The bigger you are the more cals you burn?

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Maree_
Maree_ Posts: 65
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi i did 30 mins on the treadmill yesterday and it said i burned 110 calories. Surely this is not right? Myfitnesspal said it was a lot more? Which is right? I'm new to going to the gym so i'm confused!

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  • katemateg
    katemateg Posts: 334 Member
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    very, very roughly people burn 100 cals per mile walked. Bigger people will burn more as the are carrying more weight making their body work harder. It is just a guess though. Have you thought about getting a HR monitor? This would track it more accurately.
  • mmuzzatti
    mmuzzatti Posts: 706 Member
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    OK, I have been messing with this too. I think the machine is more accurate since you log you age and weight and you also can control the resistance. So I look at both numbers and try to be honest with myself. You know if your workout was worth those numbers. Just be honest...if you cheat you won't lose crap!

    Just my thoughts.....
  • nirvana1
    nirvana1 Posts: 58
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    It would depend on the pace you were going?
  • SarahBrown1979
    SarahBrown1979 Posts: 229 Member
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    Yes, MFP burned cals is correct, I don't input my weight on the machine at the gym and it tells me I burned 400 for 45 mins on the elip, and then when I put in the info on MFP its about double! Go with the MFP! Also when my weight changes the burn cals change.
  • mfpgeezy
    mfpgeezy Posts: 35
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    the more you weigh the more resistance on your body...thus more cals burned...of course there are alot of factors of duration, intensity, and frequency but thats the just of it.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
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    If you only walked a mile in that time, then I'd say the treadmill was correct. If you had run 5km I'd say it was very wrong!

    On average you burn about 100 calories per mile or about 73 per kilometre... it does vary slightly on weight (and this is also doesn't take in to account the calories you'd have burned regardless if you'd been sedentary which uses calories in itself!) Gradient also affects the calorie burn. :)
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
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    If you input your information on the machine, its pretty close to your true burn. You could always average the two if you aren't sure.
  • daves160
    daves160 Posts: 600
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    my understanding is that the machines are not nearly as accurate as an HRM.
  • OSUloulou
    OSUloulou Posts: 74 Member
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    Did the treadmill allow you put in your age and weight before you began your workout? That can make a big difference. I finally broke down and bought a heart rate monitor because I was tired of getting one number at the gym and one number on this site. The HRM has been the most accurate for me as it calculates me calories based on my HR. I would guess that 30 minutes on a treadmill would burn more than 110 calories.....but I can't say for sure. Good Luck!
  • starwhisperer
    starwhisperer Posts: 367
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    I don't believe either of them lol, I don't set much stock on what the numbers are, I just know I moved my butt for the day like I am suppose to. Of course I don't eat back my exercise calories so the number really doesn't matter.
  • mike737
    mike737 Posts: 68
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    Yes, MFP burned cals is correct, I don't input my weight on the machine at the gym and it tells me I burned 400 for 45 mins on the elip, and then when I put in the info on MFP its about double! Go with the MFP! Also when my weight changes the burn cals change.

    NO !!!! Dont trust the MFP cals ! its generally alot less.

    Knowing my body and after being HR monitored up, i will average about 600cals and hour on a eliptical machine
  • kiawya
    kiawya Posts: 73
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    You need a heart rate monitor to know for sure. I'd rather guess low.
  • mfpgeezy
    mfpgeezy Posts: 35
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    my understanding is that the machines are not nearly as accurate as an HRM.
    from my experience this is correct!
  • tiedye
    tiedye Posts: 331 Member
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    I burn a very low amount of calories because I'm pretty small 5'1 and 99 lbs, 30 minutes on an elliptical when I'm sweaty and disgusting, I burn about 120 calories. On a treadmill for 30 minutes I'd burn much much less. When I'm at the gym I look at other people's machines and they burn a lot more. I go by the machine usually when I input calories.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I have an HRM and sometimes the MFP score is way more than the HRM advises and sometimes it's less.

    What MFP cannot do is gauge the intensity of your workout. If you have gym equipment with pulse sensors and you input age/height/gender, then it should work like a HRM... but even then, the data it gives as calories burnt is yet another guestimate, because it can't measure your CO2 production so it's not an exact science. (...well not without the proper lab equipment :happy:)

    Exercise is the gift that keeps on giving... what you burn off during your workout... you will double that over the course of the next 24-48 hours. I believe that HRMs and the like do factor some of that into the equation, so don't think you can go wild and double your score :laugh:

    I see exercise not as a way to gain more calories to consume with food and drink, but as a way of keeping my body fit and active and hopefully that will stimulate it to burn a few extra Calories and aid the weight loss.
  • cjzoller
    cjzoller Posts: 5
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    The larger you are the more calories you burn during exercise. I sometimes compare calorie burn to vehicle fuel consumption.. Smaller the car, the more efficient it is at burning fuel - thus uses less fuel(or calories). Larger vehicles use much more fuel, because it takes more to move the weight.

    One thing to remember - every single way to measure calorie expenditure during a workout is just a guess. It is all estimation. Every method has a different calculation that use various sets of inputs. Like age, weight, sex, fitness level, v02 max..etc..

    Commercial use exercise equipment generally takes into account ONLY the speed of the treadmill/elliptical and average sex/weight for the target user.. due to the fact that many different people use the system and not all will take the time to add personal information each time they use the equipment. So as a result the calorie expenditure is not very personalized.

    Devices where you can add a large amount of personal details, and also measure intensity during a workout is going to be the best way. Hands down.

    In full transparency I work for Polar.
  • SarahBrown1979
    SarahBrown1979 Posts: 229 Member
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    Yes, MFP burned cals is correct, I don't input my weight on the machine at the gym and it tells me I burned 400 for 45 mins on the elip, and then when I put in the info on MFP its about double! Go with the MFP! Also when my weight changes the burn cals change.

    NO !!!! Dont trust the MFP cals ! its generally alot less.

    Knowing my body and after being HR monitored up, i will average about 600cals and hour on a eliptical machine

    My trainer at the gym told me not to trust the machine, as far as your burn and mine, I weigh alot diff and my HR is normally above 160, I do a lil over 2 miles for 45 mins, the Machine tells me I burned 400 cals, and thats when I don't put in my age and weight, I have yet to test it to see what it would be if I did put in my age and weight. But now I'm curious.
  • Maree_
    Maree_ Posts: 65
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    Thanks for all the info! I will have a mess about with the machine and see if I can work out how to put it in my weight height etc

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