Couch to 5k Calories?

I've been using my iPhone app to track my Couch to 5k process, and it's been telling me that I've been burning 516 calories for each session. However, I plugged the walking and jogging time into Myfitnesspal, and it's told me that I burned around 200 calories. Which is closer to being correct?

Replies

  • tony1307
    tony1307 Posts: 127 Member
    I have a pedomter APP on my iphone.. I had it running in background mode wihile running the C25K app.
    For the 30 minutes, 5 warm up, 20 program, 5 cool down... it read 303 cals
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
    I usually hit about 250 calories.. and I'm fairly active and 275. I would say 200 cals is more likely to be correct.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    Wearing my HRM I burn around 350....but the area I "wog" in is very hilly.
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
    Your best bet is gonna be to get an HRM with a chest strap and go with that. Every thing is going to be an estimate, but an HRM will be the closest estimate you'll get.
  • arogers98
    arogers98 Posts: 38 Member
    This is the reason I finally invested in a HRM.

    I will say that I am 5'2" and currently weigh 163.8 lbs.

    Since I started the C25K 7 weeks ago it says that I burn anywhere
    from 204 to 240 calories depending on the length of the intervals.

    I'm not in it to break any speed records so I set the treadmill to 3.7 mph.
  • janjan369
    janjan369 Posts: 98 Member
    Your best bet is gonna be to get an HRM with a chest strap and go with that. Every thing is going to be an estimate, but an HRM will be the closest estimate you'll get.
    ^^ THIS. I noticed that MFP or other apps were giving me incorrect calories burned. An HRM is the way to go.
  • JodieElijah
    JodieElijah Posts: 136 Member
    This is the reason I finally invested in a HRM.

    I will say that I am 5'2" and currently weigh 163.8 lbs.

    Since I started the C25K 7 weeks ago it says that I burn anywhere
    from 204 to 240 calories depending on the length of the intervals.

    I'm not in it to break any speed records so I set the treadmill to 3.7 mph.

    Same. I track all my calories via my HRM.
  • lripson28
    lripson28 Posts: 213 Member
    According to my HRM, I usually burn between 200-250 calories each workout.
  • MinaAriel
    MinaAriel Posts: 138 Member
    I'm on week 2 and I'm averaging about 300 calories. If you eat back your exercise calories, I would go with the lower number.
  • maledoux
    maledoux Posts: 24 Member
    I use an iphone app for C25k too. You might want to double check that the weight is correctly set in the program. Mine would say that I burned over 500 calories too, until I realized it was sent in kg units instead of lbs. big difference
  • Starbec
    Starbec Posts: 43 Member
    I haven't yet purchased a HRM but this is the exact reason I'm going to.
    I did W7 D2 of the C25K program this morning (so running for 25 minutes) and was also running Endomondo to track my distance and speed etc.
    According to MFP's approximate I burned 177 cals. Endomondo said I burned 267. I've decided until I get my HRM I'll just sit somewhere in between - probably around 200.
  • Graciecny
    Graciecny Posts: 302 Member
    Depending on what day and how hard I was hitting it, I've seen anywhere from 230 or so to 440. Huge swing! Yesterday when I was doing the treadmill thing w/out HRM, I took the treadmill estimate and logged about 60% of what it said. If I were doing MFP, I'd think about taking a percentage for the jogging portion as that always seems to run high for me. YMMV, of course, which is why I invested in a HRM - unfortunately I forgot it yesterday...twice. :huh: Seriously, went home for it and got distracted and got to the gym without it, after making a trip home for it (about 1.5 miles from where I was, thankfully). I felt like an idiot. :laugh: :embarassed:
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    If I'm in the earlier weeks of C25K I'm in the 250-300 category. When I get in the later weeks I get more towards 300-450 category. That's walking at 3.9 and running at 5mph. I'm 5'7 and 153lbs.
  • 6months_to_go
    6months_to_go Posts: 4 Member
    Haha I think 'wog' is my new favourite word!
  • spade117
    spade117 Posts: 2,466 Member
    If I eat 5k calories, I'm heading straight for the couch.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    In the earlier stages when it was primarily intervals, I was more in the neighborhood of 200 - 250...when the runs became longer it was more in the 300 - 350 range. It also was variable per my route...I have a few different routes I run; if I do a maintenance 5K on my hilly route I'll burn upwards of 400 + calories...if it's one of my flatter routes I'll be more in the 300 range for an actual 5K