Estimating calories burned: machine vs MFP

kokonutmama

So, I know there are a few fitness experts and those with a lot of experience on here that maybe can help me out with this:

I'm an average-sized person, and I tend to crank machines up to level "9"... I like a good sweat. I have an elliptical at home that does not ask for weight before calculating calories burned.

I just got off the elliptical trainer after an hour and the machine read 1200 something for calories burned. Seems like a lot to me. I put 60 minutes of elliptical into MFP and it comes up with about 600. I read online that machines can be off by "as much as 25%" in those estimates... so if I log 75% of what the machine told me, that's splitting the difference at 900.

My goal daily deficit is only 250 calories. I don't always work out for an hour, usually only 30 minutes, but over time, those differences could really add up to me being loosing weight faster than I want or even gaining, depending on what number I choose.

What do you all do?

Mom_To_5

the best thing to do is get a hr monitor, my treadmill is about double what my HRM says and the gym is off by about 1/3

i have never gone by what mfp says, so sorry on that, deon't know what to tellyou

stormieweather

MFP is a little high compared to what the machines at the gym say. But I've learned that a good (elliptical) cardio workout for me, involving pushing my limits, sweating and breathing heavily, burns off about 600 an hour. Otherwise, I use what the machines say, as long as they let me put in my weight (which has an impact on the calories burned).

kokonutmama

How does a HR monitor work as far as calculating calories burned?

arewethereyet

I have the polar f6. it has a strap around your chest and a watch that is the computer. You put in all your info to the watch.......then yoru HR is transmitted from the strap.

I tend to eat 75% of what the HR says......cuz I woulda burned cals just sitting!!

But on the Ellip, now that I am in pretty darn good shape, if I do say so myself and I DO:laugh: I burn around 600 cals in an hour. You are young, and appear to be in good shape........prob burn about that much.

When I was at my heaviest and most unhealthy, I stood in line for 8 hours to vote and exercised most of the time.........I burned 1400 calories.

Just an example.

I love your line Nipping it in the Bud.........that's the way uh-huh uh-huh I Like it uh-huh uh-huh!!:laugh:

kokonutmama

So, the faster your heart is working, the more calories you're burning? I did not know that! Doesn't that mean that really fit people who subsequently have low resting heart rates have a lower baseline (no "exercise" per se) caloric need than those who are the same weight and out of shape? It doesn't seem illogical, but it is a little surprising.

arewethereyet

So, the faster your heart is working, the more calories you're burning? I did not know that! Doesn't that mean that really fit people who subsequently have low resting heart rates have a lower baseline (no "exercise" per se) caloric need than those who are the same weight and out of shape? It doesn't seem illogical, but it is a little surprising.

No because to stay in shape, they have to keep it up.

For me it also means I have to work much harder now to lose weight. I am within my healthy weight range, but need to lose about 10-20 more pounds to get off the last of the nasty fat and I have to run my butt off to burn calories.

That is why lifting weights, especially towards the end of the weight loss, is so important. Muscles burn more calories!!

arewethereyet

also there are different levels for different things.

low intensity-65% is for long workouts like an hour or more you can last longer because you are not putting it all out there

high intensity-85% is cardio zone and really burns a LOT of calories

The easy way to figure it out is this

220- age (30)= 190 (highest heart rate)

190 x 85 % = 161

190 x 65% = 123

You can usually use the HR pads on the machines, or try to do it yourself (I stink at that, which is why I bought a HRM:blushing: )

In the beginning I stayed below 75% so I would have somewhere to go when I got more fit.

Good luck!!

kokonutmama

Thank you so much for taking the time to spell all that out for me. I found this website calculator:
http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm
That calculates calories by age, weight, and average heart rate. It looks like I probably didn't burn anywhere near 900, let alone 1200+ calories as per my machine. Maybe the machine is getting old... I do tend to burn through them :laugh:

Well, since I went out to dinner and have no idea how much I ate, we'll call the day a wash and now I know, HR is the key :happy:

Thanks again :flowerforyou: