Question about Calories Burned

farmwife3815
farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I look up exercise on MFP and I also have an app on my phone that let's me input exercise, intensity and length of time and gives a caloric burn. Usually they are pretty close. Today I put in my water exercise and there was about a 1000 calorie difference. I have seen several posts that say MFP overestimates exercise calories but in this case I'm wondering. I know I can not eat that much back (if I go with my phone app) but I also don't want to be under eating by a whole bunch either. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Split the difference.
  • celenacountdown
    celenacountdown Posts: 53
    I would like to know the app that u have since u said they were pretty close can I have it plz?
  • mtpage04
    mtpage04 Posts: 41 Member
    If it were me, I would use the lower number to be safe. I have invested in a heart rate monitor so that my calories are always accurate. I use the Polar model.
  • sherim71
    sherim71 Posts: 130 Member
    I have seen people who say MFP overestimates calories burned. But there have been a number of times that my HRM says I burned quite a bit more calories than MFP estimated. I go strictly by my HRM and would be lost w/o it.
  • sneckerdoodle
    sneckerdoodle Posts: 69 Member
    with my heart rate monitor i always burn more than mfp says i do. i would invest in an hrm for best results.
  • Chuckempire
    Chuckempire Posts: 44
    A very good calorie estimation should go by your heartrate. I recomend a heart rate monitor, I use one and its great keeps me motavated and on track. POLAR FT60 automatically calculates your calories and store all your session/data.
  • farmwife3815
    farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
    Thank you all! I will look into getting a hrm. Thanks so much!!
  • wrbiii
    wrbiii Posts: 151
    Here is a question, I used a calculator based on my average heart rate while working out, my weight and age, and it gave me one number (over 1000 calories burned in 75 minutes) mfp said approximately 300 calories, and the treadmill said approximately 650.


    Which one would you trust more?
  • Chuckempire
    Chuckempire Posts: 44
    Here is a question, I used a calculator based on my average heart rate while working out, my weight and age, and it gave me one number (over 1000 calories burned in 75 minutes) mfp said approximately 300 calories, and the treadmill said approximately 650.


    Which one would you trust more?

    Thats very difficult to say there so many variable such as: VO2 Max, also keep in mind a higher heart rate will burn more calories than a lower HR, but its very possible. Plus 75 minutes of exercise would definitly burn way more than 300 calories I would hope.

    I just entered my info in to my HR calculator as a test and got simular results.
  • wrbiii
    wrbiii Posts: 151
    Either way, I'm not planning on eating whatever calories I burned today back... I just would like for my exercise diary to reflect things more accurately.

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