How many calories am I really burning?

kimM0707

Hello all,

I am new to this and am using the elliptical machine as my main source of exercise. The machine at my gym has a calorie burning display based on my speed, duration, age etc. For example, when i work out for an hour, it will usually tell me i burned anywhere from 570-600 calories. When I select the elliptical trainer option on the MFP App, it will say I burned 800 for the exact same amount of time. it would be nice if the app was right and the machine is wrong, but i am afraid of eating more than i actually burned so i have been going off of the machine. Has anyone else noticed this? Do you trust one over the other for any particular reason?

Thanks for your help!

ValerieMomof2

This is a very frequently asked question and both are off a little so your best bet is to get a HRM that you enter all your info (gender, weight, height, Resting HR.....) and that will be more accurate

concordancia

The machine has more information than MFP does, so it is probably more accurate.

emills1970

You should invest in a HRM. I use a Polar FT7 and I love it.

billsica

Go with the machine for now. HRM is a little bit of an investment. If you can guesstimate and be ok, then no real need right now.

When your ready, your going to want an HRM with a chest strap.

dcuevas6235

I was always wondering that myself, but for a different reason.

Of course the machine is not going to be accurate to the T, but I was wondering if those calories burned included a guestimate BMR for that time during a work out. Any one have any ideas?

btw BMR=basal metabolic rate for those reading who didn't know.

ashleab37

Before I got a HRM, I'd always just go with whichever is lower. Just safer that way if you're trying to lose.

CyberEd312

I only go off my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor. It gives me the best accuracy of the 3 and even then I only eat back 85% of those calories burned.... Best of Luck

Berlygirl10

I agree with all those that say get a HRM. I just started working out again and I was sweating crazy but the machines said I was only burning 150 calories.. got my HRM and I was doubling that amount

apriltrainer

Ditto. Get a Hrm. I have the polar ft 60. When I used to do cardio...the machines really overestimated what I burned. Also online tables that would guesstimate based on my height/weight also overestimated.

I remember when I first started running after I my first pregnancy to lose the baby weight...my heart rate monitor told me 100 cals. Later I hit a plateu and my hrm told me I was burning 50 in 10 min.. THAT WAS IT!

The treadmill? Always told me I was burning more. Always.

I stopped going by what the machines and online calcs would say and went by my hrm and saw better results. Of course now I don't do cardio but that's what I was doing when I did cardio. HRM. It really is a good investment.

kimM0707

Thanks to everyone who responded. I will be looking into getting an HRM, and in the mean time, will go off the lower of the two just to be safe.

Thanks!