Can't work it out, help please.

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jaabee11
jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I did 30 min on the treadmill and could only find one entry in the database to enter. It calculated the 30 minutes as 534 calories. That's way to high , surely. I need to find out for sure how to get it right as I don't want to be eating calories I shouldn't be and yesterday with that amount I couldn't eat them all anyway.
Any help much appreciated. thanks.
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Replies

  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    I get 361 here? Maybe it takes our individual bmi into account?
  • Puffins1958
    Puffins1958 Posts: 614 Member
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    I know for me, when I put in treadmill, I put down the amount of time, then when the calories comes up, it is NEVER accurate, and I just over type it with the correct amount of calories burned.....

    12117749.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
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    I did 30 min on the treadmill and could only find one entry in the database to enter. It calculated the 30 minutes as 534 calories. That's way to high , surely. I need to find out for sure how to get it right as I don't want to be eating calories I shouldn't be and yesterday with that amount I couldn't eat them all anyway.
    Any help much appreciated. thanks.

    It depends on your weight and activity. If you weigh more, you'll burn more.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
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    Did you put in walking? Cuz there are about 30 different options of speeds etc. for it.
  • jaabee11
    jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
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    @puffins. How do you know what is the correct amount though?
  • jaabee11
    jaabee11 Posts: 322 Member
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    @rodney & @ Jeff. Well, that's an amazing database if it does that then. You think it really does works it out on my weight?
  • rfarinha
    rfarinha Posts: 388 Member
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    Intensity, speed, distance, sex, and weight all play a role in how many calories you burned. I have found that MFP sometimes "overestimates" calories burned. Try using this:

    http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/exercise-calorie-calculator.html

    For example, if I put in that I walked 30 minutes at 2 mph, I would only have burned 127 calories, but if I walked those same 30 minutes at 5mph, then it jumps to 318 calories. Good Luck!
  • brigitte101
    brigitte101 Posts: 25
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    you can always buy a pedometer. It will record your steps and the calories burned.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
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    @rodney & @ Jeff. Well, that's an amazing database if it does that then. You think it really does works it out on my weight?

    the data base won't take into account your weight, etc, the data base is full of user entered exercises. you can try to find the one that indicates the speed you were going (ie, 3.0 mph, uphill) but you won't get a very accurate reading unless you snag a heart rate monitor.....and even then the jury is out on just how accurate they are!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    @rodney & @ Jeff. Well, that's an amazing database if it does that then. You think it really does works it out on my weight?

    I don't think anything is 100% accurate. Just log it in or use "walking" if that calorie count seems better. Conservative is probably better. Then track for a few weeks and see if you still lose weight. If not, then you're either tracking the food calories wrong, exercise calories wrong, etc...
  • recastro
    recastro Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, it does take into account your weight and BMI when giving you exercise calories. Initially, when I did 30mins, it was giving me 450. Now, after I lost 20 pds, it gives me closer to 300 calories. When you think about it, makes sense; assuming you keep the same speed, its harder to walk 3 miles in 30 mins when you are 300pounds vs. 200 pounds.

    The key is the speed. Try to find out the distance you walked in the amount of time. For example, if you walked 2 miles in 30mins, then look for the entry "Walking, 4.0mph". You can tell the faster you go, the more calories you burn. Hope this helps.
  • Ephena
    Ephena Posts: 615 Member
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    Get a Heart Rate Monitor, Polar brand is really good. I found out I was way overestimating my workout calories
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    @rodney & @ Jeff. Well, that's an amazing database if it does that then. You think it really does works it out on my weight?

    the data base won't take into account your weight, etc, the data base is full of user entered exercises. you can try to find the one that indicates the speed you were going (ie, 3.0 mph, uphill) but you won't get a very accurate reading unless you snag a heart rate monitor.....and even then the jury is out on just how accurate they are!

    This is incorrect. The MFP database for exercise calories DOES take your weight, age, height, gender, etc. Into account. (edited to add - at a minimum it considers your weight. Possibly other factors.) User-entered exercises are only available to that individual user - you can't access stuff other users have entered - it's not like the food database.
  • jlfred
    jlfred Posts: 65 Member
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    You can use the calorie estimate given by the treadmill, or use one of the "calories burned calculators" out there (like this one: http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fitness-calorie-counter) that take into consideration the activity as well as your weight.

    But, in reality, the only way to get an accurate idea of how many calories you are burning is to get a heart rate monitor, a bodybugg, body media fit, or a fit bit.
  • sparklemummy
    sparklemummy Posts: 13
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    The treadmill and other equipment I use at the gym I go to has the calories on the machine. I have to input my weight and age though and I guess it calculates it like that. My friend weighs less than me but does the same regime, and she burns less calories because of it.
    If I can give you an example it might help......I go on for 15 mins, a mixture of fast walking up an incline and short quick runs in between and I burn approx 150 calories.
  • merB89
    merB89 Posts: 122
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    just search "walking" in the database and it'll give you a bunch of different speeds which you can figure out from the speed you set you treadmill to
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Try this site.... http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php then click "Activity Calculator". You can put in your weight, and choose from activities that will help you get a 'hopefully more accurate' result. I often use it on activities that I don't do very often! It's more weight based and when you weigh more, as others have said, it takes more energy to move your weight around. Hope that helps!! I use a HRM for all of my caloric burns. Might wanna save up for one :)
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I use 100 calories per mile.

    I'd never be able to find it now, but there were a couple of articles that I read that stated that a mile is about 100 calories, regardless of speed, etc. It was a credible source and it made sense to me, So that's what I use.
  • jlfred
    jlfred Posts: 65 Member
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    Weight will absolutely play a factor in how many calories you burn (and the MFP and most (if not all) calculators will take that into account). The more you weigh, the more calories you burn doing the same excercise. But, fitness level will also play a roll in how many calories you burn -- a 150 lb. fit man will burn fewer calories when running 30 mins. at 5 mph than a 150 lb. out-of-shape man running the same distance at the same speed. So, even the best calculators/databases are only going to be an estimate.

    The treadmill/elliptical always puts my calories burned at about 200-300 calories over what I actually burn. But my friend, who is just starting out excercising, uses the same machines, and it always under-estimates her calorie burn.
  • Play_outside
    Play_outside Posts: 528 Member
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    The one time I ran on a treadmill I used the calories burned that the treadmill told me since I had to input my weight and it knew the speeds I was going and the distance. If you have a smartphone and you are doing things outside, there's a great app called runkeeper that tracks your distance, speed, and time and tells you how many calories burned. I'm not sure if it takes your weight into account, but I can get back to you on that next time I run with my friend who also uses the app-we'll see if ours give us different calories burned.
    If I am not sure I google "calories burned x" for the activity I'm doing and then I will choose one of the lower numbers as I'd rather underestimate, even though I am heavy and am probably burning more.

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