MFP off on calories burned during certain exercises?

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  • christinajohnson
    christinajohnson Posts: 102 Member
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    There are several questionable calories burned exercises, but I think having a ballpark of what you've burned is a good start. The ellipticals can burn a lot, but it depends on incline and resistance, as well as effort exerted by the user. I also have a gazelle. There is no resistance and I have been unable to find a calories counter or ball park of what one burns/minute using it. I have guessed at just 5 calories per minute with vigorous pace. The running, again, depends on personal condition and effort speed, incline and whether you are indoors or outdoors. I use a Nike + GPS app and my treadmill and the MFP and log the calories somewhere in the middle.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    Yes, and you must tweak these numbers to fit you.
    It's an educated guess.
  • kds0682
    kds0682 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you so much for all the quick advice! I will def get a HRM asap! My treadmill obviously had a counter on it and the gazelle does not so I just used MFP calories burned for an elliptical. I will now knock off some of the estimate and maybe that will make it a little more accurate until I get the elliptical and HRM.
  • chauser1022
    chauser1022 Posts: 33
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    I am new to MFP also. I do a lot of weight training on top of the cardio as well as group fitness classes. Is there a way to put in the calories burned for strength training? Am I just missing it? I know when I work with my trainer....I have to be burning some calories...lol.
  • kds0682
    kds0682 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you so much! I will def check out this site =)
  • kds0682
    kds0682 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you! That makes sense. I will begin to log mine this way also.
  • sarahnicolexoxo
    sarahnicolexoxo Posts: 230
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    The calories were always way off for me when entering my exercises into MFP. So, I got a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) just to have more accuracy.
  • kds0682
    kds0682 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hey Katie,

    I just started using my gazelle again and was having a hard time with inputting calories. Check out this link: http://www.fatburn.com/free_tool_activity_burn.asp

    For me, it seems pretty accurate. I don't think that I work as hard on it as I do on an elliptical... so I think it works ok. Eventually I want to get a HRM so I can be more accurate. Good luck and hope this helps! :)



    Thank you so much! I will def check out this site =)
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
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    I always think they are way over, so I look up my exercise on several website, then take the average of all of them. It seems to work well enough.
  • kds0682
    kds0682 Posts: 8 Member
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    I log the gazelle as a ski machine. It does not have the same range of movement as an eliptical.

    I always estimate at half if I am eating back the calories burned (just by what others have said ;-)). I definately think I need to invest in an heart rate monitor though. Does anyone recommend a specific one?



    Thank you! That makes sense. I will begin to log mine this way also.
  • tikanique
    tikanique Posts: 54 Member
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    the stationary bike calories are ridiculously off. I don't eat back the calories that MFP says I should or I'd be eating close to 2000 calories a day. Instead my calorie goal is set between 1200 and 1400 per day. As I lose weight and am able to do higher intensity exercises then I'll increase my caloric intake again.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    MFP has no clue of what your actual effort was during the exercise, so yes the calorie estimates can easily be way off. The thing is, machines at the gym can be way off, too. If you're having to choose between what a machine says and what MFP says, the safe thing to do is probably to go with whichever is lower. Even better is to get a device that will help estimate based on your level of effort, an HRM or something like the BodyMedia Fit, etc. Those things are still an estimate, but I like the idea that they are estimating with your effort in mind. I love my Polar FT4 HRM, works great for helping me estimate my calorie burn during exercise, but I would really love to get a BodyMedia Fit which you can wear all day to estimate your calorie burn for the entire day. Saving up to get one of those....

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