We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Why are MFP cals burned so high??

GamecockFan14
GamecockFan14 Posts: 154 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know how they calculate calories burned? I use my body media arm band which is pretty accurate,(while im working out not if im sitting still) and it NEVER says I've burned even close to what MFP calculations does.

This worries me that people will think they've burnt that many calories and eat them all back- maybe even have someone go over their cals? possible?

Replies

  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/277450-mfp-exercise-calories

    Read that link... it answers your question.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I don't have an HRM.

    But I have compared the cals burned on here verus other websites and my runkeeper and they all come out about the same so I don't think they are higher here when you compare it that way.

    It is a generalization based on time, effort and weight.
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
    Interesting, MFP is VERY close to what my HRM states. I still stick to my HRM though.

    MFP is just a computer program which estimates calories burned based on your sex, height and weight. It can't tell how hard you are working. Your HRM/Body bugg/whatever goes by sex, height, weight AND heart rate - so it's got more information to make an accurate determination..
  • timlord
    timlord Posts: 158
    good point
    If you read researched fitness aterial you wil also see the cal req and carb and protein is off as well
    shows you that most people will listen to any program vs educated scientific doctors
    and , yes, it is high

    and too general

    let me know if you need help
    and good luck!
    Tim
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    Before I got my HRM, I would overwrite the amount of calories down that MFP would suggest. Not by alot, but I wanted to be careful not to eat to much back.
  • RichardWhitman
    RichardWhitman Posts: 105 Member
    I don't eat my calories burned. Period.

    Yesterday I did approximately 600 calories burned of mountain trail biking and ate under my normal calories. My goal is to lose weight.

    Never will I add calories burned. I don't trust the measurements at all.

    But that's just me.
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
    Mine's about the same as the MFP estimates, sometimes lower, but I push myself quite hard.
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
    Everyone of us is different, some have said the burns are high compared to their HRM, others say the burns quoted are comparable with their HRM and then some have said the quoted burns are low compared to their HRM.......even HRMs arent perfect...I go on HRM AND V02 max
  • Aesop101
    Aesop101 Posts: 758 Member
    It's almost always higher than my gym workouts. Still though I've lost weight while eating my burned calories. Most of the time I leave a buffer.
  • ursula0601k
    ursula0601k Posts: 169 Member
    The two numbers r usually very close for me by only a few calories. So tor me, MFP is pretty accurate. But I love my hrm and wouldn't give it up.
  • Blueberry09
    Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
    I don't have a HRM so I use the MFP calculations. What I find interesting is their stationary bike (moderate effort) burns more calories than running at 5mph for the same amount of time. I sweat a heck of a lot more running than I ever do riding the bike. The other interesting thing is that on my bike monitor is shows a lot less calories burned than MFP and my treadmill shows more. I do both equally so I'm sure it evens out in the end!
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
    some of the exercise are close to accurate...
    but its not like they tend to try to put that much calories more..

    for the longest time I didnt have an HRM

    and i was still losing the weight. maybe cause i wasnt eating my calories back..
    I rather over estimate on the food i ate then the calories i burn

    but MFP is pretty close to accurate on a lot of the exercise i was burning.
    I mean not everyone eats back their calories( and I am one of those ) If i do eat them back its not by a lot its a little

    but now i got an HRM and its great to know :D
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    It is all going to be an estimate (even if you have an HRM, the HRM is just going to be a better estimate because it tracks your heartrate) - I find that Runkeeper tends to calculate a bit lower, and a formula I found for manually calculating cals tends to be higher than MFP. So, I usually use either the Runkeeper cals or MFP.
    I'm eating these calories and losing weight at the predicted rate, so it works for me!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories