Don't trust your treadmill

SassyCalyGirl
SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
Make sure you invest in a good heart monitor to record your calories burned I was very disappointed to find that my treadmill was lying to me! Even after programming it with my stats. Beware!

Replies

  • startingover42
    startingover42 Posts: 28
    Until I got a HRM I used the treadmill and elliptical settings...you are right...way off..and cheating. Love my HRM!
  • luvbwfc
    luvbwfc Posts: 107 Member
    The Technogym treadmills at the gym aren't too far out from the number I calculate from average HRM, when programmed with my weight.

    Male 109 KG
  • Beehiveof8
    Beehiveof8 Posts: 85 Member
    I never trust any of the equiptment's calorie count. Even the Precor's at the gym. I always use my HRM. The estimates the equipment gives me is always wrong. I mean like, really wrong. And I found the more calories I burn, the more off the equipment is. My advice is totally ignore the calorie count feature on any of it, except your trusty HRM.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    I don't use the treadmill calorie counter. I have a cheap Sportline watch/heartrate monitor that calculates my calories burned and heartrate. It had to put in my stats (age, weight, etc). Even though its just a cheap HRM, I hope its more accurate than the treadmill.
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
    We have a live strong treadmill, and its really quite close to my HRM.
  • starwhisperer
    starwhisperer Posts: 367
    I am too cheap to by a HRM (yeah that is sad) so I figure I burn about a third of what the machines and MFP tell me. You guys give me an idea of how the machines were off for you. Am I about right thinking 1/3 of what it says?
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    Ive always gone off what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    I am too cheap to by a HRM (yeah that is sad) so I figure I burn about a third of what the machines and MFP tell me. You guys give me an idea of how the machines were off for you. Am I about right thinking 1/3 of what it says?

    Your weight and bodies efficiency are the factors. The more muscle you build or have the harder you have to workout to burn the calories. Changing up your workouts help. You should not have a "routine" because your body will adapt. My HRM was about 50 bucks and well worth it.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    Ive always gone of what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:

    Exactly. All my weight lost going off machine and MFP readings and I have no problems. I even eat back the calories. Calorie counting is never a completely precise science.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Ive always gone of what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:

    Exactly. All my weight lost going off machine and MFP readings and I have no problems. I even eat back the calories. Calorie counting is never a completely precise science.

    The other advantage the HRM has is the alerts for too high or to low of a heart rate while exercising. It just helps keep me in line.
  • starwhisperer
    starwhisperer Posts: 367
    I am too cheap to by a HRM (yeah that is sad) so I figure I burn about a third of what the machines and MFP tell me. You guys give me an idea of how the machines were off for you. Am I about right thinking 1/3 of what it says?

    Your weight and bodies efficiency are the factors. The more muscle you build or have the harder you have to workout to burn the calories. Changing up your workouts help. You should not have a "routine" because your body will adapt. My HRM was about 50 bucks and well worth it.

    I know I know lol everyone says they are fantastic! I am about to move so maybe after I get all that crazy out of the way I can go buy one.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    Ive always gone of what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:

    Exactly. All my weight lost going off machine and MFP readings and I have no problems. I even eat back the calories. Calorie counting is never a completely precise science.

    The other advantage the HRM has is the alerts for too high or to low of a heart rate while exercising. It just helps keep me in line.

    Oh im not knocking it for anyone that wants to use one,I just relized for me its unnesscary.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    ask Santa to bring you one this year! :flowerforyou:
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Ive always gone of what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:

    Exactly. All my weight lost going off machine and MFP readings and I have no problems. I even eat back the calories. Calorie counting is never a completely precise science.

    The other advantage the HRM has is the alerts for too high or to low of a heart rate while exercising. It just helps keep me in line.

    Oh im not knocking it for anyone that wants to use one,I just relized for me its unnesscary.

    I did not take offense at all. :happy:
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
    I had a similar experience just last night... the treadmill said 150 calories after 15 minutes of a brisk walk, but I punched it into the exercise section on MFP and it said 90 or something... a very dramatic difference!

    My question is - does the MFP calculator take into account your stats like age, weight, etc. (seeing as they're entered there for tracking purposes) or is it the same for anyone who puts in the 15 minutes of walking at 4mph pace?
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    Not sure about this sites calculators I don't use them. But I can tell you I have to jog at 5.0 mph to burn 90 calories
  • baybear14
    baybear14 Posts: 56 Member
    I am hoping that Santa brings one to me this year! :wink:
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Ive always gone off what the machines tell me and never had a problem,I was going to buy a HRM but I lost 60 pounds just fine without one so im not wasting my money:happy:

    I totally agree with this. I lost 60lbs not using a HRM. I based everything off the machine numbers and did just fine. So, yeah... I'm not buying one.
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
    yep I go with my HRM I normaly burn double the cals on the treadmil from what the machine tells me lol ( last nights run treadmill said I burned 329 cals and my HRM said 736 thats a HUGE difference)
  • jfcarlson713
    jfcarlson713 Posts: 108 Member
    I agree - my elliptical said I was burning 460 cal in 30 minutes but my HRM said it was only 280. I have already lost 37 lbs with another 15 to hit my goal. As I was getting closer to goal it was getting harder to loose any weight. This explains it. Today I am wearing my HRM for 24 hrs to find out what I actually burn in a day instead of using "averages". I figure these numbers will not only get me to my goal but help me maintain once I get there.

    Good luck to all!:wink:
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    I am too cheap to by a HRM (yeah that is sad) so I figure I burn about a third of what the machines and MFP tell me. You guys give me an idea of how the machines were off for you. Am I about right thinking 1/3 of what it says?

    Ok so today I measured what my treadmill say against my HRM for calories burned. Mine is just over double from what my HRM says.....hope that helps you.
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