Confused about the MFP exercise calories counter

phoenixgirl81

Ok, so I'm all very new to this whole MFP thing and I know that sometimes the food database can be inaccurate due to people adding to the database with incorrect/incomplete data...but is the same true for the exercise tab?

For instance, I've been trusing that when I walk around my street or through the bush or whatever at 3 miles an hour or 4 miles an hour (based on known distance and the time it took me to walk it) that the calories burned in the database has been accurate. However, today I went to the gym for the first time in around 5 years and I used the fandangled equipment where I had to enter my weight before I started so it could calculate my calories exerted accurately...and when I compared the same distance and same speed on the treadmill as walking around my area and the treadmill has me at HALF the calories burned that MFP does! Which do I trust?

meerkat70

the mfp estimates are just that. a hrm is a worthwhile investment.

phoenixgirl81

Excuse my ignorance... HRM = "heart rate monitor", yes?

And what do they do? Other than monitory your heart rate?

I'm TOTALLY new to all this. And having rheumatoid arthritis I have never investigated those things because I always assumed they were for the "serious" exercisers...

meerkat70

they can be used to calculate calorie burn. they're still an estimate, but a better, more individualized estimate.

2fit4fat

I'm not a serious exerciser and I love mine. Mfp and gym equiptment were WAY off for me :-) I bought mine (polar ft4) on Amazon for 50 bucks. Its addicting lol when I'm working out and watching it I push harder than without it for sure. I love watching the calorie number go up :-)

mostaverage

I've found that the MFP database entries are hit & miss - sometimes it estimates way over & sometimes way under - probably because the database can't tell the intensity of the exercise you are doing or your own level of fitness. Walking for 10 minutes in perfect conditions on a smooth flat surface will burn less cals that walking for 10 into a howling gale, uphill on a rocky path.
Gym equipment, if it has a built in heart rate monitor will give a better estimate than one without. The closest estimate you will get is with a personal heart rate monitor with a chest strap - this is still going to be an estimate but I don't think it's possible or feasible to be 100% on what you eat and what you burn. HTH!

phoenixgirl81

Thank you!