How to calculate calorie burn

EmmaReed84

I read a thread earlier about how the machines in the gym are not accurate and usually over estimate how many calories you burn, meaning that if you eat back your exercise calories you could be eating back too much.

I generally fill my diary in before the days starts so I know what I am having (when I just wing it, that is when I get lazy with food)

I have started doing heavy lifting and at the gym I go to, you have a key and you log in and out, my program has all the details including my program for the weighs, I basically "tick off" what I have done and it gives me a calorie estimate for that work out so I can log it here.

So going by the other thread, how on earth do you know how many calories you have burned? I don't want to net under 1200 calories so how can I make sure that is doable? How do YOU work it out, especially when lifting...

Sorry if that is a really dumb question.

kellehbeans

I personally use a heart rate monitor - and depending on the machine, I generally find the machines UNDERESTIMATE. But that's different for everyone, and it depends on the intensity.

Not sure about logging your heavy lifting though - it's very hard to get a calorie estimate for that. A heart rate monitor would not be accurate, so I don't see how a calculator would be. I know most people on this site don't log a 'calorie burn' for lifting.

EmmaReed84

thank you for the reply.

Yesterday (the day after my first heavy lifting workout) I was actually really hungry, more so than I usually am so I guess I will have to learn to listen to my body rather than read a screen LOL..

jaz050465

I read a thread earlier about how the machines in the gym are not accurate and usually over estimate how many calories you burn, meaning that if you eat back your exercise calories you could be eating back too much.

I generally fill my diary in before the days starts so I know what I am having (when I just wing it, that is when I get lazy with food)

I have started doing heavy lifting and at the gym I go to, you have a key and you log in and out, my program has all the details including my program for the weighs, I basically "tick off" what I have done and it gives me a calorie estimate for that work out so I can log it here.

So going by the other thread, how on earth do you know how many calories you have burned? I don't want to net under 1200 calories so how can I make sure that is doable? How do YOU work it out, especially when lifting...

Sorry if that is a really dumb question.

Have a look at thevBodymedia Fit. Are you sure you can 'trust' your body. Often the mind takes over.

DavPul

So going by the other thread, how on earth do you know how many calories you have burned? I don't want to net under 1200 calories so how can I make sure that is doable? How do YOU work it out, especially when lifting...

HRMs, while able to give relatively close guesses for steady state cardio, and incredibly off when it comes to resistance training. If you want to make sure you overeat after lifting weights, use and HRM and eat back what it claims you burned.

The cals burned by lifting will vary by person and routine, obv, but it's not very much. I'm 230 and give myself 300 cals for lifting for an hour. Did I burn more or less than that? I don't care. Not one bit. Each week I check my weight on my scale, and adjust my daily calories based on that, not on individual workouts.

ameliaannakin

HRM's are great for accuracy, although nothing is 100%. When running, not at the gym though, I have a GPS watch which is set to my specific height and weights. Again though, I never take this as certain. At the gym, I tend to set the machine for my weight so it gives me a more accurate calorie burn but I never eat my exercise calories back anyway anymore. I used to eat 50% back though, that way you can still ensure you're under!

Sorry for rambling, hope this makes sense and helps

Ax

DavPul

^why bother paying for a hrm if you're not eating the calories back and if you do, you only eat half back because you don't trust the number? That $80 you could have used to overnight 4 Chicago deep dish pizzas to yourself.

jaz050465

So going by the other thread, how on earth do you know how many calories you have burned? I don't want to net under 1200 calories so how can I make sure that is doable? How do YOU work it out, especially when lifting...

HRMs, while able to give relatively close guesses for steady state cardio, and incredibly off when it comes to resistance training. If you want to make sure you overeat after lifting weights, use and HRM and eat back what it claims you burned.

The cals burned by lifting will vary by person and routine, obv, but it's not very much. I'm 230 and give myself 300 cals for lifting for an hour. Did I burn more or less than that? I don't care. Not one bit. Each week I check my weight on my scale, and adjust my daily calories based on that, not on individual workouts.

I can fluctuate by a couple of pounds over night due to water retention so that way is not always appropriate

DavPul

I can fluctuate by a couple of pounds over night due to water retention so that way is not always appropriate

Good point and I do the same. That's why I only weigh myself once per week and I only change my calorie intake every 3 weeks or so. I react to the overall trend, not one random day.

Thanks for pointing that out as I was not clear and I def don't won't people changing their calorie settings every other day.

carrieous

last night at the gym i started with 30 mins on the bike. MFP estimated this was 350 calories burned, but the bike said 250. I think 100 calories is a pretty big difference in 30 mins and i think MFP was plain wrong.

i logged 250 that the bike said i burned.