Estimated calories on mfp are sooo off!

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  • thisisiamj
    thisisiamj Posts: 145 Member
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    I don't have a HR monitor, so I'm concerned about that too. What I usually do is just enter 45 mins or 50 mins instead of 60 when I do an hour of exercise.
  • gsmithnp
    gsmithnp Posts: 139 Member
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    I try to overestimate calories in, and underestimate exercise calories, and leave a hundred or two in my "calories remaining" and so far so good. My elliptical tells me one number, then MFP tells me something else, and then my calculations based on HR are yet different. I use the lowest number.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    This is why I keep peaching here, just use the same method consistently. It doesn't matter. Nothing is accurate. Nothing knows your calorie burn.
  • SkinnyChemicals
    SkinnyChemicals Posts: 86
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    I got a heart rate monitor and I find I burn 100 calories less to what it estimates on mfp. Anyone else find this problem too?

    I bought a HRM too. Comparing the machines to MFP, I found that MFP was more accurate! MFP was around 10 calories over, where as the machines at the gym were 50 calories under...
  • ChappyEight
    ChappyEight Posts: 163 Member
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    I've heard this a lot and it makes me question my HRM because MFP's estimates usually match what my HRM says. I have a polar FT4 and love it. Anyone get this too?

    Mine are about the same or more... I have a Polar FT4 as well. But you have to keep inmind, everyone is at a different fitness level, height, weight... An HRM takes all of these factors into affect. It all also depends on how hard you push yourself during your workouts :) A workout is good no matter the calorie burn so keep it up, maybe try and push yourself harder the next time. I have heard that as you lose weight and update your HRM every 5lbs or so the calories burned do also get less and less based on your fitness level.

    I've had it swing both ways on my FT4. Often times it is air temperature related. Obviously, my body works harder when it's hot outside.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    This is why I keep peaching here, just use the same method consistently. It doesn't matter. Nothing is accurate. Nothing knows your calorie burn.

    So be consistent in your logging (of food and exercise) and then make small adjustments every so many weeks based on your results? Hmm, that seems to make sense.
  • lauren3382
    lauren3382 Posts: 372 Member
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    My HRM is usually higher than MFP.

    Same here.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    This is why I keep peaching here, just use the same method consistently. It doesn't matter. Nothing is accurate. Nothing knows your calorie burn.

    So be consistent in your logging (of food and exercise) and then make small adjustments every so many weeks based on your results? Hmm, that seems to make sense.

    I don't think anything is actually accurate. My doctors scale is about 10lbs off of mine. But, I don't care because I don't use my doctors scale for any purpose at all. They use it for trends, so they don't care if it is off. They are not weighing you per se, to see what you weigh. They are weighing you to see what you weigh relative to the past few times you were there. ...looking for sharp increases or decreases.

    Same with logging cals. Who cares? Just use a consistent method. It doesn't matter if it is off by even 500 calories. It only matters that it is always off by the same amount everytime, so that you can adjust one thing or another.

    I don't know why this concept is really difficult for people to understand, but it seems to escape most.
  • eduardoschoen
    eduardoschoen Posts: 56
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    Just use a consistent method. It doesn't matter if it is off by even 500 calories. It only matters that it is always off by the same amount everytime, so that you can adjust one thing or another.

    I don't know why this concept is really difficult for people to understand, but it seems to escape most.

    Totally agree! Just get as accurate as you can and then be consistent. The calories consumed numbers on MFP are estimates as well as the calories burned calculation from most any method.
  • angel101netta
    angel101netta Posts: 152 Member
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