Endomondo Calories

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alanna81
alanna81 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone use endomondo? I really like the app... tracking and all, but I don't really trust it's calorie calculations... they're way more than any other calorie calculator says
Also, when I walk with my sister... and we both turn on endomondo... (btw, we have the exact same model phone)
sometimes we'll have different pace, speed and even distance (off by 0.2 miles)
We keep pace with one another...
But mostly, what bothers me, is the overestimation of calories burned.

Replies

  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    I use Endomondo, and I've no reason to doubt the calorie counts. My reality for the most part matches up to the predicted results.

    I run hilly routes, and Endomondo tracks elevation. So I think it's understandable that it gives more calories than a calculator that is presumably assuming a flat course.

    Since you don't have an internal calorie counter, you don't really have anything to compare to say 'the calorie count isn't accurate'. You are just comparing two estimates, neither of which you know to be accurate. Compare to your results. If you are on a 500 cal deficit to lose 1 pound a week, and you are only losing 0.8 pounds per week, then sure, the Endo calorie burn could be off. But then again, you could just as easily be under logging your food.

    My advice - control food logging as tightly as you can, it's the aspect you have the most control over. Then compare actual to predicted results to judge the accuracy of your exercise burns.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    Do both you and your sister weigh the same?

    The more someone weighs, the more calories they will burn.
  • tzig00
    tzig00 Posts: 875 Member
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    Do both you and your sister weigh the same?

    The more someone weighs, the more calories they will burn.

    ^This. It goes by your weight and your height. If you aren't exactly the same as your sister, you won't burn exactly the same as your sister...
  • venturaroo
    venturaroo Posts: 84 Member
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    I wear an HRM but will use Endomondo just to track distance. The calorie burn is always much higher on Endomondo compared to my HRM.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566
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    I have used Endomondo, Map my Fitness and a heart rate monitor at the same time and Endomondo is always the highest. By quite a bit too. I really like their web-site though for tracking my fitness and improvement and that is why i use it (along with the ease of use).. I use Map my Fitness for the calorie count as it is the closest to my heart rate monitor (which has died on me). If i don't use Map my Fitness and just Endomondo i always go with a lower calorie count then what they say.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
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    You should try a Bluetooth HRM with it. When I do not wear my HRM with endo the calories burned can be higher by 10% or more. Also, the calories burned are as simple as a math problem so it is important that all of your personal stats like age, weight, and height are all correct.
  • alanna81
    alanna81 Posts: 23
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    I use Endomondo, and I've no reason to doubt the calorie counts. My reality for the most part matches up to the predicted results.

    I run hilly routes, and Endomondo tracks elevation. So I think it's understandable that it gives more calories than a calculator that is presumably assuming a flat course.

    Since you don't have an internal calorie counter, you don't really have anything to compare to say 'the calorie count isn't accurate'. You are just comparing two estimates, neither of which you know to be accurate. Compare to your results. If you are on a 500 cal deficit to lose 1 pound a week, and you are only losing 0.8 pounds per week, then sure, the Endo calorie burn could be off. But then again, you could just as easily be under logging your food.

    My advice - control food logging as tightly as you can, it's the aspect you have the most control over. Then compare actual to predicted results to judge the accuracy of your exercise burns.

    I'm still losing weight... that's not my point.
    I'm comparing quite a few different calculators from different reputable websites... all of which take current weight and height into account. They tend to be comparable to each other but quite a bit less than Endomondo claims. Also, I live in the Mississippi River Delta. Extremely flat land. No hills
  • alanna81
    alanna81 Posts: 23
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    I'm not comparing my calories to my sister's. I'm comparing the distance and speed. Our time is the same and our actual route is the same... we're keeping pace with one another. The tracker is giving different readings for the distance and speed.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    I use Endomondo, and I've no reason to doubt the calorie counts. My reality for the most part matches up to the predicted results.

    I run hilly routes, and Endomondo tracks elevation. So I think it's understandable that it gives more calories than a calculator that is presumably assuming a flat course.

    Since you don't have an internal calorie counter, you don't really have anything to compare to say 'the calorie count isn't accurate'. You are just comparing two estimates, neither of which you know to be accurate. Compare to your results. If you are on a 500 cal deficit to lose 1 pound a week, and you are only losing 0.8 pounds per week, then sure, the Endo calorie burn could be off. But then again, you could just as easily be under logging your food.

    My advice - control food logging as tightly as you can, it's the aspect you have the most control over. Then compare actual to predicted results to judge the accuracy of your exercise burns.

    I'm still losing weight... that's not my point.

    I think you've missed my point.

    All calorie burn estimates are just that - estimates. Yes, even heart rate monitors - you don't burn x Calories per heart beat, no matter what they'd have you believe. You simply can't say which one is more accurate unless you have a little ticker inside your body measuring precisely what you burned. And you don't.

    What you can do, however, is compare predicted and actual results. Taking the basic 3,500 calories = 1 pound lost you can get a direct estimate of your actual calorie deficit. The most accurate way of doing this is daily measurements and a service like trendweight.com to adjust for normal weight fluctuations.

    Let's say you set a 500 calorie deficit. If you are trending dead on 1 pound lost a week, over a six week period, then you know you are eating at a 500 calorie deficit. Assuming you are accurately logging your food, you now know that the Endomondo burn is correct, because the reality is meeting the prediction for a 500 calorie deficit.

    If, however, you only lose 0.8 pounds per week over that six week period, then you have only a 400 deficit. Again, assuming you are accurately logging your food, this means you are overestimating exercise by 100 calories. This could be either Endomondo, or your base estimate, but let's assume it's Endomondo. Now you know that Endomondo is over-estimating by 100 Calories.

    Don't just take the number you like more, or assume that the lowest one is obviously better.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    I'm not comparing my calories to my sister's. I'm comparing the distance and speed. Our time is the same and our actual route is the same... we're keeping pace with one another. The tracker is giving different readings for the distance and speed.

    GPS errors. Simple as that. Every device has operating errors, and they will not be the same across devices, even if they are the same brand and model. They may well have the same absolute tolerance, but if the tolerance is +/-5m, then at any given point in time one could be +5m while the other is -5m. That means that relative to each other, they have a tolerance of +/-10m. Over the course of a run, that can add up.
  • alanna81
    alanna81 Posts: 23
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    I'm not comparing my calories to my sister's. I'm comparing the distance and speed. Our time is the same and our actual route is the same... we're keeping pace with one another. The tracker is giving different readings for the distance and speed.

    GPS errors. Simple as that. Every device has operating errors, and they will not be the same across devices, even if they are the same brand and model. They may well have the same absolute tolerance, but if the tolerance is +/-5m, then at any given point in time one could be +5m while the other is -5m. That means that relative to each other, they have a tolerance of +/-10m. Over the course of a run, that can add up.

    Thank you for taking time to explain that. It truly didn't occur to me
  • BrawlerBella
    BrawlerBella Posts: 400 Member
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    Endomondo gives you Gross vs Net calories burned. I have a Zephyr HxM HRM (Bluetooth) that connects to the app. Endomondo takes into account your heart rate to calculate calorie burn.

    Before starting a workout I make it a habit to reboot my phone to make sure I have a clean slate to avoid any possible issues with GPS.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    Endomondo gives you Gross vs Net calories burned.

    Huh? Please explain what on earth you mean by gross vs net calories burned? Net of what, precisely?
  • janettebishop940
    janettebishop940 Posts: 88
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    Brawler Bella sent me this link to explain that the endomondo uses your gross calories burned. Which is the exercise calories plus the calories you would burn in that time sitting still.

    Here is a good explanation. http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx

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