Estimated calories on mfp are sooo off!

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Replies

  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    What makes you think your HRM is right?

    All your HRM knows is your heart beat. It doesn't know how many cals you burn.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I have a polstar f7 and it has pretty similar numbers to MFP when I do cardio. When I lift weights, my HRM shows me burning more calories than MFP's guess. We are all different peeps.

    HRMs can't be used for (counting calories for) weightlifting. Weight lifting is anaerobic and the HRM calorie algorithm only works under aerobic exercise conditions.
  • di2losew8
    di2losew8 Posts: 131 Member
    That's why I bought an HRM…I haven't got it in the mail yet, but heard everyone say MFP is so far off….Now you would think a site designed to help people lose weight could be a little more accurate on their cals burned…who knows….!?!
  • di2losew8
    di2losew8 Posts: 131 Member
    And then again after reading your comments maybe will find the HRM to be closer to MFP then I have been told.
  • FitGirl329
    FitGirl329 Posts: 103 Member
    I also have a Polar and find it's close to MFP or reads more than MFP.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    My HRM says I burn a ton more than MFP tells me. My heart rate goes up quick and stays there. MFP can't gauge our heart rates so it has to use an average system. I'd stick with what your HRM is telling you.

    Just playing devil's advocate here- your heart rate doesn't directly dictate calorie burn at all . It has to do with oxygen exchange based on your VO2max. HR monitors use an algorithm that associates HR and calorie burn based on your VO2Max and maximum HR. If either of those settings are incorrectly input in to your HR monitor, the calorie burns from your HR monitor can be wayyyy off. Plus, the calorie burns for women (as reported by Polar) can be in the range of 30% off for women if it's not calibrated correctly.

    Yeah yeah yeah, you and your big sciency words and stuff. Makes my head hurt.

    So can I just blindly accept whatever MFP (or a treadmill or a HRM) tells me my calorie burn is or what?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    My HRM says I burn a ton more than MFP tells me. My heart rate goes up quick and stays there. MFP can't gauge our heart rates so it has to use an average system. I'd stick with what your HRM is telling you.

    Just playing devil's advocate here- your heart rate doesn't directly dictate calorie burn at all . It has to do with oxygen exchange based on your VO2max. HR monitors use an algorithm that associates HR and calorie burn based on your VO2Max and maximum HR. If either of those settings are incorrectly input in to your HR monitor, the calorie burns from your HR monitor can be wayyyy off. Plus, the calorie burns for women (as reported by Polar) can be in the range of 30% off for women if it's not calibrated correctly.

    Yeah yeah yeah, you and your big sciency words and stuff. Makes my head hurt.

    So can I just blindly accept whatever MFP (or a treadmill or a HRM) tells me my calorie burn is or what?
    If you blindly accept any calorie burns from any method without reality checking it- HRM, Apps, MFP, anything, and you eat all your exercise calories back, I would highly suggest continuing the blindness when you get on the scale.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    I find MFP to be a little low for me.

    Oh well, eating more isn't a problem...LOL.
  • DesignGuy
    DesignGuy Posts: 457 Member
    I typically used a Polar HRM, which showed my cals burned. It might be a little off, but I'd rather have one thing to look at consistently verses jumping all over. I used it to get an general idea of what I was burning for various levels of exercise and activities.

    Actually, I stopped using anything a little while back as I got used to what my body is doing and needs, so perhaps I'm a bad example. Carry on . . .
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    Yep and that's why I use a hrm :)
  • thisisiamj
    thisisiamj Posts: 145 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    My HRM is usually higher than MFP.

    Same here.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    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

    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
    Bump

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