes MFP is lower.

    Also what difference does it make if folks are losing weight? Threads like this confuse newbies. Smh
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I call BS on the notion that MFP over estimates the calories burned. I have compared their numbers with 2 or 3 other calculators and sometimes MFP is lower.

    Also what difference does it make if folks are losing weight? Threads like this confuse newbies. Smh

    MFP and my bodymedia fit give me almost the exact same burn rates for activities... I think that the errors are more likely USER errors... like maybe calling overestimating your MPH or effort level. For example, when I go to my step aerobics class, there are some ladies there with two risers and kicking their legs way up and really killing it.. and then there are others just walking through it without breaking a sweat. They both did 45 minutes of step aerobics and may have even logged in the same intensity level but they didn't get the same workout. MFP calories burned is accurate for a person with a normal metabolism but only if the user is totally honest about duration and effort level.
  • supremelady
    supremelady Posts: 211 Member
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    I call BS on the notion that MFP over estimates the calories burned. I have compared their numbers with 2 or 3 other calculators and sometimes MFP is lower.

    Also what difference does it make if folks are losing weight? Threads like this confuse newbies. Smh

    MFP and my bodymedia fit give me almost the exact same burn rates for activities... I think that the errors are more likely USER errors... like maybe calling overestimating your MPH or effort level. For example, when I go to my step aerobics class, there are some ladies there with two risers and kicking their legs way up and really killing it.. and then there are others just walking through it without breaking a sweat. They both did 45 minutes of step aerobics and may have even logged in the same intensity level but they didn't get the same workout. MFP calories burned is accurate for a person with a normal metabolism but only if the user is totally honest about duration and effort level.

    I agree that intensity may make a difference but for the most part MFP calories burned numbers are correct
  • YaGigi
    YaGigi Posts: 817 Member
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    I use my HRM for the calories burn tracking during cardio. But I use the mfp estimation for the swimming because my HRM is not waterproof.

    Also, I try not to eat back my calories.
  • Okeyboy
    Okeyboy Posts: 27 Member
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    I can burn over 1000 calories easily when I run over 7 miles. I am an avid runner and I can attest to that.
  • cindy326
    cindy326 Posts: 70 Member
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    I just got back from my 4 mile walk....I burned over 700 calories in 108 mminutes according to my HRM. Do I believe it? Yes. I reached my target heart rate. Its all a general est and I f I only burned 500 today, so be it.

    See now this is where I question validity. It took you almost 2 hrs to go 4 miles which is a 2 mph pace. Unless you are very obese those numbers are off just because of the amount of time it took you to cover that distance. My HRM will give me a burn of over 150 calories an hour for laying on the couch but I know it isn't right.

    EDIT to add: when I looked at your diary you logged that as walking briskly at 4.5 mph for 108 minutes. Don't care how you log or what you eat but this is the reason I question the numbers people post and take them with a grain of salt.
    thank you but when I say 108 minutes that mean 1 hour and 8 minutes. But if what I do is working for ME whats the big deal. If I put what my HRM says and Its not true then why am i almost to my goal weight. Not trying to be rude here but if I put in my diary something thats not true then it only hurts me
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I wear a FitBit so I don't log anything - besides I am not a big calorie burner, even if I was to work my butt off as hard as I could for 8 hours a day I don't think I'd ever get to a thousand calories or some of these other numbers people post up.

    My only issue is when people complain they're doing everything right and not losing weight and they're logging 1,000 calories for 20 minutes of slow walking or something similar. Then when anyone suggests they might not be accurate they completely dismiss the fact that eating back all these exercise calories might be the problem. Saw someone's diary recently who was logging huge numbers for small things and then eating back the calories w/big macs and whole pizzas. Ummm.. whoa.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    thank you but when I say 108 minutes that mean 1 hour and 8 minutes. But if what I do is working for ME whats the big deal. If I put what my HRM says and Its not true then why am i almost to my goal weight. Not trying to be rude here but if I put in my diary something thats not true then it only hurts me

    :huh: 108 minutes is NOT one hour and 8 minutes. One hour and 8 minutes is 68 minutes. 108 minutes is 1 hour and 48 minutes.

    But as you said.. your business if you want to enter it wrong. :flowerforyou:
  • cindy326
    cindy326 Posts: 70 Member
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    What I am doing is obviously working for me...If my 4 miles this morning didnt really burn what my HRM says who cares at least I was outta the house trying my hardest to be more healthy.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I try to under-log on exercise, although I do include cleaning. On Thursday nights I spend at minimum 2 hours deep cleaning my entire duplex from top to bottom, so I log 10 min heavy effort cleaning and 20-30 min light cleaning. If I go to the supermarket on foot and the whole trip takes 1 hour, I log 20 min walking at moderate pace. Stuff like that.
  • cindy326
    cindy326 Posts: 70 Member
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    thank you but when I say 108 minutes that mean 1 hour and 8 minutes. But if what I do is working for ME whats the big deal. If I put what my HRM says and Its not true then why am i almost to my goal weight. Not trying to be rude here but if I put in my diary something thats not true then it only hurts me

    :huh: 108 minutes is NOT one hour and 8 minutes. One hour and 8 minutes is 68 minutes. 108 minutes is 1 hour and 48 minutes.

    But as you said.. your business if you want to enter it wrong. :flowerforyou:
    My HRM works that way..

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