HUGE Discrepancy in Calories Burned!!

sweetbn

My HRM and the treadmill give me two very different numbers for calories burned. The treadmill automatically detects my HRM and the display for HRM matches the watch exactly. However, when it comes to calories burned, they are way off! The watch says about 75-85 calories a mile depending on how high my HR gets, but the treadmill (reading the same HR) says between 95-110.

I tell them both the same weight (135 if that helps). The only difference is that my HRM knows my age and fitness level and the treadmill does not (21 and very in shape) and the treadmill knows my pace and the watch does not (8-8.5 mph). I don't know if these effect my calories burned but just curious as the difference can sometimes be a few hundred calories. I usually don't eat them all anyway but have been thinking about upping to eat them all due to my recent plateau.

Thoughts please!

00trayn

I noticed the same thing when I use the treadmill. It also detects my HRM so it knows my heart rate, and takes my weight as an input. But the treadmill is lower by at least 50 calories by time I'm done. I trust my HRM for everything, no matter what the machine says. I consider it the most accurate, since it has the most information. Speed shouldn't make much of a difference, it's your heart rate that determines the calories burned.

jdelot

I would speculate that the 2 different devices aren't using the same equation for calculating calories burned.

Mary_Burris

I agree with Sara, I always go with my HRM.

sweetbn

Which makes sense, I guess I just have a hard time believing I burn less than 10 calories a minute when my HR is at 175! I mean, my resting is about 45 so this is a huge increase over sitting still.

I had another HRM when I was about 10 pounds heavier and it said I burned also about 95-100 calories a mile which is closer to the treadmill.

taylorgirl

My experience and advice from my trainer ... the fit and healthier you are the less calories your op to burn. Trust your HRM! At 260 I could burn calories calore...since loosing 65 lbs and becoming more fit and healthy, the less calories I'm able to burn in the same amount of time and energy! As you said yourself...your in Good Shape! Enjoy your success.:flowerforyou:

RedneckWmn

Does the machine know if you are male or female? I go by my HRM. The machine has been up to 100 calories off for me on a regular basis.

sweetbn

No, the machine doesn't know my gender. That is a good point. I guess I will just keep on with the low calories!

jrich1

Go with the HRM, it has more specific information about you