Calories burned???

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dawnyp72x
dawnyp72x Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, does anyone know how i can accurately calculate the calories burned swimming. I am 40 and VERY overweight at 280lb. I have started swimming 3 times a week doing between 30 & 40 laps which takes me around 40-50 mins I do stop for a breather for a few seconds after each lap, so I put it down as 30 mins swimming and its coming up with 635 for breaststroke, 444 for backstroke or freestyle, I do mainly breaststroke but am introducing backstroke to try and break it up a bit. I have looked at other online calculators and they range from 300-650 which is a huge difference!

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  • dawnyp72x
    dawnyp72x Posts: 10
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    anyone?
  • RabidCarrot
    RabidCarrot Posts: 50 Member
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    I believe the most accurate would be a heart rate monitor.
  • mikeatmichael
    mikeatmichael Posts: 92 Member
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    I think all your going to get is an estimate in a broad range depending on how hard your working. Even if your working hard at it, for you, you won't be working as hard as Michael Phelps would during his workout in the same amount of time. To play it safe, just pick the lowest number and go with that. If you find your weight loss stalled either lower the estimate further or cut more calories.
  • ergumm
    ergumm Posts: 82 Member
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    I think...and this is just my opinion...that if you are changing it up now and then or planning to, I would go with the freestyle calories. but...it would be safer to log the lowest amount of calories. It may not look as good, but what matters is that you are exercising and losing weight! I never eat my exercise calories anyway. I watch biggest loser and I have heard them say so many time that to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in, so I leave those calories alone!!!
  • dawnyp72x
    dawnyp72x Posts: 10
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    Thanks for your replies guys. I keep reading on here that if you dont eat back your burned calories and drop below a net of 1200 (which i would if i didnt eat some back) that your body would go into starvation mode and start storing fat!? I tend to eat around 2/3 back but Im new and only been using MFP for just over a week so its too early to tell if its gonna work or not.
  • mikeatmichael
    mikeatmichael Posts: 92 Member
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    It will work if you stick with it. Just remember that calories eaten and burned and your individual metabolism are all estimated. If you find its not working for you make adjustments.

    I'm not an expert, but I don't think your body will go into starvation mode if your eating enough to get a healthy and balanced diet and doing 45 minutes of aerobic exercise per day. As your aerobic capacity improves substitute 2-3 days of strength training for the 2-3 days of aerobics. Do that and don't stress the details.

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