MFP Exercise calories

vicksters31

Just wondering, how accurate do you think the allotted exercise calorie consumptions listed on MFP are? I know they probably arent that reliable but are they based on individuals' weights?

erickirb

depending on the person anywhere from 50% under to 50% over. MFP takes into account your age, weight, height, gender, but fails to take into account your intensity and current fitness level.

Sunitagt

I adjust mine based on what the machine I was using says when I'm on one that counts for you.

melizerd

They do change based on weight but as for how accurate they are it REALLY varies from exercise to exercise. The best thing is to invest in a HRM (heart rate monitor) and track calories burned for yourself.

suzksell

As far as I can tell, they have been submitted by users, and every user is different. I stopped using the calorie amounts on the site because they seemed really low to me, so I invested in a REALLY good pedometer (wasn't too expensive--maybe $25). I had to program it with my weight, height, and my own specific stride length. I feel that it's much more accurate than what I have seen on the site. For instance, if I had entered the walking I did yesterday using the MFP stats, I would have "given" myself only about 100 calories. I just KNOW I burned more than that! I walked a mile and a half and I was really sweating, my heart rate was really high. I am only 5 feet tall. I weigh about 140. I checked out a few sites, and every one of them said that I had probably burned about 160 calories. These other sites were all within 5 calories of each other. And...they were SPOT ON with what my pedometer said I burned. So, I am sticking with my pedometer for now! :happy:

NiallWallace

I use this calculator for cycling:
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

Feels about right.

vicksters31

Thanks for replying I was just interested because when I go to the gym I feel the machines give a more accurate calorie reading so just put that I did the activity for as long as it takes to burn that many cals, however I've been running outside lately with no way of keeping back so Ive been adjusting whatever MFP calculates, depending on how I judge the intensity of the run etc.

remembertheharddrive

I definitely get your skepticism. While the machines are not necessarily any more accurate - as they only know my age and weight - they tend to give me far less calories than MFP does. However, the machines know my incline/pace/resistance level, so I'd like to think that that makes it slightly more accurate at least.

erinhale

Defin, get a hrm. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F5WB66/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=AM8SZZ9MYFOPH is the one I reccommend to my personal training clients. Its affordable, accurate and has a chest strap!