Which calorie count is accurate?

BeyondApril

There is sometimes a huge discrepancy between the calories I am supposedly burning when I compare the count on the machine's display to the count that is coming up on MFP. For example, today I did an eliptical machine at the college fitness room for 45 minutes. The machine says I burned 250 calories, but it did not ask me how much I weighed. MFP says I burned 400 calories. 45 minutes on a similar machine at my regular gym would tell me I burnt around 460 calories.

Who do I believe, and how can I be sure my count is accurate? I don't want to short-change myself.

Thanks!!

ChristinaMarie85

I can't say for sure which is more accurate. But I usually go by MFP, because for the machines to be accurate, you have to input your weight, at least. I've seen some that ask your age, too.

Sarahcuda

I tend to go with what the machine says, but if it didn't ask for your weight that makes things a little more complicated.

My motto is to underestimate calories burned and overestimate calories consumed.
That way at the end of the week when I weigh in I can be pleasantly surprised instead of dissapointed.

Good luck!
-Sarah

♥_Ellybean_♥

I would take the lessor of the two, I have found that MFP is pretty inaccurate. But the machines are as well. I wear a HRM to make sure I know what I am burning. Almost always this does not match either.

efcdcdb

In my opinion, it is never going to be an exact science. Some people use a heart rate monitor, which is probably the most accurate. I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I feel I can gauge the relative exertion - whether I am walking, using exercise equipment, or taking a class at the gym. That's one reason why I don't eat all my exercise calories - I allow a little room for error.

You need to see what gets results. If you are losing weight at a healthy pace, then you are probably estimating calories in and calories out pretty well. If you aren't losing, then one or the other (or both) need tweaking.

Personally, once I get to my goal weight, I don't want to have to be counting every calorie in and every calorie out. My goal is to make that ever-popular "life style change" so that I can naturally regulate my eating and exercise to maintain a healthy weight....I'm not there yet, but I'm tryin'! :bigsmile:

donicagalek

They are ALL estimates. Even HRMs are estimates, and although some give you a good estimate there are some that are *insanely* off - and NOBODY is going to admit that their 100+ dollar HRM is garbage. X-D

Best bet? Find three sources of information that will tell you how many calories you burned. Take the average and then dock yourself 10-20 percent of that if you plan to eat the cals back.

Don't let yourself be the person that logs 30 minutes of random exercise and thinks that they've burned 700 calories. Those people wind up overeating, not losing weight, coming to the forums where a BUNCH of people tell them that they aren't eating enough and then they GAIN weight and give up. :-D

BeyondApril

Good information from everyone. Thank you!

I did sometimes question the massive calorie burn MFP claimed for me when I didn't even sweat very much! Yesterday, however, I worked EXTREMELY hard, and at the end of a tortuous 45 minutes, my machine had me pegged for only 140 calories LOL!

It's working, so I'll stick with the MFP count, unless it is ridiculously off, and not count every extra calorie as a given.

Thank you all!

darrenham

Yep, they're all estimates, even a HRM will give you an estimate (they're not even designed as calorie counters), and it's impossible to say which is most accurate for you. Stick with one source though and if you don't lose weight despite sitting in calorie deficit as far as MFP is concerned, then either it's reading high for you, or you're eating more calories than you thought.