Calories burned at gym: go with gym equipment estimates or M

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dloosbrock
dloosbrock Posts: 7
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm new. Just started using MFP yesterday... so I feel like I'm still getting used to the format and understanding how to maximize the website.

I noticed yesterday and today that the reading that I got from the gym elliptical machine was giving me a different number of calories burned than the estimate provided for me on MPF. What might cause this difference and which number should I use? I haven't been consuming the extra calories to be safe, but I'd really love to know how to best track calories burned. I've seen a couple of discussions about HRMs, but honestly don't understand how they work either. I've never been into exercise or eating healthy, but I want to get it right this time and truly change my lifestyle habits.

Would appreciate any help in this area! The more I know and better accuracy I have with controlling my intake and expenditure the more likely I am going to achieve my goals... which means I have a much higher chance at sticking with this... at least for me anyway.

Many thanks in advance!
dani
(in ann arbor, mi)

Replies

  • dloosbrock
    dloosbrock Posts: 7
    Options
    I'm new. Just started using MFP yesterday... so I feel like I'm still getting used to the format and understanding how to maximize the website.

    I noticed yesterday and today that the reading that I got from the gym elliptical machine was giving me a different number of calories burned than the estimate provided for me on MPF. What might cause this difference and which number should I use? I haven't been consuming the extra calories to be safe, but I'd really love to know how to best track calories burned. I've seen a couple of discussions about HRMs, but honestly don't understand how they work either. I've never been into exercise or eating healthy, but I want to get it right this time and truly change my lifestyle habits.

    Would appreciate any help in this area! The more I know and better accuracy I have with controlling my intake and expenditure the more likely I am going to achieve my goals... which means I have a much higher chance at sticking with this... at least for me anyway.

    Many thanks in advance!
    dani
    (in ann arbor, mi)
  • fit4fun
    fit4fun Posts: 84
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    Machines in the gym have been notorious for overestimating calorie burn. I would either go with the MFP numbers, or take an average of the two and go with that amount. To stay on the safe side, always choose the lower numbers. Good Luck! And Welcome!:flowerforyou:
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
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    The HRM's calculate how many calories you burn at your heartrate. I'm not sure how the machine's do it. I've noticed, that for me, my HRM and MFP are usually only 20-30 calories apart. And that's usually due to me adding my warm-up time into my aerobics time or something like that.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    Welcome and congratulations for doing something positive for yourself and your family.

    The calories burned can vary from one machine to the next and is a function of several things. The best thing is to just use the counting as a general guideline and if really trying to match calories in with calories out, always take the lower number of calories burned.

    I will walk 30 minutes and enter 25 to give me a cushion in case the charts are giving me too much.

    Hang in there and take it one day at a time
    Dave
  • hibbler22
    hibbler22 Posts: 339 Member
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    Hello and Welcome:flowerforyou:

    The machines at my gym are pretty accurate to what mfp has. It may be off by almost 5 sometimes! But all machines at gyms arent accurate!

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