Gross Cals Burned vs. Net Calories Burned

alexjh1990

I suppose that up until this point I've just calculated gross calories burned during exercise. I've used several different online activity calculators (always trying to find the most accurate that takes into consideration many variable as sex, age, weight, height, etc.). I'd like to know how many of you track your exercise by net calories burned as opposed to gross calories burned. At first I didn't think it'd be that much of a difference, but at the end of the day it looks like it can be a good bit.
Also, how exactly can I go about calculating net calories burned during exercise. I assume it may be as simple as gross calories burned during exercise minus what you would have burned had you just sat on the couch, but how can I determine how much I would have burned by just sitting on the couch? (I feel my HRM is off on this)

Any help would be much appreciated.

wewon

I always look at the net calories burned.

MFP incorporates a deficit into your goals and automatically accounts for exercise without you having to do much of the math.

WrenLynn

For calories that you would have normally burned I calculate 1.5 calories per minute so if I work out for 60 minutes I would subtract 90 calories from what my hrm says I burned. Hope this helps.

alexjh1990

For calories that you would have normally burned I calculate 1.5 calories per minute so if I work out for 60 minutes I would subtract 90 calories from what my hrm says I burned. Hope this helps.

thanks- that's about the number of cals per minute I was coming up with as well