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Tracking exercise - high calorie burn!?

sarahkorry
sarahkorry Posts: 31
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

When you track your exercise on MFP does the calorie counter take into account your weight? The calories burned always seems too high!

I ran for 35 mins last night at a pace of 9.5mph and it told me I'd burned over 600 cals - surely this can't be right!?

Thank you!
Sarah x

Replies

  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    It does use the info you input when you first signed up as well as the pounds lost along the way. I agree, this program does overinflate their calories burned. The only accurate way to know is to get a HRM and use it. I have an FT4 and love it, it has a chest strap as well, and that is how I know these figures on here are too high.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Well a general rule of thumb for running regardless of pace is 100 calories per mile. And at 9.5 mph for 35 minutes you went 5.54 miles which is 554 calories. Doesn't seem all that off to me.
  • ukgirly01
    ukgirly01 Posts: 523 Member
    Its always overestimates my cals burned compared to what the cardio machines say. I normally take a good few off to be sure im not going over my calorie limit
  • turtle12
    turtle12 Posts: 17
    It is way too high...I always have to adjust it. I usually go by what the machines say when I use them. For instance I ran and 5.2 for 12 minuted, according to my treadmill I burned 110 cals, MFP says I burned more like 200.
  • hchristine
    hchristine Posts: 63
    MFP underestimates mine. I have an HRM with a chest strap. Everyone is different...so I would say the only way to really know is to use an HRM.
  • trudypickles
    trudypickles Posts: 51
    I find the opposite, my treadmill always says I burn more than MFP... but that may be because I use the incline on the treadmill and vary my speeds and stuff min by min and im lazy so in MFP i just input 30 jog or hour jog...so I go with the MFP values as I know the treadmill values are based on a 5'10" 170lb man (Or somthing like that).
  • 311Phil
    311Phil Posts: 397
    MFP always under estimates according to my HRM. Thats the only true way to know.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Hey everyone,

    When you track your exercise on MFP does the calorie counter take into account your weight? The calories burned always seems too high!

    I ran for 35 mins last night at a pace of 9.5mph and it told me I'd burned over 600 cals - surely this can't be right!?

    Thank you!
    Sarah x

    did you run 9.5 mph or a 9.5 minute mile? 9.5 mph for 35 minutes is extremely fast and I don't know anyone that can do that for that long. That works out to you running 5.54 miles in 35 minutes. Are you sure you ran that far, or did you run more like 3.68 miles? If so you ran a 9.5 minute mile, not 9.5 mph which is much faster. A 9.5 minute mile works out to be about 6.3 mph. Try entering in 6.3 mph and you calories burned would be much lower.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Well a general rule of thumb for running regardless of pace is 100 calories per mile. And at 9.5 mph for 35 minutes you went 5.54 miles which is 554 calories. Doesn't seem all that off to me.

    So you really think she ran that fast, I don't know any fit men, that have no weight to lose, that can run that fast for that long. I think she meant a 9.5 minute mile not 9.5 mph which would only be 3.68 miles in 35 min, much more likely. and that she just entered it wrong.
  • Adsnwfld
    Adsnwfld Posts: 262 Member
    9.5 mph is hauling, you will burn a ton of calories doing that. With a HRM I average 6mph and can burn 600+ calories in 40 minutes so I'd say that is pretty close.
    Nothing beats running for calories burned, you are doing great.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Unless you are tracking it with a BodyBugg/HRM you will never know FOR SURE. If you're trying to lose weight I would go with the take 1/2 of what it says.
  • loupammac
    loupammac Posts: 194 Member
    Just use the readouts on your gym machines or buy a HRM :)
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    I ran for 35 mins last night at a pace of 9.5mph and it told me I'd burned over 600 cals - surely this can't be right!?

    I'm assuming you mean 9.5m/m not 9.5mph??

    Unless you're very heavy yet extremely fast that does seem a bit high. I mean 9.5mph equates to 6.3 minute miling???!!! :noway:

    I barely get 600 calories for a 10k run at 9.5m/m pace.
  • sarahkorry
    sarahkorry Posts: 31
    I'm not actually sure which one I mean, however I'm not fast so I think you're right.

    I manage just over 6k running for 35 mins and the treadmill speed is 9.5...
  • Impala007
    Impala007 Posts: 293 Member
    She's from the Uk ...maybe 9.5km/hr .....off the top of my head i believe that is less than 6mph.

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