Snap! I have been wrong about Calorie Burns!

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  • suemcmurry
    suemcmurry Posts: 188 Member
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    bump!
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @Rhon - LOL! :smokin: :smokin: :smokin: :glasses: :flowerforyou:
    I'm so glad you "math" for me because.......

    tumblr_m6zabtZCKk1rvls59o1_500.jpg
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @all: Oh, and feel free to friend! :smile:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    More reason to not try to 'eat back'. Use a TDEE method, see what happens, adjust as needed.
    Or do the MFP method, see what happens and adjust as needed. TDEE method isn't going to be any more accurate by estimating in advance rather than after the event!
    I figure if you estimate once ("lightly active", whatever) and use that estimate daily, you only have one estimate to adjust-- not all of the various exercise variables-- "Was it my cycling burn that was so wrong? Lifting? Running? Swimming?"
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
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    :flowerforyou: awesome and enlightening post!! keep up the great work! :drinker:
  • DebTavares
    DebTavares Posts: 170 Member
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    In general I read that you can burn anywhere from 50-100 cals per mile depending on how intense/fast you are going. But who really knows?
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @Tibby - I had great input for this topic! :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:
    :flowerforyou: awesome and enlightening post!! keep up the great work! :drinker:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    More reason to not try to 'eat back'. Use a TDEE method, see what happens, adjust as needed.
    Or do the MFP method, see what happens and adjust as needed. TDEE method isn't going to be any more accurate by estimating in advance rather than after the event!
    I figure if you estimate once ("lightly active", whatever) and use that estimate daily, you only have one estimate to adjust-- not all of the various exercise variables-- "Was it my cycling burn that was so wrong? Lifting? Running? Swimming?"
    Really the two methods suit different routines. My burns vary enormously week on week so eating back afterwards has a much higher chance of being correct or at least appropriate for the amount of exercise I've done. I cycled for five hours today and burned more in a day than I did the whole of last week.
    Horses for courses as they say. If you have a very regular routine then TDEE method is simpler.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @sijomial - That is what I have found... it's all 6 of one half dozen of another sometimes.:drinker:
    Some peoples pattern really lends itself to TDEE where others to the MFP eat back method. (I am an "eat back" kind of guy)
    Really the two methods suit different routines. My burns vary enormously week on week so eating back afterwards has a much higher chance of being correct or at least appropriate for the amount of exercise I've done. I cycled for five hours today and burned more in a day than I did the whole of last week.
    Horses for courses as they say. If you have a very regular routine then TDEE method is simpler.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    @sijomial - That is what I have found... it's all 6 of one half dozen of another sometimes.:drinker:
    Some peoples pattern really lends itself to TDEE where others to the MFP eat back method. (I am an "eat back" kind of guy)
    Really the two methods suit different routines. My burns vary enormously week on week so eating back afterwards has a much higher chance of being correct or at least appropriate for the amount of exercise I've done. I cycled for five hours today and burned more in a day than I did the whole of last week.
    Horses for courses as they say. If you have a very regular routine then TDEE method is simpler.

    Yup. I do the eat back because I find those numbers motivating and want to play around with them as often as possible. Once the output - weekly weight loss - started tracking with all my food and exercise inputs, then I knew I'd found the way for me. I just cranked up my max heart rate on the HRM to 197 and eat back 100% of the calorie numbers I get from that. However if someone seems truly frustrated with chasing exercise calories burned, I do suggest TDEE method.
  • hkristine1
    hkristine1 Posts: 950 Member
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    I had the same thing happen to me - was logging about 500 calories for an hour of spin class and eating them back, and the weight just wasn't coming off (even though I really am pretty accurate about my caloric intake) so I figured something MUST be wrong with the calories I thought I was burning.

    I got really tired/confused at trying to figure out my caloric burn but wanted a calorie "reward" for working out. So, I have made up my own method which I've been using for a couple of months now and it's really working for me: I give myself 100 extra calories to eat for every 30 minutes of exercise, no matter what I'm doing. So, whether I'm walking or lifting weights or running or yoga or spin class - doesn't matter. I get 100 calories for every 30 minutes. (I do NOT count activity which is not designated exercise - e.g. I don't count cleaning or walking around the grocery store or climbing the stairs to my office). With yoga, I might be overestimating the burn, but on the whole, I know that I'm very much underestimating my burn and I am losing weight at a decent pace now (about 1-1.5 lb/week on average).

