Calories burned: machine or MFP - which to trust?

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venus_blue
venus_blue Posts: 103 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know that MFP tends to overestimate the calories burned during a workout and was under the impression that my machine (Shwinn Upright stationary bike) would too. However, right away I noticed that MFP (and a few other online calories burn calculators I referred to because I was curious when I saw the discrepancy) would have me burning way more calories than my machine indicates even when I'm doing a pretty good workout and not skimping on the RPMs.

For example: MFP might say I burned 676 for a 45 minute work out and my machine will show 243. (moderate effort, can't speak more than a few words without pausing, averaging 16MPH, with varying levels of resistance)

Does MFP really overestimate by more than four hundred calories? Should I log what my machine says and be done with it? And could the fact that I don't keep my hands on the sensors the entire time be effecting my results?

I'm not super stuck on getting the exact calorie burn down, a good estimate is suitable. I just don't want to either shortchange myself or over estimate my workouts especially since I am upping the intensity and time pretty much every week or so. I have a HRM that you wear on your wrist, but have never gotten the hang of translating that into calories burned.

Suggestions? Advice? An informed opinion? Thanks in advance for any help.

Replies

  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
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    Go with the machine for now. If you get a heart rate monitor I would go with that. Some people even feel the heart rate monitor overestimates. MFP always seems to overestimate.
  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
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    Which is one reason I don't correct my daily calorie "allowance" for the calories burned during cardio exercise. I just use it as a daily guide to how much relative exercise I'm getting.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Which is one reason I don't correct my daily calorie "allowance" for the calories burned during cardio exercise. I just use it as a daily guide to how much relative exercise I'm getting.
    The problem is no matter what you need a figure to work out how many calories to eat back as that's how MFP works. Personally I would go on the lower figure
  • venus_blue
    venus_blue Posts: 103 Member
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    Which is one reason I don't correct my daily calorie "allowance" for the calories burned during cardio exercise. I just use it as a daily guide to how much relative exercise I'm getting.
    The problem is no matter what you need a figure to work out how many calories to eat back as that's how MFP works. Personally I would go on the lower figure

    Yeah, I wouldn't dream of logging the higher figure. That just seems a tad much. But the difference in the two I mentioned is pretty stark. I don't foresee too much of an issue right now, but am not sure if it will matter more when I'm closer to goal and I have less caloric "wiggle room".
  • christopherphillips1983
    christopherphillips1983 Posts: 103 Member
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    I go with the machine because it actually uses my weight and heart rate in real time. MFP doesn't have that information.

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