MFP calories burned vs equipment readings...

mzbrandyluv

First, let me say this is not a "knock" on MFP at ALL...I love this site! But there's something very conscerning to me. If I log into the data base "45 mins Elliptical trainer"...it says that I've burned 756 calories! That would be awesome...if it were a real burn number. I own an Elliptical, purchased it brand new this past year. It has a program where you put in your age, weight, height and gender. After sweating my tushy off starting at a level 9 until I can't push myself then lowering it to an 8 and so on. After 45 minutes it says I've burned 226 calories. This is a HUGE difference! I see posts that show people are burning off close to what they've eaten all day with in an hour of cardio working out....what about the people who "eat back their work out calories"?? I've been sticking to the 1200-1300 calorie consumption and logging what my machine reads....but does this not raise a red flag to anyone else? Not everyone has a machine that has a read out....a lot of people walk. (And knowing how much elliptical it takes to burn 100 calories...I find it VERY difficult to believe that a 15 medium pace walk the dog burns 99 calories.)

I don't know, perhaps no one else sees a discrepancy or that it could unintentionally sabatoge someone? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Yocum1219

I've wondered that too, so once I have the money saved, am investing in an HRM/Body Bugg, so that I can go by what I burn, not what MFP calculates or a machine says I should based on my size, b/c everybody is different. I usually pick a happy medium, or err on the side of caution & I'm having good results so far.

liquidjem

No, I totally hear you. I just always log what it says from the machines at the gym. But you are right, that can totally set someone up for (unintentional) failure to have the numbers off so much. I try to guesstimate my exercise as much as I can, whether its walking in the grocery store or the trips up and down the stairs at my work (which is about 15-20 min each activity) and I never know whether to trust the calories burned or not...I think what you pointed out makes sense.

Freedom2010

Hi. Great question! I've wondered the same thing. When I enter my calorie burn from using the Elliptical, Treadmill and Rowing Machine, it's always less than what MFP calculates it to be. On the Elliptical, I also enter my age, weight etc. I have only eaten the calories shown from the machines at my club, not the MFP calories. I'm not sure I would lose any weight otherwise. Keep up your determination and you will definitely see results!!

justaloozer

I go with what the machines say. MFP has no way to track how fast/slow you move on the machines. For example, I may work out on the treadmill at a pace of 4.0 for 5 minutes, then slow down to 3.0 for 10 minutes, then back up to 3.5, etc. Only the machine knows what you have done. MFP doesn't know that.

louisvillelady

I often wonder the same thing . Ive decided that I will not eat back all of the calories. I cut what it says in half and go by that . Id rather be under instead of over !

Lutiebelle

Totally agree. I always log what my equipment reads because MFP is very high. My question would be how does MFP arrive at these calculations?

bluemist248

I agree with what you said, for me the best way to measure what I've burned is to use a pedometer for walking/steps or a heart rate monitor for other exercise. I never use the gym but I assume gym equipment is pretty accurate. I no longer use MFP to calculate exercise calories as it all depends on your age, weight, gender, build etc. so it would differ for everyone on here.

jonikeffer

I've been toying with figuring this out too, but I don't find my numbers to be the same as yours....
45 mins elliptical from MFP tells me I burn 453 cals, not 700-something that you're saying. My machine tells me I burn 550, generally I heard that the machines tend to overestimate cals burned by about 20%. For this particular exercise, if I put my heart rate and time and a bit of other info into a website calculator, it actually comes up with roughly the same as MFP....around 450 cals if I have an average HR of 150 for 45 mins.

In sum, using your HRM plus a calculation, or an HRM that actually tells you cals burned, is always going to be best. But my discrepancies found have not been nearly so large as yours. I'm 5'0", 145 lbs currently, and 35 y/o, to give you some idea of what I'm working with.

mzbrandyluv

Ok, well I'm glad it's not just me then! And I hope that most people here are like all of you and understand the vast varrience and account for that

Thanks guys!

ReadySara

I was wondering the same thing too, I have a BMR and I tested it with my exercise machine and it was way off, my exercise machine said I burn way more, but I was keeping track of my BMR and I notice it don't move (count anything) because it will stay at the same number for minuets but yet I've been on the machine working my butt off. So I don't know which one to go with, but my exercise machine ask you for your height/weight/gender befor you start to calculate your calories. Sooooo I don't know which one to use.

