How do you know how many calories you burned?

jgm379
jgm379 Posts: 97 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For example I ran for 35min. yesterday and did a 15min. ab ripper. How do I know how many calories I worked off?
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Replies

  • IsabellaC45
    IsabellaC45 Posts: 137 Member
    MFP have an estimated number of calories burned based on how long you worked out for, and what speed/pace you did.

    Or, if you have a smart phone, you can downland the RunKeeper app. It's free and will tell you exactly how many calories you burned.

    =)
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Personally, I wear a heart rate monitor which tracks my cals burned. It's not 100% accurate, but it's better than the MFP database, IMO.
  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    ive been trying to find out the same thing. someone told me to get a heart rate monitor and somehow you can use that to calculate it. id like to hear the best way to do this also.
  • jgm379
    jgm379 Posts: 97 Member
    I've had several heart rate monitors and they never say the calories burned.
  • JenJen0932
    JenJen0932 Posts: 34 Member
    Although I plan on getting a heart rate monitor with a calorie burned feature, right now I use a free app on my phone, endomondo. Can be used for lots of different activities and if you set it up online it gives a fairly accurate number of calories burned. It has helped me shed 96.5 pounds so far, and I would be lost without it now. :)
  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 781 Member
    Use a FitBit !!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    ive been trying to find out the same thing. someone told me to get a heart rate monitor and somehow you can use that to calculate it. id like to hear the best way to do this also.

    Calories burned depends on several factor: height, weight, gender, age ..... and exertion level

    The more information your machine has ... the more accurate it will be. I know MFP has some of this information ..... but what information is used?

    A heart rate monitor attempts to measure your exertion level. 2 people can do identical workouts...... BUT one is working hard, the other may not be. Look for a heart rate monitor with a chest strap .... those use electrical impulses to measure your heart rate constantly..... wrist (only) models .... measure this occasionally.
  • GreekByMarriage
    GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
    I have a BodyMedia Fit. Love it!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I've had several heart rate monitors and they never say the calories burned.

    I use a Polar FT4.
  • bacorton
    bacorton Posts: 8 Member
    heart rate monitor. I got the Polar and I love it.
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
    For my p90x I've been using www.p90xcalories.com. Not sure how accurate it is, but it takes into account weight and exertion during your ab ripper.

    Hope this is helpful,
    Kat
  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    it has to do with muscle mass also. I burn a lot more calories than someone my size with no muscle. Not sure how to really figure it out but i would think heart rate would give you a good idea. just have to find out how much you burn based on your heart rate. time for google...
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    ive been trying to find out the same thing. someone told me to get a heart rate monitor and somehow you can use that to calculate it. id like to hear the best way to do this also.

    Any good HRM will show you the calories burned right on it. I have an FT60.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    You never know. You always just estimate, and there are a bunch of ways to do that... formulas based on body weight and time, MFP's calculation, HRM, machines' calculations...
  • LaylaJo
    LaylaJo Posts: 44 Member
    Heart rate monitor. I've been reading this a lot here and I'm about to get mine this weekend. Good luck and great job! ;)
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 and love it. You put in some stats when you set it up, it has a chest strap and then records your HR, where that lies in a range set for you and total calories burned. Once I have that, I adjust it downwards by about a calorie a minute just to account for a normal "sitting around" burn anyways.
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    I never bother with burned calories. (Scandalous, I know.)
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I use a Polar FT7 heart rate monitor to see my calories. I didn't trust the database on MFP for that data, and turns out I was right - it's not even close for me.
  • SaraWo24
    SaraWo24 Posts: 192 Member
    Personally, I wear a heart rate monitor which tracks my cals burned. It's not 100% accurate, but it's better than the MFP database, IMO.

    Agreed!
  • naeswirl
    naeswirl Posts: 56
    Ditto! If you really want to know, invest in a heart rate monitor :)
    Personally, I wear a heart rate monitor which tracks my cals burned. It's not 100% accurate, but it's better than the MFP database, IMO.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    I've had several heart rate monitors and they never say the calories burned.

    Did they have the chest strap? I've had a couple and they always tell me
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    I wear an HRM. Due to my weight some of the exercises in the MFP database weren't giving me enough calories and other exercises (whether I am not quite as fast or strong as others) way overestimated the calories. I don't usally eat back my exercise calories (for now because I am losing fine) but once in a while I have a really hungry day and will dip into the exercise calories to add sliced avocado to my dinner salad or have a higher protein snack.
  • DargoMack
    DargoMack Posts: 75 Member
    I've had several heart rate monitors and they never say the calories burned.

    I use a Polar FT4.

    Same one. I love it.
  • ttknowles01
    ttknowles01 Posts: 255 Member
    I use a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I had to enter all my information (weight, height, etc) and it set up everything from there. Best investment ever!!
  • AniOnFire
    AniOnFire Posts: 33 Member
    I use a fitbit, They also have a new more affordable model, called the zip

    http://www.fitbit.com/zip
  • worthliving4
    worthliving4 Posts: 29 Member
    I use a HRM by Polar called the Polar FT-7. I bought it on amazon.com for about $75 and really love it. I find it is about 10-20% lower than the MFP database and the cardio machines estimates. The reason being it is calculating based on height, weight, age, HR and includes the ups and downs of the exercise without having to intermittently hold the handles of a machine to calculate it. This too is not fool proof BUT it is more accurate than a database or machine.
  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
    Since i don't eat the calories that I burn through exercise, I don't care about how many I burn.
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
    I use my HRM. MFP WAY overestimates!
  • tweetybaby69
    tweetybaby69 Posts: 258 Member
    There is also an app for iPhone called calories burned. You put in your weight and scroll through the exercises and it will give you haow many calories burned. Remember this is only an estimation and a Heart Rate Monitor will prrobably give you a more accurate reading. But until you get it, ty the app (if you have an iPhone, not sure if they have it for Android)
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    I just got my HRM the other day. I have an app on my phone that you put your weight in and it tells you how many calories burned for a number of different exercises. For 25 min of 30 day shred it was telling me 225 calories. I did it with my heart rate monitor on, and that said I burned 125. I was shocked it was that far off. I would say a HRM is your best bet.

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