Something Helpful- NET vs GROSS Kcal

Louise1247
Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
:smile: From a useful website I found, I will try to summarise how to work out a REAL calorie burn instead of GROSS.

“Gross calorie burn is the absolute total amount of calories burned while performing any given activity. It includes the calories that your body burned specifically to perform the activity itself, plus the additional calories burned throughout the duration of the physical activity that your body must continually burn at all times to digest food, keep tissues alive, and support the function of vital organs.”

:smile: Basically, the gross calories is what you would burn to live (during the time of activity-BMR) and the calories burned for the activity.

”Net calorie burn, for any given physical activity, is the amount of calories burned only to perform the physical activity, and no more. As opposed to gross calorie burn, net calorie burn does not include calories burned to support your RMR”.

NET calories are what you burned during the activity only, minus the calories burned to live.

:smile: Gross=

Gross Calorie Burn = (calories burned to support physical activity) + (calories burned to supportRMR)
Gross Calorie Burn = (net calorie burn) + (calories burned to support RMR)

:smile: Net=

Net Calorie Burn = calories burned to support physical activity
Net Calorie Burn = (gross calorie burn) – (calories burned to support RMR)

:smile: The site explains a situation to make it clearer:

“A typical calorie burn calculator on a treadmill provides gross calorie burn estimates. If you run on a treadmill (one that provides gross calorie burn estimates) until it says that you have burned 250 calories, it is not lying, you have in fact burned 250 calories, but a substantial portion of those calories were burned to support your RMR and so they would have been burned anyway, even if you were at home sitting on the couch. They are not calories that can be counted toward weight loss in your overall caloric balance, because they were already being burned before you started your weight loss program (remember, calories are always being burned to support your RMR, no matter what you are doing) and were and are balanced out by your unmodified calorie consumption. You need to figure out what your net calorie burn was on the treadmill and count only this number toward your weight loss goal.”

:smile: Another thing to consider is your VO2max- your resting heart rate. Calculate it and use it for a more accurate reading. There is a huge difference without it!

Calculate it here: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx#restingheartrate

:smile: Give it a go!!

Gross calorie burn: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

Gross calorie burn including VO2max: Same as above, but lower on page

Net Calorie burn: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx

:smile: For example:

If I do 49 mins cleaning with an average heart rate of 127bmp, I burn a GROSS amount of 348 kcal

My GROSS with VO2max considered would be 279 calories

My NET then is 223 calories- THE REAL READING

Your basic rate would be calculated in your calorie goal already.

:smile:
*This all takes into consideration my age, height and weight.

Replies

  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    Hope this helps people :)
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    Gonna give it an early bump :)
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
    Interesting...........I did an exercise class yesterday and burned 580 cals according to my HRM which is about the same as it says on the NET calculator
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    That's a whole lot of work for a difference of 56 cals!

    Interesting, though.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    Gross calorie burn including VO2max: Same as above, but lower on page

    Net Calorie burn: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx

    Maybe I'm dense but I don't see anywhere on that link where it uses VO2max...
  • 2essie
    2essie Posts: 2,851 Member
    Bump
  • 2essie
    2essie Posts: 2,851 Member
    Totally discouraged now. :(
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    That's a whole lot of work for a difference of 56 cals!

    Interesting, though.

    Agreed (although its a few more than 56 for me). I'll continue wearing my HRM and go from there. I haven't had any trouble losing weight with it.
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    Im a little bit of a detail addict thats why I do it :)
    Gross calorie burn including VO2max: Same as above, but lower on page

    Net Calorie burn: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx

    Maybe I'm dense but I don't see anywhere on that link where it uses VO2max...
    And the link i provided for the VO2max is on the same page (ABOVE LINK, you quoted below link), lower down.
    Says "Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator (for known VO2max)"

    People are fine doing it the normal way, but i wanna be as precise as possible :)
    Totally discouraged now. :(
    Dont get discouraged if its working for you!!
    Interesting...........I did an exercise class yesterday and burned 580 cals according to my HRM which is about the same as it says on the NET calculator
    And some HRM that calculate the calories for you already give u the NET as it considers your details

    Mine is HR only
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    That's a whole lot of work for a difference of 56 cals!

    Interesting, though.

    Thats true, but its fast on the website and 56 kcal is a lot to me :)

    an extra snack!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    Ok, thanks. I found it...
    My Polar HRM gives a LOWER calorie burn than the known VO2max Gross and Gross to NET calculation.

    (60 min. exercise, VO2max=44, 128 avg. HR)
    VO2max Gross : 674
    Gross to NET: 600
    Polar HRM: 545

    At least it seems I'm underestimating the burn.
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    Ok, thanks. I found it...
    My Polar HRM gives a LOWER calorie burn than the known VO2max Gross and Gross to NET calculation.

    (60 min. exercise, VO2max=44, 128 avg. HR)
    VO2max Gross : 674
    Gross to NET: 600
    Polar HRM: 545

    At least it seems I'm underestimating the burn.

    Underesitmating is much better than over! :)
  • AJelinski
    AJelinski Posts: 36
    I was going to ask the question of net vs. gross calorie burn but you've already answered the question. So, from this day forward, I am using the Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide" by B. E. Ainsworth to track my physical activities and I then will use the gross to net calorie calculator before I record my exercises on MFP. Yesterday I worked in the yard...tilling, leveling, raking, etc., for several hours. I used the calculator to figure the activity and it said I burned over 750 Kcal. I then converted and it was more like 550, Today was house cleaning...500+ down to 303...

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