When your friend puts too many calories burned....

24

Replies

  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
    How do you know it's not possible? Are you some sort of weight loss expert in calories burned for each individual person?

    Unless they ask, keep your mouth shut.
    because if 30min walks burning 1k calories was possible, humanity would have died out thousands of years ago.

    There are things called metabolic chambers which are able to accurately measure every calorie burned. the TLDR is that people burn FARRR less from exercise than they think they burn. and far underestimate the BMR burn simply from living.

    Quick examples of metabolic chamber study. first is average dude, second is competitive marathon runner.

    sleeping: 0.8cal/min
    awake and sitting: 2cal/min
    standing: 3cal/min
    fast walking: 5cal/min
    slow jog: 7cal/min

    Ok, do the math there. A guy is burning 2cal/min from exercise going for a walk. Take your average female and it's even less burn than that, so prob 1.5cal/min. Meaning going for an hour walk is 90calories burned is what they should be logging. This is pretty universal for most females that are average to just overweight. Yet how many log 90 calories? How many are instead logging 300-900??? The overestimation of calorie burn people have for this site is utterly laughable.

    Now for a top end burn. This is a marathon runner running at a marathon pace. In other words, prob the utter max calorie burn a human can hope to accomplish for extended cardio. 16cal/min. This is also comparable to tour de france riders during stage racing. So when you subtract the 3cal/min BMR you're left with 13cal/min from exercise. So about 800 cal/hour. So the upper limit of cardio calorie burn gives a burn of 800 calories an hour. hmmm... (granted, much larger people than marathon runners also going max intensity can get greater calorie burns. So it's relative)

    edit: there was another metabolic chamber study I just recalled. Average guys, average gym goers, did 45min cardio, 188bpm, 70% VO2MAX. Their calorie burn was 560/hour from exercise. It was an epoc based test though and they had an additional 180cal burned over next 48 hours. Point being, it was average guys, doing hour of exercise and logging far less than most anyone in here would log for exact same exercise. Compare your cardio stats, are you under 188bpm? If yes, and you're not over 200lbs, then guess what, you're doing under 560cal/hour calorie burn. Pretty much no question about it. Yet what are you logging?

    now look through this thread. How man people here are claiming a much higher calorie burn than what the most accomplished athletes on earth are able to burn at an intensity many times higher than the people in here can only dream of.
  • camelothosting
    camelothosting Posts: 60 Member
    BTDT. Someone was recording something like 800 calories for 30 minute walks...

    Yep! I've seen people say they burn 1000 or 1500 calories doing things like walking or cleaning.

    Well I posted 2300 Calories for 103 Minute walk,
    this is based on Distance, elevation and heartrate, ( using my heart rate monitor ) so saying its not possible is just not true,

    http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/CBZNDT77Q24UJEQFR6ON2FTEWY
  • blakeevan04
    blakeevan04 Posts: 40 Member
    I would totally be all like "LISTEN BISH, YOU FENNA LOG DAT *kitten* CORRECT NAMEAN?"


    srs trust me it will work


    Now that was funny!!
  • kellygirl324
    kellygirl324 Posts: 74 Member
    Hard call there! Tread lightly! If the friend is actually doing that, the only person she is hurting is herself.
    I always deduct calories from the amount that is registered on the site. I do lots of cardio, but I always think it looks unreasonable when I see a big #, so I always deduct calories (sometimes hundreds) to make sure I stay within my limits.
  • Welshie_girl
    Welshie_girl Posts: 107 Member
    Ah.... People are so sensitive here.... Someone was whining that the scale wasn't moving.... I looked through his diary and gave a polite advise.... Seriously all I said was you could cut down on sugar snacks and maybe that will do the trick... Holy shrimp ... Well we are not friends anymore.... People live in the fantasy world ... Why join if you don't want to try new things that may work? I guess to whine and make other people feel bad for you as you stuff your face with candy
  • gaylynn35
    gaylynn35 Posts: 854 Member
    It could be the way it comes up on the home page too, it will add up all the exercise you do in a day and then say you burned 800 calories doing cardio including walking 30 minutes blah blah blah..so it might not be that it's that ONE thing burning 800 calories, but a combo of everything through out the day. Maybe just mention it, you could say something like "wow, what a great job, how did you do that? I'd like to try it" or something like that.

