Logging Exercise Calories

jahnlaw

I've come to think that all of the cardio machine calories estimates are wildly off in the amount of calories actually burned (at least for my metabolism).

Each machine seems consistently wrong and I don't want to ignore my earned calories from intense cardio when I'm limiting myself to only 1500 calories because I sometimes get real hunger pains strong enough to wake me up.

For what its worth, if a machine tells me I burned 700 calories, I reduce my recording by 30=50%. When I do one of my twice a week 60 min boot camps (the insanely intense ones that take me two hours to recover) or spinning, I add in a full estimate of 550 calories from the web. I don't add in other daily activities which I consider to be minimal in an office job or occaisional long races that might burn a lot more calories.

Assuming you add the calories, what are you doing with yor burned calorie estimates that has worked for you.?

AdamATGATT

I got a HRM and stopped guessing.

ronchap

I bought a heart rate monitor so I don't rely on the machine and i eat back 1/2 of my work out calories. sometimes I still have to add an ounce of raw almonds or a little peanut butter on 15 grain bread

meggonkgonk

Everything is all based on estimates- so I typically log what's in MFP. I don't run on machines tho.

beautymkt

Tell me how a heart rate monitor works.......I've never seen or used one. Thanks.

enmaku

There are a number of devices that monitor factors such as heart rate, galvanic skin response, surface temperature, etc to compile an accurate picture of your caloric expenditure. They range from 90 to 95% accurate, compared to laboratory testing, which should be more than enough to base a diet and exercise plan on. Of course the machines are only giving you estimates too, which are less than 90% accurate, certainly, but they're decent guesses. MFP's suggestion for your caloric intake is a guess too, based on your stated activity level, weight, and typical body fat / muscle percentage. Having a monitoring device would remove a lot of guesswork, sure, but they're really not necessary. Track your results and let the weight loss over time imply the calorie deficit. Also, the machines get much more accurate if you enter your weight & age (assuming they have such an option)

enmaku

@beautymkt: Technically all a heart rate monitor does is monitor your heart rate. They're more for cardiovascular health than actual caloric intake/expenditure math. There are, however, a handful of devices that do more. 24 Hour Fitness, for example, has a device called the Body Bugg that they push heavily. In addition to monitoring your heart rate such devices also keep an eye on skin temperature, galvanic response (electrical conductivity), and a handful of other factors. These factors do a pretty good job of implying your current metabolic state so the devices can fairly accurately guess how many calories you're burning during any activity. They're not as good as lab testing of course, but they do get reasonably close (90-95%)

beautymkt

Thanks so much for the detailed information on a heart rate monitor. I don't think a HRM is necessary.