Exercise calories - overstated?

In my experience the MFP database gives a higher calorie burn then does my treadmill or cycle. So all I do is take the number stated on the machine. But it doesn't state it too high just maybe 40 50 cals or so from my hour of calorie burning.

MFP over-estimates exercise calories by about 50% compared to my heart rate monitor and I work out hard. I don't know how I could possibly ever burn what MFP calculates.

The problem is that how many calories you burn depends on all sorts of things including your metabolism, how fit you are and for walking and cycling how far you go and how high you climb. A heart rate monitor SHOULD be more accurate and I find that for the exercise I do (90% cycling) normally MFPs estimate is lower than what I'm actually doing but by how much depends on the speed (there is a hell of a difference between 12mph and 14mph average speed on a bike), the way I'm riding, what gears I'm using, etc, etc.

Arnengaggle is right the best thing to do is to give it a try and work it out for yourself, also you don't have to eat back everything that you burn off instead go by how you're feeling.

That is the man reason I put more faith in my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor over MFP's estimator or the Cardio machines at the YMCA. I eat back 85% of my exercise calories leaving 15% for error and have lost a few pounds using this system... Best of Luck...

MFP are estimates. I think it depends a lot on how fit you are already, and varies by activity. Many of my bike rides exceed 3-4 hours at 17-20 MPH. It'll say I burned ~2500 calories. Nope. I've been seriously cycling for 7 years and my heart rate barely jumps when I do it. For 3 hrs my HRM says around 1200 calories.

On the flip side running is very hard for me....the effort to run 3 miles is probably more than the effort of cycling 30 for me. The burns for a 3 mile run match that of my HRM.

I think some are inflated, others not but they pretty much even out. I followed the database calories and lost weight. I did not, however, make a habit of eating back all my excercise calories. I would go over my non-exercise day calorie total when I did exercise but rarely, if ever, ate back all my exercise calories. I think I get too many calories for gardening and cycling but far to few for the very energetic and aerobic yoga I practice. If you just have one form of exercise you might want to get more exact but if, like me, you do several, I think they come out about right.

When compared to my HRM, MFP awards me way more calories for cycling and running (like 30% more) but about the same for walking and activities in the lower ranges of HR. So although the MFP calories appear on my food diary, I almost never eat all of them--just mentally figure on eating back the number that my HRM gives me.

Tha MFP database for exercise calories is wayyyy wayyyyy off and I would never advice someone to use it.
I love love this site but this aprt of the site simply does not work.
The calorie burn is always too high.
Google loads of different calorie calculators and you should find a good average!
Or invest in a HRM!

I did notice in terms of the database that they are really off. The elliptical would say 300 something and MFP would say like 1000. I found an app which is about the same calories as the machine or less, so i switched to recording that number

I wear a Bodymedia armband to measure my calorie burn, and even with high intensity workouts, I'm lucky if it measures 200 calories in a 1/2 hour period. MFP usually wants to give me much more than that. But with my armband, I learned I burn 2100-2200 cal per day. So, I just make it easy on myself, eat an average of 2000 calories, mostly clean foods and since I measure low calorie burns, I don't make it a point of eating the exercise calories back. That helps with my deficit. Works for me!

I think whether or not the MFP calories are overestimated depends not on the website, but the person in question. You have to know yourself a bit. You have to think about how your workout went, and say, did I really put a lot of effort in today? Or was it a lower intensity? You have to be honest with yourself, so that you can be honest with MFP, so it can give you an accurate thing. Just because the video says "high intensity" on the cover, doesn't mean that's what you put in. I guess if you can't gauge your own effort well, a heart rate monitor is good. Personally, though, I know when my heartrate is pounding, and when it's just sorta up a little.

I find cycling calories are grossly overstated. An hour ride at 18 mph indicates circa 1000 calories but I am pretty sure it is half of that. Less of a problem with running. I am guessing it is because in cycling there is a lot of coasting and downhills where very little effort is expended but calorie counter algorithm figured you are flying along at great effort. My HRM confirm this - circa 40pc overstated at least.

OP, I think you can tell from the replies, the MFP database is wildly erratic. It overstates some activities, understates others and probably gets some about right on. The good thing is, once you get comfortable with estimating your calories burned and input it, it seems to stay that way for you every time you input that exercise. So take all the good advice you've been given here, come up with your number and use that. Good luck.