Do I trust the machine or MFP?

ShannonJohnson
ShannonJohnson Posts: 86 Member
edited December 26 in Fitness and Exercise
I notice that when I do the eliptical at the gym what it shows my calories burned is different than what I log in here. I use the generic eliptical and enter my time and it pops up the calories burned. Should I be entering what the machine says? Is that accurate?

Replies

  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    I would do whatever one is lower for the elliptical, I found that both over estimated my calorie burn when I compared it to my HRM, but that's just my opinion.
  • JoAnn73
    JoAnn73 Posts: 161 Member
    From my research machines like the treadmill ect over est by 20% therefore if you can get a HRM which i have just this past Monday use that number instead.
  • ScarletFyre
    ScarletFyre Posts: 754 Member
    Not that it answers your question, but if it helps, when i have this happen, i just put the lower of the two, to play it safe.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    I trust neither...I use an HRM.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    My personal trainer said all the machines at the gym tend to overestimate significantly. I always try to under-report exercise calories, so I use the lowest reasonable number I find for an activity.
  • cravingskinnybody
    cravingskinnybody Posts: 109 Member
    some machines don't know your weight, your height and your age . so the result is wrong. but MFP know these stuff.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    My HRM actually reads a lot lower than either MFP or the cardio machines. Before I bought the HRM, I would use an average of the two - it's all just a guesstimate, anyway.
  • Squible
    Squible Posts: 359 Member
    The machines in the gym for my under estimate by nearly half sometimes. On here its a bit closer but I don't really trust either of them. As like alot of other people on here I have a HRM which is the best thing I ever got!
  • Shrinking_Moody
    Shrinking_Moody Posts: 270 Member
    I recently purchased a heart rate monitor and made the horrific discovery of exactly how off both my elliptical and MFP were. Any burn over 30 minutes on the elliptical MFP gave me more than 50% more calories than I actually burn and the elliptical was even more than that. MFP seems to be closer for elliptical burns under 30 mins. I'd definitely use the lower of the two numbers and maybe subtract a couple hundred just to be safe - and I'd recommend getting a HRM when you can. It was really my best fitness purchase.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I trust neither...I use an HRM.

    ^This!

    Both are inaccurate. If the machine asks for height, weight, age, gender ..... then it's "approaching" accurate. The thing that a heart rate monitor adds ....... exertion level. A machine & MFP cannot know that.

    HRMs with chest straps are more accurate than wrist type models ..... I love my Polar Ft4
  • ShannonJohnson
    ShannonJohnson Posts: 86 Member
    I guess I'll have to get a HRM! :smile: I do enter me height and weight on the machine but it's still off from what I have on MFP. I have wanted a HRM anyways for other things I do so I will be going out to get one.

    Thanks all!
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