Calories burned with Step...can this be right?

emphoto2003
emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm going to ask this here instead of my other post. I have been doing 30 minutes of step aerobics daily and MFP (and pretty much other internet calculators) say I am burning 564 calories, which seems like a lot. I bought a HRM today and it said I only burned 107 but I am thinking that it is only taking into account the number of steps I am taking and not the overall exertion/energy. I am 5'9", 292 lbs. I am big girl and I would think that would burn more calories. I don't know how to accuratly log this into my diary.

Are the exercises in MFP calculated based on your weight or is it the same for everyone? Like if my 150lb friend puts in 30 min of step will she also get 564 calories burned?

Obviously 107 vs 564 is a huge difference and will have a big impact on what I eat.

Can someone please help me. Thanks!

Replies

  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    i have found when i log exercise on here that i usually have to change the number. i go with what the machines at the gym say. This site usually gives me way more than the machine does. But... when I do WII step i go with the site.
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    30 min of step for me is 127 calories im 5 9 and weigh just under 260.. hope that helps some
  • megziejo
    megziejo Posts: 47 Member
    Yes you are burning more calories doing the same exercise as a 150 lb friend. If they input they same exercise they would get a different #. Your HRM should be monitoring your heart rate which when coupled with your height and weight can calculate your calories burned. Are you feeling your heart rate elevated when your doing step? I know for me I have to really work out hard to get ny heart rate up, and I'm a big girl too :)
  • Lmezz11
    Lmezz11 Posts: 619 Member
    HRMs do not base anything off of the number of steps you take... it is based on your heart rate. Then it does a calculation that takes into account your gender, age, height, and weight. If you truly have a HRM, then that is what you should go by. 564 seems extremely high for anyone doing 30 min of a cardio exercise in my opinion.
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    I am 5'9", 292 lbs.

    Because you're 292 lbs I think you could easily burn 564 calories in 30 minutes.
    I bought a HRM today and it said I only burned 107 but I am thinking that it is only taking into account the number of steps

    What is your pulse during that time? When I do cardio I get my heart rate up to 140-170BPM for the entire time. That burns calories.

    If your heart rate isn't getting higher maybe your HRM is right and you need to be exerting yourself more. But you very well could be burning 500 calories in 30 minutes.
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    I def get my heart rate up. I kind of measure it by if I can sing along with my music I am not working hard enough and if I can't talk then I am working too hard so I do somewhere in the middle.
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    30 min of step for me is 127 calories im 5 9 and weigh just under 260.. hope that helps some

    How are you getting these calculations?
  • tashajayne2011
    tashajayne2011 Posts: 288
    I know you have been eating back your exercise cals and you stalled, why don't you try just halving the amount exercise cals that MFP allots you and see if that makes a difference just for a week or so
  • baabaabetsy
    baabaabetsy Posts: 49
    A HRM should be tracking your heart rate while you work out. Does your HRM give you your average BPM? If it's low, then try ramping up your step aerobics. The HRM is by far the more accurate tool to determine how many calories you burned since it's tracking your heart rate while you do it, unlike MFP which really has no idea and can only make a very general guess. You can also tell for yourself... are you out of breath, sweating and uncomfortable? If you are, then you're doing it right and you're burning more calories.
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    I am 5'9", 292 lbs.

    Because you're 292 lbs I think you could easily burn 564 calories in 30 minutes.
    I bought a HRM today and it said I only burned 107 but I am thinking that it is only taking into account the number of steps

    What is your pulse during that time? When I do cardio I get my heart rate up to 140-170BPM for the entire time. That burns calories.

    If your heart rate isn't getting higher maybe your HRM is right and you need to be exerting yourself more. But you very well could be burning 500 calories in 30 minutes.
    i dont even burn that many on the elliptical for 45 minutes though. lol maybe im doing my step wrong
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    30 min of step for me is 127 calories im 5 9 and weigh just under 260.. hope that helps some

    How are you getting these calculations?
    imput 30 min of step into this sites exercise database
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    My average HR was 161 and I was def panting..lol. This HRM doesn't use a chest strap. It is only on the wrist and you can touch it to get a heart rate. I don't know if this makes a difference.

    Should I just keep eating my 1800 and not figure in the calories burned?
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    with step, treadmill or elliptical i try to keep my heart rate in mid 160's.. i have more fun with step than with the others so it doesnt feel like such a pain
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    30 min of step for me is 127 calories im 5 9 and weigh just under 260.. hope that helps some

    How are you getting these calculations?
    imput 30 min of step into this sites exercise database

    I did. It says according to my weight and height that if I step for 30 min on a 6-8" step I will burn 564 calories.
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    30 min of step for me is 127 calories im 5 9 and weigh just under 260.. hope that helps some

    How are you getting these calculations?
    imput 30 min of step into this sites exercise database

    I did. It says according to my weight and height that if I step for 30 min on a 6-8" step I will burn 564 calories.
    thats the difference, im using WII step. its smaller and definitely not as hard as what you are doing.
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    I really like step because I can just get on it and go and I need to do something at home. I'm a single mom and I don't have much free time so the step is perfect for me. I feel like I get a really good workout. When I started a month ago I couldn't even go for 8 minutes. I had to stop after 8 and take a break. Now I can go 30 minutes which is a big deal for me. I'd like to think I'm burning more than 107 calories! ha!
  • Lmezz11
    Lmezz11 Posts: 619 Member
    My average HR was 161 and I was def panting..lol. This HRM doesn't use a chest strap. It is only on the wrist and you can touch it to get a heart rate. I don't know if this makes a difference.