DavidERose

You confused me at first --- I never realized that if you entered the equipment and time the MFP would give you a calorie number. I agree with you that you should trust the machine readoout over that estimate. However I have been questioning if my machines were accurate or overstating the calories. So I entered treadmill at 40 minutes and came up close to the 501 my treadmill says and my Healthrider checked out equally close. MFP was a little less on the Heathrider but does not allow a speed varaible and I have been doing the Healthrider for years and sometime do 60 minutes with an average speed of 50 rpm --- so that is understandable. Thanks for the topic.

mzbrandyluv

I've been toying with figuring this out too, but I don't find my numbers to be the same as yours....
45 mins elliptical from MFP tells me I burn 453 cals, not 700-something that you're saying. My machine tells me I burn 550, generally I heard that the machines tend to overestimate cals burned by about 20%. For this particular exercise, if I put my heart rate and time and a bit of other info into a website calculator, it actually comes up with roughly the same as MFP....around 450 cals if I have an average HR of 150 for 45 mins.

In sum, using your HRM plus a calculation, or an HRM that actually tells you cals burned, is always going to be best. But my discrepancies found have not been nearly so large as yours. I'm 5'0", 145 lbs currently, and 35 y/o, to give you some idea of what I'm working with.

Hmmm....I just had a friend tell me that my 226 calories seemed like a low reading and she's more my weight/height. She also gets about 400-500 per 45 min work out. Haha, well, that'd be great if it were the case! But in thinking about it...my treadmill is around the same...it's slightly less than the Elliptical. I'm pushing myself to the point of a burning chest...and sweating a whole lot? Hmm...I wonder if I'm not pushing myself as much as ya'll? I start on a level 9 and keep the pace between 2.5 and 2.6 miles per hour until I can't keep that pace...then I lower the level to 8 and keep it at a 2.5-2.6 till I can't keep the pace etc. And just to put it all out there...ugh...lol I'm 34, 5'6 260 lbs.

Summerleahd

i read that you burn about 100 calories for every 10 mins on a treadmill or elliptical for a 145 pd woman. and thats if you are pushing yourself. Everything is really an estimate anyway unless you have a heartrate monitor

Bringerofrain

My readings were always 200+ cals off each time. I do bike riding sometimes for 3 hours at a time. MFP Calculations were way off. So I bought a Polar HRM & stick with what that tells me. and it's usually 200-300 cals below what MFP calculates.

cleanza

I go back and forth between MFP numbers and my elliptical. My elliptical actually usually says I am burning *more* than MFP. I also think your reading seem pretty low. I've been losing right on target and usually eat my calories back.

jbudzins1

All good replies and excellent concerns. Your session on the elipitical trainer of burning only 226 calories after almost killing yourself for 45 minutes seems very low. However you can use the measurements you take in a relative fashion - if you eat back your exercise calorieds to zero and gain weight over a period of time you have to either eat less or exercise more to lose weight. That is why it is important to keep good track of what you eat and how much you exercise in an objective consistant fashion.

Over time you can tune your calorie counting so that "your intake - your exercise = weight loss/gain". But there are a lot of variables; for instance I Think an unfit person gets a better caloric benefit than a fitter person. So as you get fitter you have to exercise more to burn up the same number of calories. The good part of this is that it is easier and more enjoyable for the fitter person to do the exercise.

mzbrandyluv

All good replies and excellent concerns. Your session on the elipitical trainer of burning only 226 calories after almost killing yourself for 45 minutes seems very low. However you can use the measurements you take in a relative fashion - if you eat back your exercise calorieds to zero and gain weight over a period of time you have to either eat less or exercise more to lose weight. That is why it is important to keep good track of what you eat and how much you exercise in an objective consistant fashion.

Over time you can tune your calorie counting so that "your intake - your exercise = weight loss/gain". But there are a lot of variables; for instance I Think an unfit person gets a better caloric benefit than a fitter person. So as you get fitter you have to exercise more to burn up the same number of calories. The good part of this is that it is easier and more enjoyable for the fitter person to do the exercise.

Not QUITE "killing myself"...I try to push myself but still be able to talk (as I remember as a kid Jane Fonda telling me in her step arobic video that you should always be able to have a conversation...if not, you're not getting enough oxygen and it's counter productive...and who could doubt Jane?? :laugh: haha
I very much look forward to the day when I find "pleasure" in exercising...I believe it will happen, because after a month, I ALMOST don't hate it