Calorie Calculations

kathyschance

I'm not really uptight about this, but I'm just curious what everyone else's experience is.

Since I just started here at MFP, I would like to keep a pretty accurate count of my calorie intake and calories burned in exercise...at least until I get into a few habits and used to some things.

So I've been keeping track of the calories i burn while working out in the gym. The equipment in this gym is pretty nice....brand new and has all the most up to date gizmos and gadgets. Before my workout on the treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike, it asks me to enter my current weight and then it tracks my pulse throughout the workout....nothing I'm sure you all haven't already seen.

But....do you think the "calories burned" figure this equipment gives is accurate? I was taking it as gospel when I first started and I was using only the treadmill, but this morning I did 20 minutes on the stationary bike and 20 minutes on the elliptical. While I was on the stationary bike, going as fast as I comfortably could, my heart rate never broke 105. While I was on the elliptical, it was a much harder workout and my heart rate went to about 135.

But after all that....both pieces equipment said that I burned almost the same amount of calories.... 100-115.

Is it really possible that, even though the elliptical FELT so much more strenuous and my pulse was faster, that I still burned almost the same amount of calories as I did on the bike?