    I agree with this, you need to look at their exercise diary not just what shows up for that day. I can ride my bike for 40 minutes during the day and do maybe 20 minutes of cleaning and it will show 60 minutes including cleaning.
  • TallCurvyMuscles
    TallCurvyMuscles Posts: 50
    I had a female friend that logged 1750 calories for intimate acts. LOL ya right, you do porn?

    hah like chicks do any work anyway!!

    That was my point to her. Yes some women will burn some calories but we arent soaked like most men after sex.
  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
    How do you know it's not possible? Are you some sort of weight loss expert in calories burned for each individual person?

    Unless they ask, keep your mouth shut.
    because if 30min walks burning 1k calories was possible, humanity would have died out thousands of years ago.

    There are things called metabolic chambers which are able to accurately measure every calorie burned. the TLDR is that people burn FARRR less from exercise than they think they burn. and far underestimate the BMR burn simply from living.

    Quick examples of metabolic chamber study. first is average dude, second is competitive marathon runner.

    sleeping: 0.8cal/min
    awake and sitting: 2cal/min
    standing: 3cal/min
    fast walking: 5cal/min
    slow jog: 7cal/min

    Ok, do the math there. A guy is burning 2cal/min from exercise going for a walk. Take your average female and it's even less burn than that, so prob 1.5cal/min. Meaning going for an hour walk is 90calories burned is what they should be logging. This is pretty universal for most females that are average to just overweight. Yet how many log 90 calories? How many are instead logging 300-900??? The overestimation of calorie burn people have for this site is utterly laughable.

    Now for a top end burn. This is a marathon runner running at a marathon pace. In other words, prob the utter max calorie burn a human can hope to accomplish for extended cardio. 16cal/min. This is also comparable to tour de france riders during stage racing. So when you subtract the 3cal/min BMR you're left with 13cal/min from exercise. So about 800 cal/hour. So the upper limit of cardio calorie burn gives a burn of 800 calories an hour. hmmm...

    now look through this thread. How man people here are claiming a much higher calorie burn than what the most accomplished athletes on earth are able to burn at an intensity many times higher than the people in here can only dream of.

    Yes. I use a chart on Runner' World and burn about 68 cal/mile running and walking would be 32 cal/mile walking for my weight. This is about what my HRM calculates too. MFP definitely overestimates calories.
    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html
  • Jamee_J
    Jamee_J Posts: 63
    It also depends on your weight. The more you have to move the higher the burn. When mfp tells me huge cal. Burn I always go to other websites and type in my weight, what excersize I did, at what intensity, and for how long. Then I estimate low and calculate it in. But I dont eat back my excersize cals.
  • beaches222
    beaches222 Posts: 437 Member
    I wouldnt say anything ..Who cares? I just worry about my numbers!
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
    I would not say anything unless she questions you as to why she is gaining.
  • KrisyKat
    KrisyKat Posts: 740 Member
    I would totally be all like "LISTEN BISH, YOU FENNA LOG DAT *kitten* CORRECT NAMEAN?"


    srs trust me it will work

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • sweetpea129
    sweetpea129 Posts: 755 Member
    I've said something but only because it was my best friend. Anyone else i would have kept my mouth shut.
  • newCourtney
    newCourtney Posts: 168 Member
    If she's doing it to make herself look good, calling her out is only going to make her mad. If she complains about not losing weight, offer the suggestion that she get a HR monitor because MFP can seriously overestimate the number of calories burned.
  • newCourtney
    newCourtney Posts: 168 Member
    I had a female friend that logged 1750 calories for intimate acts. LOL ya right, you do porn?

    hah like chicks do any work anyway!!

    Bwahaha.

