Calories--Machines, MFP, and HRMs

Azdak

This being the start of a new year, there are a lot of questions from people starting up programs on how to track their energy intake and output. A lot people got new HRMs as holiday presents, put them on--and came away more confused than before.

People are setting up their exercise diaries and running into issues using the MFP database.

And then there is the eternal question of "Should I eat back my exercise calories?", followed immediately by "Should I log cleaning (baking, laundry, shoe-tying, standing, etc) as Exercise?".

I thought it might be useful to present some information of all of these topics.

Here's the catch: No, I'm going to explain it all here--you have to do your homework.

I thought I would reach into my bag of Azdak's Greatest Hits and provide links to my previous writings of the topics.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/exercise-calories-sometimes-the-cardio-machines-are-more-accurate-404739

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/estimating-calories-activity-databases-198041

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/new-hrm-how-to-make-the-calorie-estimate-more-accurate-183102

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/activities-to-log-or-not-to-log-57883

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/calories-burned-during-exercise-it-s-the-intensity-not-the-heart-rate-that-counts-26524

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

The titles in the links should be descriptive enough about the content.

Hope this is helpful.

imaginaryplaces

Bumping for all the new folks who have questions about the most accurate way to measure calories from exercise.