Why are my calorie burns so low?

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jessica7368
jessica7368 Posts: 64 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I feel like I STRUGGLE to burn 400 calories in 1 hour. And all my MFP friends are burning 600+ calories in that time? My heart rate is generally in the 155-168 range... I weigh 146 right now (down 34lbs)...anyone know how I can get my burns higher? I just don't think I can get my heart-rate higher and work out for the same time!
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Replies

  • Louise1583
    Louise1583 Posts: 97 Member
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    600 in an hour? For real? Are they doing REALLY intensive workouts? My average is 400 in an hour if I'm really going for it at the gym.

    Stick with what is working for you, don't compare yourself too much! You're obviously doing well and you wouldn't want to rush your weight loss anyway, right?

    Keep going as you are!
  • ldalbello
    ldalbello Posts: 207 Member
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    I weight the same as you and usually burn 400 in an hour also. Working for me as I have lost 35 pounds so far.
  • mmstgr
    mmstgr Posts: 578 Member
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    The better shape you're in, the easier time you'll have with the same old routine.
    Switch it up.
    Try something new. Add weights.
  • AbiNichole
    AbiNichole Posts: 300 Member
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    The heavier you are and the older- the more calories you burn. Are your friends very overweight? There's your answer right there.

    If you want to burn more calories increase your intensity w/ added weights, resistance or longer workouts.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    600 cals an hour???? That is what I burn in an intense class!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    There are lots of factors at play in calculating calorie burn. Comparing your burns to other people's is NEVER a good idea.

    Work hard and challenge your body, that's about all you can do.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
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    They could just be using what MFP says - which is way off...

    I burn about ~10 calories a minute when doing cardio on something like an ellipitical...but that is from when my heart rate gets up and stays up...so for 40 minutes on the elliptical I usually record 325...

    Overweight people with large body fat % will usually burn a greater number of calories to begin with...and then it will level off as they get smaller...think about something like the biggest loser - all out of shape, large individuals and the first few weeks they dump weight ...as they get smaller and fitter = the less weight they loose even though they are doing probably the same amount of exercise and diet...
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
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    600 in an hour is pushing really hard for me on the crossramp. I've done 700 in just over an hour. However, that is going FULL ON, which I only do 1x a week. I have 50 lbs to lose.
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    I feel like I STRUGGLE to burn 400 calories in 1 hour. And all my MFP friends are burning 600+ calories in that time? My heart rate is generally in the 155-168 range... I weigh 146 right now (down 34lbs)...anyone know how I can get my burns higher? I just don't think I can get my heart-rate higher and work out for the same time!

    I burn 400 in one hr, and im dripping sweat ur not alone!
  • runfrommygenes
    runfrommygenes Posts: 83
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    Heart rate monitors work on a VO2 max rate... I know my Polar6 has a way to set it to my own vo2 max... The higher your vo2 max the more calories you burn per minute.
    A vo2 max can be tested many ways, (you can google some, that aren't super accurate...) HOWEVER, the most accurate is having a NEWLEAF test done.
    Hope this helps...
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    I feel like I STRUGGLE to burn 400 calories in 1 hour. And all my MFP friends are burning 600+ calories in that time? My heart rate is generally in the 155-168 range... I weigh 146 right now (down 34lbs)...anyone know how I can get my burns higher? I just don't think I can get my heart-rate higher and work out for the same time!
    Come and take my spin class. You'll burn 600. :wink: It mostly has to do with how fit you are and how much you weight. The smaller you are, and the better cardio health...the fewer calories the body burns because it isn't having to work as hard.
  • getfitdiva
    getfitdiva Posts: 1,148 Member
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    Yes you will quickly burn 600+ in a spin class, stepmill (rotating steps), arc trainer.
  • shurleec
    shurleec Posts: 99 Member
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    I have a HRM and I usually burn anywear from 620-675 ( once I burned 799 in a class but that seemed like alot) during 1 hr classes like turbo kick and Zumba. I definitely do the high impact. I am 155 5'2. I probably burn more b/c I am not in the best shape and heavier.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    You could gain about 50 pounds, but I don't think that's really what you want.......

    Seriously. The first thing to consider is that whatever method you are using to estimate calories is off. But body weight is going to have a lot to do with it, and at 146 pounds, you are in a relatively small group on this website.

    To put it in perspective:

    For someone your age, an "above average" aerobic fitness level is considered to be 12 METs (MET is a measure of aerobic fitness)

    70% of max fitness level is considered a "medium hard" intensity--the level you would be able to sustain for an hour, but it would be work.

    At your weight (66 kg), working at 8.4 METs (70% of 12 METs) your calorie burn for an hour would be 550 calories.

    That's just an example, since I don't know your fitness level, but it gives you an idea of the general neighborhood.

    So--reasons why your calorie count might be lower than others:

    1. Your method of estimating calories is inaccurate.
    2. Other people are overestimating their calories.
    3. Your current max aerobic fitness level is medium to low.
    4. You may not be working at a higher intensity.
    5. You may be choosing activities (e.g. walking, classes) that don't lend themselves to working at a higher intensity.
  • Femtec74
    Femtec74 Posts: 347 Member
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    I feel like I STRUGGLE to burn 400 calories in 1 hour. And all my MFP friends are burning 600+ calories in that time? My heart rate is generally in the 155-168 range... I weigh 146 right now (down 34lbs)...anyone know how I can get my burns higher? I just don't think I can get my heart-rate higher and work out for the same time!

    I was actually wondering the same thing. I burn about 400 in an hour according to my HRM. I think a lot of people use the estimates on the site which I find to be high. Just keep doing what you're doing. :)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I feel like I STRUGGLE to burn 400 calories in 1 hour. And all my MFP friends are burning 600+ calories in that time? My heart rate is generally in the 155-168 range... I weigh 146 right now (down 34lbs)...anyone know how I can get my burns higher? I just don't think I can get my heart-rate higher and work out for the same time!

    If you are following MFP calorie guide, then all burning more cals will do is allow you to eat more. If you need those extra 200 cals (difference between 400-600 burned) then just go for longer.
  • sobriquet84
    sobriquet84 Posts: 607 Member
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    Are these people "burning 600 calories an hour" very heavy??

    The bigger you are, the more you're going to burn. You're only 146, 400 in an hour is reasonable, expected, and a great workout!
  • khrys1
    khrys1 Posts: 444 Member
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    I have noticed that the heavier you are, the more you burn doing activities, and as you get lighter, you burn less and less, because you're not carrying around as much weight. Maybe your friends weigh more than you, or maybe they're doing crazy workouts! Just keep doing what you're doing- 400 calories is an AWESOME burn!
  • ArchyJill
    ArchyJill Posts: 548 Member
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    Ah yes, the benefits of bein out of shape! It's not all about weight, your heart rate plays a huge factor too. For instance, my heart rate during a run went down about 15bmp over the course of a week, and so I burned about 60 calories less for that workout even though my weight remained the same.
  • Angie80281
    Angie80281 Posts: 444 Member
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    The lighter and more in shape you are, the less you burn. Since losing my weight, I burn significantly less than I used to for the same exercises. If you have a lot of guy friends on here, it can be particularly frustrating because they burn sooooo much more because of their size, but it's just a fact of life. There are high-intensity workouts you could do, but otherwise, it just is what it is.

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