Can I trust the work out machines?

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MelisD
MelisD Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
When you plug in your weight and at the end of your work out your machine tells you how many calories you burned, can you trust that number? I eat the calories I burn and so it is important to me that I eat accurately.

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  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    No, they are wrong, way wrong. The MFP data base is wrong as well. You need to get a HRM.
  • littleali
    littleali Posts: 179 Member
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    Machines said I burnt 325 calories in an hour session, checked my HRM and I burnt 753. Do not trust them!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    Short answer.....no. The why.....they aren't calibrated everyday.
  • MikeM53082
    MikeM53082 Posts: 1,199 Member
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    I've done some comparisons on this as well. For one hour on the elliptical, I've compared what the machine says (entered weight/age), what MFP says, and what my HRM lists as calories burned. There are definitely some differences, but all are within 75 calories of each other.
  • kaaatielove
    kaaatielove Posts: 248 Member
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    You should invest in a Heart rate monitor.. i got mine off amazon.. It's a Polar FT4.. sells in stores for about $80-$90. Got it brand new from amazon for $58 with free shipping.. I ran on the treadmill the other day & my HRM showed that I burned 400 and something cals.. The treadmill showed 200 something.. goodluck!
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
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    Heart rate monitors are customized to you. I usually burn about 100 less on my heart rate monitor than the machines or calculators say. Interestingly enough, I seem to burn more with walking than anything else!
  • KayJay03
    KayJay03 Posts: 5
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    What is the HRM?
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    Nope, like others said get a HRM.
  • omg_wtf
    omg_wtf Posts: 4
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    HRM = Heart Rate Monitor.
  • ShaeDetermined
    ShaeDetermined Posts: 1,525 Member
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    Trust no one. (Or in this case nothing)
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Trust the machine human.

    you only have the machines numbers. If you do not have the HRM what else will you go by.

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    picture is unrelated
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Maybe. Strangely enough my cheap-*kitten* elliptical is always really close to my HRM.

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