    They do when they're alone.
  • laprovocateur
    laprovocateur Posts: 129 Member
    ehhh, i say butt out. i will often work out with my HRM and then at the end of the workout not know how much time I spent doing said activities, and i'm too exhausted to enter each category separately. Therefore, it ends up looking something like this: "laprovocateur burned 4,566,432 calories by walking her dog". if i'm feeling especially creative, I'll name it something like "lifting heavy things" or "getting her sweat on"
  • WhatAgirl_
    WhatAgirl_ Posts: 151 Member
    good for them!? your friend might have exercised 3 times a day who knows? you shouldnt judge like that
  • jnhu72
    jnhu72 Posts: 558 Member
    I had a friend who consistently logged high, crazy numbers like 10 minutes on the stair master burned 1000 calories or an hour of walking burned 1500 calories. I never called her out, until she posted something about not being able to lose any weight, so I told her that I thought her calories burned might be overestimated, and she got offended and deleted me.
  • genericaroar
    genericaroar Posts: 51 Member
    I wouldn't say anything unless they asked. Worry about yourself and your own efforts.
  • tumblyweed
    tumblyweed Posts: 416 Member
    It's tough. I'm 'friends' with people to support their weight loss and be supported. I won't keep friends that are only looking to be enabled. How many of us have 'friends' that log McDonald's day & night ...every...single...day. :huh: I won't be held hostage by 'politeness' because it's actually not polite of them to force me into their game. *hit delete*

    On the other hand, you may not know all of what their work-out entailed. So, it's always better to ask questions first before making an @ss out of yourself. I might say something like, "wow. All of that burned just from walking alone?" Otr, just don't comment on the ridic-u-burns. Trust me, they'll notice. :bigsmile:
  • MCproptart
    MCproptart Posts: 92 Member
    The other thing is that on MFP, it'll say something like Friend burned 1234 calories doing "Cleaning, light". However, she also did 20 minutes on the stationary bike, 30 minutes of water aerobics, and took the dog on a 2 mile walk. Not all of the calories are necessarily from the item mentioned.

    I'm with the folks who say not to mention anything until and unless the friend asks why she isn't making any progress. I liked the response above about suggesting a HRM to be sure she's getting an accurate calorie count.
  • mizfrankie
    mizfrankie Posts: 100
    It could be the way it comes up on the home page too, it will add up all the exercise you do in a day and then say you burned 800 calories doing cardio including walking 30 minutes blah blah blah..so it might not be that it's that ONE thing burning 800 calories, but a combo of everything through out the day. Maybe just mention it, you could say something like "wow, what a great job, how did you do that? I'd like to try it" or something like that.

    Yep! That's what I was going to say. Sometimes my thing says I've burned 450 calories including yoga...well if I only did 30 minutes of yoga I didn't burn 450. I did OTHER stuff in the day too. The homepage makes it sounds like I did only one type of exercise to burn the listed amount.
  • TriedEverything
    TriedEverything Posts: 188 Member
    I agree with those who have said not to mention it unless she asks for advice.

    I regularly log what I think are too many cals for the exercise I've done - it's because I don't have an HRM/ Fibit or whatever, so I just go with the MFP cals, and I think they tend to give an over-generous reading. But I'm well aware of it, and just try to make sure I don't eat all the calories back! (on a good day anyway..! :ohwell:).

    But I agree, it's a tricky dilemma!
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    We are here to support, this is true. But depending on how well you 2 get along I'll ask about it. Otherwise they'll figure it out. One thing, though, I sometimes put in the wrong numbers in error. Or I use a questionable option in the database and don't notice. I like to be corrected!
  • tas3980
    tas3980 Posts: 93 Member
    I wouldnt say anything ..Who cares? I just worry about my numbers!

    ^^ this.

    At the end of the day, while supporting my fellow MFPers, this is my journey and my logging to understand my body, what someone else does or doesn't do is part of their journey, if they are not logging correctly, they are just cheating themselves. Leave it and carry on with your journey :-)
  • mizfrankie
    mizfrankie Posts: 100
    The other thing is that on MFP, it'll say something like Friend burned 1234 calories doing "Cleaning, light". However, she also did 20 minutes on the stationary bike, 30 minutes of water aerobics, and took the dog on a 2 mile walk. Not all of the calories are necessarily from the item mentioned.

