question about calories burned

kelseyleigh30

I have started to ride a stationary bike and have conflicting calories burned. The actual bike (which does not let me input my weight) says I burned 145 calories. When I plug in the information on MFP it gives me 450 calories burned. I also looked at some other sites with calorie calculators and they were around 450 as well. I know 145 sounds too low, but 450 sounds to high. I need to get a HRM but need to save up to get me a decent one. So in the meantime, how do I know how many calories I actually burned? (or at least close to it)

parvati

The most accurate way to tell your calories burned is with a heart rate monitor. I have the polar f6 & love it!! But you do not need anything fancy. There are many on the market at various prices. I would highly recommend getting yourself one. Then you'll have no question, no matter your workout, about calories burnt.

4lafz

Honestly - once I got my HRM I learned that MFP is very exaggerated. I would halve everything they give me - except for walking 2 mph - that one seems right on.

Ckonner

I also have the Polar F6 and I don't workout without it! Input your weight/height and off you go! You can also set it so that it beeps when you are out of your optimum heart rate range for weightloss - whether it is too high or too low. It keeps you at a steady heart which means that you can finish your workouts. I count on mine all of the time! Honestly check it out. I bought mine at a local gym and since they were clearing them out it was cheaper than say Walmart. It wasn't outrageous and it will be the best "weightloss" related thing that you will ever purchase!

willimh

The calculator on MFP is not always accurate. I wear a body bugg and it tells me what I burn, my steps, how much time I used for activity etc. You should invest in something that tells you what you burn when you are wearing it. From my experience with the stationary bike, It's was right on when I road with no resistance or low resistance. The only real way to know what you are burning is to invest in a device that you can wear.

brockly25

for 145 how long was you on there?

kelseyleigh30

I was on there for 30 minutes with a majority of it at resistance 5 and 6.

bellanean

145 is way to low I think, but then again 450 is too high I would say. I would go with about 300 just to be on the safe side, but invest in a HRM!!!

Azdak

I would not overcomplicate things, nor would I rush out to buy a cheap HRM, which is only going to be a rough estimate anyhow. At this point, getting into a regular exercise routine and establishing a consistent pattern should be your primary goals.

The most important thing right now is monitoring your calorie intake and maintaining a good calorie deficit.

You can estimate your effort based on walking speed. What is your effort level when you walk 3 mph (20min/mile)? Is it easy, somewhat hard, hard? How does that compare to your effort on the bike?

At your weight, you are probably burning between 400 and 600 calories per hour--thats 7-10 per minute. Right now, that is as accurate as you need and as accurate as you can get with any other method, including an HRM.

If you are eating an appropriate amount of calories, that extra 250-300 burned in a 30 min exercise session is a help, but it's not something you need to track with precision. You do not need to "eat back" those calories. Unless you are trying an extreme very low calorie diet, you will not go into "starvation mode".