    It is also nice because then I feel like I have a bit more freedom with my food - if I have 65 calories left but really want a cookie that is 110 calories, I feel OK about eating it because I know that (on the whole) I have underestimated my calorie burn at the gym - so I don't have to "deprive" myself (I don't plan my meals in advance).
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @Janie

    I used to do fitday.com and It was really hard to figure out how much you could eat. I workout more so that I can reward myself and enjoy this journey and then maintenance. (Then maybe bulk and cut - gulp)
    It is so cool that you are making it work! :smile:
    Yup. I do the eat back because I find those numbers motivating and want to play around with them as often as possible. Once the output - weekly weight loss - started tracking with all my food and exercise inputs, then I knew I'd found the way for me. I just cranked up my max heart rate on the HRM to 197 and eat back 100% of the calorie numbers I get from that. However if someone seems truly frustrated with chasing exercise calories burned, I do suggest TDEE method.
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    @hkristine1

    What a great and simple method. Part of the fun of all of this is "rewarding" myself if I exercise extra.
    You have a great plan going there! :smile:
    ...Yoga or spin class - doesn't matter. I get 100 calories for every 30 minutes. (I do NOT count activity which is not designated exercise - e.g. I don't count cleaning or walking around the grocery store or climbing the stairs to my office). With yoga, I might be overestimating the burn, but on the whole, I know that I'm very much underestimating my burn and I am losing weight at a decent pace now (about 1-1.5 lb/week on average).

    It is also nice because then I feel like I have a bit more freedom with my food - if I have 65 calories left but really want a cookie that is 110 calories, I feel OK about eating it because I know that (on the whole) I have underestimated my calorie burn at the gym - so I don't have to "deprive" myself (I don't plan my meals in advance).
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
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    Look if you are
    - Counting 950 calories for a round of miniature golf wearing snowshoes
    - Counting 1270 calories for watchin "Dukes of Hazzard" reruns while dressed up as Vanilla Ice
    - Counting 2000 calories for spearfishing in Loch Ness

    You might want to reconsider your burns!

    Good luck on your fitness journey - Keep Learning and keep "Self - correcting"!

    I dont know, I was with you till the last one, if you are spearfishing Nessy, you are going to be burning a hell of a lot of calories, in fact scuba to spearfish Nessy is probably going to be a few 1k cals short on burn actually ;)

    I find mine have been getting very accurate as I'm hiking more elevation gain, but for me, the food logging is my biggest error source since I don't weigh and its relatively common to remember the next day I forgot to log this or that snack. When I log my 3,000+ calorie hikes, I try to leave at least around 7-800 cal deficit to make up for the snacking and portion issues, and it works out well for me that way.
  • janatarnhem
    janatarnhem Posts: 669 Member
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    More reason to not try to 'eat back'. Use a TDEE method, see what happens, adjust as needed.
    Makes sense to me!
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    I dont know, I was with you till the last one, if you are spearfishing Nessy, you are going to be burning a hell of a lot of calories, in fact scuba to spearfish Nessy is probably going to be a few 1k cals short on burn actually ;)

    I find mine have been getting very accurate as I'm hiking more elevation gain, but for me, the food logging is my biggest error source since I don't weigh and its relatively common to remember the next day I forgot to log this or that snack. When I log my 3,000+ calorie hikes, I try to leave at least around 7-800 cal deficit to make up for the snacking and portion issues, and it works out well for me that way.

    LOL @solongandthan -
    You know you are right - went back to mythicalmonstercalorieburns.com and found out that i did not compensate for flipper rate

    Your plan for hiking elevation gain is cool. I have learned so many useful methods and "outlooks". Thanks again!
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
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    Not trying to self promote, but I wanted a quick link in:

    Message Boards » Last 25 Topics Chevy_Smart Has Posted In

    I am just lazy..:drinker:

    (Well I did make a bookmark, save the url to another file, and but a link in my blog)
  • meridianova
    meridianova Posts: 438 Member
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    Look if you are
    - Counting 950 calories for a round of miniature golf wearing snowshoes
    - Counting 1270 calories for watchin "Dukes of Hazzard" reruns while dressed up as Vanilla Ice
    - Counting 2000 calories for spearfishing in Loch Ness

    You might want to reconsider your burns!

    Good luck on your fitness journey - Keep Learning and keep "Self - correcting"!
    Funny I have done this a few times. Especially this week

    you went spearfishing for the loch ness monster too?
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
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    Love this. Very informative. I looked up riding my bike on MFP at 20 MPH for 45 minutes (which is what my spin class bike said). This sounds impressive, right? But, that's what we do every spin class and I've been doing spin for a couple of years now, so I am sure that my body is more efficient at this exercise with practice. MFP said I burned 945 calories??? No way. If that were true, I'd be losing an extra pound a week, and THAT"S NOT happening. LOL. I estimate I can eat an extra 150 to 300 calories after exercising for an hour or so depending on my level of exertion and I try not to over think it.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    More reason to not try to 'eat back'. Use a TDEE method, see what happens, adjust as needed.
    Or do the MFP method, see what happens and adjust as needed. TDEE method isn't going to be any more accurate by estimating in advance rather than after the event!

    I was going to say this...how could an online calculator be more accurate than any other online calculators...

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