Calorie tracker (burn calories) what's the best out there????

derick337

What are the best ways to track the calories you have burned???

DX2JX2

Track or calculate?

If calculate, most info sources aren't terribly accurate but the better ones will put you into the right ballpark. The general error is to overestimate calories burned through activity, so general rule of thumb is to only eat back 50% of whatever numbers you see (some of us don't make it a rule to eat back exercise calories overall).

Over time you'll be able to tweak how much you record for a given activity by comparing your actual loss results to what you think it should be via your log (assuming that you're comfortable with the accuracy of your food logging).

If interested, you can 'calibrate' yourself to the following. This is just something I made up but it helps me to triangulate to what the right numbers might be for any given activity. Skip to the bottom if you don't care.

Jogging/running at any speed over 4.8 mph (about 12 min/mile) will burn at a rate of: body weight in pounds X distance (in miles) X 0.63

Walking at any speed under 4.8 mph will burn at a rate of: body weight in pounds X distance (in miles) X 0.31.

Assuming that you're 200 pounds, this means that you would burn about 130 calories per mile when running. Assuming an average 'non-purposeful' running speed of 5.5 mph, this means that you would burn about 700 calories per hour when running.

Doing the same exercise for walking (assuming an average 'non-purposeful' walking speed of 3 mph), would get that 200 pound person a burn of just under 200 calories per hour.

For any given activity, ask yourself if the effort/intensity felt more like running or walking. Pick a point somewhere between the above and calculate based on time spent doing the activity.

For example, my elliptical sessions tend to be at moderate intensity. Something I would call 70% of running intensity. Since I'm about 200 pounds, this means that I would burn about 500 calories per hour on the elliptical, or about 250 calories per half hour.

Alternatively, buy a HR based activity tracker. Most of them still overestimate calories but they're more accurate than the info on most web sites. One warning is that wrist trackers are decent at steady state cardio but don't do a great job on other types of workouts (intervals, etc.)

In addition, note that weight lifting/resistance training doesn't tend to burn a ton of calories. The highest I've seen on websites is something like 200 calories per hour but it's like something well below that in reality. I'd call it low enough to just ignore the burn in your totals.

millerdan1

Runkeeper allows you to track calories for a variety of activities, mostly aerobic types though, like running, walking, or elliptical. The calculations are pretty standard too- weight, time, distance etc. The app can be paired with MFP too.

Like it's said above, just don't eat back all the calories burned, none of it is exact.

Maxxitt

I use Motifit paired with Apple Healthkit - I set Motifit to send 75% of the calories it says I burn to Healthkit (I read somewhere that most trackers are 25% too high--probably this estimate is as unrealistic as any) and I eat about half of that back. Honestly, it's more useful to me for comparison purposes across workouts than actual #s.

KevHex

My Garmin 235 is excellent.

NorthCascades

A good power meter can get your calories wrong by as much as 2.5% in either direction. This is the best you'll get outside a lab.

trigden1991

Activity trackers are not accurate but they can be cosistent which is more useful in reality.

I use a Fitbit charge HR and use it to track my steps. The calorie burn seems to be exaggerated and the quality is average at absolute best.

fitmom4lifemfp

I've never found a calorie tracker to be accurate. I enter mine here in MFP.