correct calories burned?

jennydanger77

i scrolled through to see if there was a recent thread on this, but found nothing.

there is a huge difference between what the elliptical machine at the gym says for calories burned vs the exercise tool here. the elliptical says i burned 210 in 20 min [random hill settings, low intensity]. and when i entered elliptical machine here it gave my number of almost 400.

also, how do i enter each different strength training exercise i did. such as hip abductor, leg press, lat pull, etc? when i entered general strength training it gave me 110 calories burned in 20 min.

these numbers seem odd to me.

help?

sadafajmal

Same problem with me. Would like to hear the answers

smpreston

Calculators and machines are going to vary by nature. They are generalized and don't take into account your age, height, weight and fitness level. A heart rate monitor is your best bet. Until then, I would either average the two numbers or go with the lower one. If you find yourself not having enough energy, you may need to up your calories and use a higher estimate.

meganrboorsma

Depending on the machine you are using at the gym, you need to make sure to correctly enter your age/weight/height/sex into the computer before you begin your workout. Then, make sure that you are using the touch pads to get your heart rate into the machine every few minutes, this is how your caloric burn is calculated.

The best advice I can give you is to invest in a heart rate monitor. They run anywhere from $80-500, from the beginning to elite athletes. The more expensive ones do all kinds of things, but the I bought one almost 3 years ago calculates calories, time in zone, average and peak heart rate. I spent $100, and it comes with a band you wear around your chest and the monitor watch. It's really the most accurate assessment of your burn, as you set it up for yourself when you begin using it. I love mine, I wear it every time I work out, and it has been a great tool for me in countless ways. You can get them at most sporting good stores. Don't be tempted to buy the cheaper one that doesn't have the strap, they aren't nearly as accurate.

I'm new to this site, so I can't speak to the weight lifting calculations, but your own HRM would come into play there as well. My mantra is 'I AM NOT LEAVING THIS GYM UNTIL I'VE BURNED 500 CALORIES'. It's great, you'll love it!

Lucylaser

I just got a heart rate monitor with a chest strap to measure caloric burn. I love it. And I think the numbers are more realistic (but sadly lower) than the MFP or machine calculations. I was stuck on a long plateau and have finally started to see some downward motion on the scale since I started to use it.

I got a lower end polar model, and am very pleased with it.

efarrar13

i scrolled through to see if there was a recent thread on this, but found nothing.

there is a huge difference between what the elliptical machine at the gym says for calories burned vs the exercise tool here. the elliptical says i burned 210 in 20 min [random hill settings, low intensity]. and when i entered elliptical machine here it gave my number of almost 400.

also, how do i enter each different strength training exercise i did. such as hip abductor, leg press, lat pull, etc? when i entered general strength training it gave me 110 calories burned in 20 min.

these numbers seem odd to me.

help?

Jenny.....I went out and got a cheap heart rate monitor for this reason. Make sure you get one with the chest strap. It will tell you the actual calories burned. For example, my Nike+ chips said I burned around 600 calories on a run I did. My heart rate monitor said I burned around a 1000. My course is a tough hill course so it make sense that the Nike+ would be off because it has no idea if I am running on flat ground or hills. The excercise equipment might not be factoring in your weight. Safest thing to do is get a HRM.

efarrar13

I got my hrm for $50 at walmart.

chazbo35

Polar makes some great HRM's. Find one of those and go off of what that says instead of the machines. Some machines are pretty close while others, not so much. good luck!

yesthistime

I use the lower of the two numbers. For the elliptical, the machine's number is always way lower than MFP's estimate for me. But for the treadmill, the machine's number is typically higher than MFP. I would hate to overestimate my calories burned and then end up eating back too many calories.

Cathy92

I always underestimate what calorie burn my gym machine says when I log in my calories . As long as I continue losing weight, then it's working for me. Also, I try to be as accurate as possible with logging in calories eaten, but I'm sure there's some leeway there too...I tend to play it on the safe side.

jennydanger77

the machine has you enter you weight and age, and has the heart rate monitor built in with sensors. my heart rate was about 150- 165 for both exercises [elliptical and treadmill].


also, i have a problem eating enough calories daily. its a challenge to reach 1200. yesterday i did surpass 1300 though. but usually its 900-1000. so i dont have to worry about over eating. but i want to make sure i get as close to what is neccesary as possible.

jennydanger77

balls! im supposed to eat 2568 calories today based on the exercise i did. how the hell does anyone eat that much food?