How many calories???

krishildy

How do I know which gadget, which formula, which app to believe when it comes to calories burned? For example, a treadmill might give me one number, an app online might give me a completely different number, and a fitbit yet a completely different number. And those numbers aren't even close, not even by a hundred or two hundred. One would give me 1,000 calories for a 7 mile run, while another would give me 400.

With all the variability between all those gadgets/machines/apps, especially when MFP says to eat back your calories, it gets to be aggravating. How do I know how much I'm REALLY supposed to eat back? 1000? 400? Just to be clear, I am not asking about the 7 mile run in particular, I am asking how you know which formula, which gadget, which machine, or is most realistic in terms of telling you how many calories you have burned.

Daiako

They're all guesses based on formulas dealing with averages and not specific to you. Your best bet is to take a number that makes sense, halve it and see what happens. Or don't eat back any workout calories at all and see what happens.

Wait 4-6 weeks AT LEAST. Consider how much you lost. More than you wanted? Adjust your calories up. Less than you wanted? Adjust dow.

oxers

I tend to track my caloric intake really closely - moreso now that I have a scale - so I know that's pretty damn accurate. With exercise, I lowball it. I know how much I burn in zumba thanks to my HRM, but the wrist piece is currently missing, so I estimate at maybe 100-200 lower than I know it normally is, then maybe eat half of that estimate back if I feel like I need it.

I'd do the same thing for other cardio. Check out the estimate, chop a good chunk of those calories down, eat back half of what's left. If you're too hungry, up it. If you're not losing, lower it. Play around with it, listen to your body. You'll figure it out.

alexkirkp

Your best bet is probably to research each of the devices that you have and find out how they calculate their data. Then you can make a decision, it may be a case of each one works better in certain situations. The best option is usually a heart rate monitor that uses that data to calculate calories (not all of them do, some of them use speed and distance).

nhenryoliver

I currently use endomondo for runs or cycling, but mfp for yoga etc. I only eat back calories if I'm hungry, or only some of them. I'm finding that this works well, and I've made good progress with my fitness and weight, especially when I'm eating properly! Any app that uses your hrm and/or weight will be better than anything generic. Listen to your body, it will tell you what to do. Good luck!