    I'm with the folks who say not to mention anything until and unless the friend asks why she isn't making any progress. I liked the response above about suggesting a HRM to be sure she's getting an accurate calorie count.

    Agreed!!
  • AaronG91
    AaronG91 Posts: 20
    ehhh, i say butt out. i will often work out with my HRM and then at the end of the workout not know how much time I spent doing said activities, and i'm too exhausted to enter each category separately. Therefore, it ends up looking something like this: "laprovocateur burned 4,566,432 calories by walking her dog". if i'm feeling especially creative, I'll name it something like "lifting heavy things" or "getting her sweat on"


    Must be one hell of a dog, haha. I agree though, I will sometimes group exercises as in the end it is simply the total calories burnt I am interested in.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    How do you know it's not possible? Are you some sort of weight loss expert in calories burned for each individual person?

    Unless they ask, keep your mouth shut.
    because if 30min walks burning 1k calories was possible, humanity would have died out thousands of years ago.

    There are things called metabolic chambers which are able to accurately measure every calorie burned. the TLDR is that people burn FARRR less from exercise than they think they burn. and far underestimate the BMR burn simply from living.

    Quick examples of metabolic chamber study. first is average dude, second is competitive marathon runner.

    sleeping: 0.8cal/min
    awake and sitting: 2cal/min
    standing: 3cal/min
    fast walking: 5cal/min
    slow jog: 7cal/min

    Ok, do the math there. A guy is burning 2cal/min from exercise going for a walk. Take your average female and it's even less burn than that, so prob 1.5cal/min. Meaning going for an hour walk is 90calories burned is what they should be logging. This is pretty universal for most females that are average to just overweight. Yet how many log 90 calories? How many are instead logging 300-900??? The overestimation of calorie burn people have for this site is utterly laughable.

    Now for a top end burn. This is a marathon runner running at a marathon pace. In other words, prob the utter max calorie burn a human can hope to accomplish for extended cardio. 16cal/min. This is also comparable to tour de france riders during stage racing. So when you subtract the 3cal/min BMR you're left with 13cal/min from exercise. So about 800 cal/hour. So the upper limit of cardio calorie burn gives a burn of 800 calories an hour. hmmm...

    now look through this thread. How man people here are claiming a much higher calorie burn than what the most accomplished athletes on earth are able to burn at an intensity many times higher than the people in here can only dream of.

    Yes. I use a chart on Runner' World and burn about 68 cal/mile running and walking would be 32 cal/mile walking for my weight. This is about what my HRM calculates too. MFP definitely overestimates calories.
    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html

    Well then I must be a miracle! I just totted up 442 whilst on a 01:17:45 walk. I wore my HRM. The last 5ish mins of that was me taking off my shoes and sh1t. I always take away the number of minutes rounded up away from the total. That means I just burnt 364 calories. I burn that and more regularly on my dog walks. I find MFP underestimates (by around 100) things like walking for me, yet on the elliptical it overestimates... but maybe that's because I take it slowly for the first half, then up the intensity the second half.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    My profile currently states this:

    "taiyola burned 792 calories doing 210 minutes of cardio exercises, including "Walking, 3.0 mph, mod. pace, walking dog""

    That is actually a dog walk, a walk to and around the supermarket, and an hours cleaning of my kitchen and putting the washing on etc. I'm yet to even do my kettlebell workout, so it'll no doubt be higher.

    I'm not eating back these calories as such, because I'm eating at TDEE 20% cut. I like to still log my exercises though because it keeps my motivated.
  • cobebu8
    cobebu8 Posts: 25 Member
    If the person is very close to me as a friend or family member, privately, I would talk to them. Otherwise? I wouldn't say anything. Sometimes people are going through their own private issues and I would just let them work it out.

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