    Should I just keep eating my 1800 and not figure in the calories burned?

    I would recommend getting a HRM with a chest strap. I personally do not eat back my workout cals unless I burn over 500, or if I am hungry. I think that is personal preference, but you will get a lot of different answers about that.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    That does sound high - but when you are bigger you are using more energy to move your body so it's possible.
    My rule of thumb that I use as a guide is running (or other exercise when I'm working out about as hard as I do when I run) burns about 10 cals/minute. This means that I'd burn about 300 cals in 30 mins, and I'd be working as hard if not harder than running doing step.
    If your heart rate is up to 161 and you weigh more than me, I'd expect to see over 300 cals... maybe your number was a little high, but it's not too far out of the ball park in my opinion.

    If it was me - I'd add in what MFP estimates, but not stress about eating every single calorie. Maybe aim to leave 1-200 as a buffer to account for inaccuracies.
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    I really like step because I can just get on it and go and I need to do something at home. I'm a single mom and I don't have much free time so the step is perfect for me. I feel like I get a really good workout. When I started a month ago I couldn't even go for 8 minutes. I had to stop after 8 and take a break. Now I can go 30 minutes which is a big deal for me. I'd like to think I'm burning more than 107 calories! ha!
    thats awesome, that was me with the elliptical. at first i couldnt do a full 10 minutes and now i can go for an hour
  • baabaabetsy
    baabaabetsy Posts: 49
    My average HR was 161 and I was def panting..lol. This HRM doesn't use a chest strap. It is only on the wrist and you can touch it to get a heart rate. I don't know if this makes a difference.

    Should I just keep eating my 1800 and not figure in the calories burned?

    Hmmm well I think that your HRM is off. You definitely burned more calories. I also checked just out of curiosity with another site based on your height, weight, age and BPM for 30mins and it said 269 calories. (http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx)

    What I would do is not eat back your exercise calories. Maybe eat a little more instead--like 1900~2000 calories--on days you work out. So it's like you're eating back your calories but not focusing on how many calories you burned--just a general calorie amount extra. If you're losing weight though, don't eat back any calories since that's obviously working!
  • emphoto2003
    emphoto2003 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks, everybody! Everyone on this site is so helpful and nice! This is def. a new journey for me.
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    i dont even burn that many on the elliptical for 45 minutes though. lol maybe im doing my step wrong

    Really? I do 400 calories on the elliptical in 20-30 minutes usually.

    The readout at the end says I would burn 950 calories an hour and I'm 220lbs.

    I usually do a 400 calories on the bike in about 30-40 minutes as well. Which works out being a 15KM or more bike ride.

    That is why I think the OP could burn 500+ calories in 30 minutes.
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
    That's easily possible...I burn about 100 calories every 5 minutes on the elliptical and i'm about 265lbs. Definitely not inconceivable that you burned over 500 on your stepper.
  • laurie571
    laurie571 Posts: 152 Member
    i dont even burn that many on the elliptical for 45 minutes though. lol maybe im doing my step wrong

    Really? I do 400 calories on the elliptical in 20-30 minutes usually.

    The readout at the end says I would burn 950 calories an hour and I'm 220lbs.

    I usually do a 400 calories on the bike in about 30-40 minutes as well. Which works out being a 15KM or more bike ride.

    That is why I think the OP could burn 500+ calories in 30 minutes.
    sadly its true. time for me to up my game
  • alvinder_kaur
    alvinder_kaur Posts: 12
    if you are doing steps and find it too high calorie that u burn off...i normally log in 30 minutes steps but actually im doing 60 minutes steps with same rest intervals... so its like making sense ....

    n since i started working out, i didnt eat my exercises calorie before... just that i have to learn to eat clean....
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    That's kind of weird. I have a Timex HRM with a chest strap, and I'm thirty pounds heavier than you. When I average 145 bpm, I burn about 600 calories in 30 minutes. You should be right around 500-ish if we account for the weight difference. Obviously, this is loose math, but I'm fairly confident your HRM is way off for some reason.

    The "able to talk but not sing" method is good. I haven't heard that in a while. :) I used to do that before I got a HRM. I learned it when I used the Firm workout a million years ago. That was always one of their guidelines.

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