MFP exercise calories - a warning

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aflane
aflane Posts: 625 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I feel compelled to issue a warning/heads-up to my MFP friends.

Please, please, PLEASE, do not trust the numbers that MFP gives you for your exercise. The numbers that come up are so grossly out of whack that they are almost useless. Especially, when MFP tells you to eat back your exercise calories. I would hate to see all of the hard work that my MFP friends put into their workouts being ruined by the inflated numbers given by MFP.

Here's my latest example: I used the elliptical last night at a good pace for 30 mins (averaging 140-150 steps per min, lvl 10 incline).
- The machine said I burned 360 cals (not too far off).
- My HRM said 310 (went with that number).
- MFP said that I burned 690.

If I had trusted the MFP numbers I would have just wasted a workout by eating back over TWICE the calories that I actually spent.

So, please... DO NOT TRUST THE MFP WORKOUT NUMBERS!!!
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Replies

  • sche1amy
    sche1amy Posts: 86 Member
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    All the calories the MFP says I got for working out I never eat. I completely ignore them. Thanks for the info.
  • GamecockFan14
    GamecockFan14 Posts: 154 Member
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    i agree. I did 15 min of eliptical today and it said i burned 290 calories!! i changed it, but can you imagine if I ate back those calories when in reality I only burned 150?
  • Lets_Do_It
    Lets_Do_It Posts: 202
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    I figured that they were off, I went swimming last week and it said I burned 1200 calories. I highly doubt that.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    Yeah I have noticed it a lot too, but I managed to get the calories more in range when I adjusted my weight loss settings so they were more up to date. Now MFP is only about 10-15 calories off from what the machine says.
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
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    Excellent advice. That's why heart rate monitors that track calories are a great investment.
  • destined2bthin
    destined2bthin Posts: 16
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    I agree, although I love, love, love this site, my hrm and exercise machines are way less than what mfp gives me. I think it's just an estimation they use and may not consider the intensity especially in elliptical trainer. there are so many different paces and resistence levels that can be used, and mfp just has one option for elliptical. Once again, this site is awesome but I agree about exercise calories being a bit too much. i was gaining tons of weight by eating them all back before getting a heart rate monitor
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    Hmm... MFP always underestimates for me. Not a big deal though because I also have a HRM. :)
  • SimplyDeLish
    SimplyDeLish Posts: 539
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    In addition, many of the calorie values listed are crazy high or crazy low (I found mashed potatoes with skim milk 1 cup for like 35 cals - way too low) and today raw zuchinni for 76 per cup...way too high.

    I love MFP, but I agree that the numbers you are relying on aren't reliable!
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    MFP calories burned are a general estimate. However I used them for 8 months and had plenty of success before I got my HRM. In my case I found them under stated more often than not. So-as in anything made for general use, take it with a grain of salt and use it as a guideline.
  • TiffyCooper
    TiffyCooper Posts: 48
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    I have noticed the same, but never thought about it. I just always put in my calorie burn reading off of my HRM.
  • vold94
    vold94 Posts: 256
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    I've always wondered about that. I really thought the numbers given on MFP seemed high. I've always been one that has never really eaten back all of my exercise calories anyway, but thanks for the heads up. Just another reason why I really need to get a HRM.
  • MrsRobertson1005
    MrsRobertson1005 Posts: 552 Member
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    For me it was opposite, I burn more according to my HRM than MFP tells me, so I haven't been eating enough
  • MrsRobertson1005
    MrsRobertson1005 Posts: 552 Member
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    In addition, many of the calorie values listed are crazy high or crazy low (I found mashed potatoes with skim milk 1 cup for like 35 cals - way too low) and today raw zuchinni for 76 per cup...way too high.

    I love MFP, but I agree that the numbers you are relying on aren't reliable!

    Lots of that is what individual users enter though, I always double check them if I can so I know I'm using the right ones.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    Yeah I have noticed it a lot too, but I managed to get the calories more in range when I adjusted my weight loss settings so they were more up to date. Now MFP is only about 10-15 calories off from what the machine says.

    True, it is important to keey your data up to date. also consider the the resistance, intensity etc. of the machine you are using.
  • jaimejean478
    jaimejean478 Posts: 152 Member
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    I wish more people would realize this too. I cringe every time I see someone post a 750 calorie elliptical workout in 45 minutes or something random like that. I purchased a HRM monitor for this reason alone. I love me some elliptical cardio, but don't want to sabotage myself! I never eat back all exercise calories anyway. I never let my food calories go below 1200, and stick to 1500 or so if I have a good workout. Some days I'll use all exercise calories, but rarely.
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    Don't get me wrong... I absolutely ADORE this site. I recommend it to everyone that asks me how I'm losing weight (recommended it to someone just last night at the gym). It's a SUPERB tool. It just has one grossly inaccurate aspect.... the calories burned entries. I have a heart rate monitor, that I use religiously... even when I'm just biking around the neighborhood. Thank goodness I rely on the HRM numbers instead of the MFP numbers.
  • nananie2
    nananie2 Posts: 272 Member
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    Of course the numbers will be off... As the exercise are put in by the users, you can imagine that not everybody burns the same amount of calories. If you weigh 250 pounds, you'll burn far more calories than someone who weighs 150.

    So yes, use them carefully!

    I personally always have my hrm on when I workout. It's the only safe way to have a straight answer! :-)
  • waterjogger
    waterjogger Posts: 114
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    I was wondering about that myself, but I don't have a HRM to check it with. I never eat my exercise points though because I've got a bunch of pounds that need to come off.
  • Shirley61
    Shirley61 Posts: 7,758 Member
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    Thanks for the tip, I thought it was out of whack.
    I don't have an HRM and use their figures.
    I don't eat back the calories anyway.
  • Amybcb
    Amybcb Posts: 292 Member
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    Wow those numbers are WAY off! I think part of the problem is they aren't factoring in weight when they calculate calories burned on mfp. At least at the gym the elliptical or treadmill has you put in your weight and age to calculate what is burned. I've been thinking of getting a HRM though... what kind do you use?

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