How to Track my Calories Burned

BeingKevin
BeingKevin Posts: 109 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have some questions about tracking the calories I burn during walks.

I took what I consider a hike yesterday. I am walking through woods on a rough dirt path up and down hills for 1.5 miles, yesterday it took me 40 minutes to complete. It certainly isn’t my normal 2.5 mph walk on a sidewalk so I logged this activity as "hiking, cross country" on MFP and it calculated 802 calories.

I have an app (called Endomondo) to track my walk that I downloaded basically for distance and time. I looked at my workout this morning and noticed that it tracks several other things and I noticed that it says 169 kcal. I imagine the app that knows my weight, height, age, sex just like MFP but also knows the actual trail I walked has a more accurate count of my calories?

It has been explained to me that a kcal and a calorie is the same thing, so if that is the case according to Endomondo I only burned 169 calories yesterday – that is a big difference. That is also hard to believe.

What did I really burn? I certainly don’t want to overestimate what I am burning, but I would like to know a number that is close to realistic so I can plan accordingly.

I really need to understand this and would appreciate any comments and/or advice on this matter. Thanks for your help.

Replies

  • GamerGurl729
    GamerGurl729 Posts: 286 Member
    Your best bet is to get a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). That way you know exactly how many calories you're burning when you exercise.
  • sessygail
    sessygail Posts: 44 Member
    I have had success using my HRM and then using the calorie burned calculators at www.shapesense.com.
  • duckychic
    duckychic Posts: 57 Member
    A heart rate monitor would be your best bet. Make sure the one you get has a chest strap, as these are the most accurate you can get.

    If I use MFP estimates for exercises, I ALWAYS under estimate the time I spent doing the activity. If I swim leisurely for 2 hours, I will only put in 1 or 1.5 hours. MFP always seems to over-estimate for me.
  • MommaKit79
    MommaKit79 Posts: 852
    The 169 cal doesnt sound right. But, I also know that MFP kinda tracks higher then normal.

    I agree that you best bet, especially for something like that, would be to get a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). I need to get one myself too. It would track better what your body does and you could get a better account for what you have burned. OH...and get one with a chest strap too. :-) I am looking on Amazon.com at some now. POLAR is a highly suggested brand, eventhough they are a bit more expensive.
  • Weezoh
    Weezoh Posts: 171 Member
    Yeah, a HRM will give you the most accurate guess of calories burnt (well without needing a support team and a bunch of wires). When I have a choice between my walk tracker on my phone or MFP I go with my phone generally because the GPS does track elevation changes whereas MFP has no idea the actual path (even though I know GPS elevation tracking is iffy at best). It also works out that it's always the lower of the two numbers.
  • brainfreeze72
    brainfreeze72 Posts: 180 Member
    While I agree with the heart rate monitor, the ones here locally were $70, a little pricey for me right now. I check MFP's calculations against WebMD's calorie burn calculator and go halfway between the two if there is a difference. WebMD also asks your sex, age and weight if I recall. With your weight, you'd burn a lot more calories than a much smaller person walking the same route at the same speed. Perhaps it did not calculate with your current weight? I burn about 96 calories walking 2 mph for 30 minutes and I'm just under 170#.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
    . I imagine the app that knows my weight, height, age, sex just like MFP but also knows the actual trail I walked has a more accurate count of my calories?
    It won't know anything you haven't told it.

    by the way, a calorie (little 'c') is a measure of the heat required raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 degree Celsius

    by convention, a Calorie (Upper case 'C') is the heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilo of water through 1 degree.
    therefore 10000calories = 1 kilocalorie or 1Cal

    humans tend to get sloppy and write about 'calories' in food when they mean 'Calories'.

    BUT don't do what my wife did when she said I couldn't have the ciabatta roll she'd bought as it had over 1000 Calories - she was reading the kilojoules.
  • Katbody10
    Katbody10 Posts: 369 Member
    I use MapMyWalk app on my phone. I created an account online .. then downloaded the app to my phone.. it's amazing and wonderful!

    Easy to use and tracks inclines and calories burned. It's interesting to see the hills you've gone up and down.. plus the calories burned and how far you went!

    It's FREE too!

    http://www.mapmywalk.com

    It also shows me as burning less calories than what MFP would have me burning. MFP seems to give me false hope of having burned hundreds more calories than the app. I prefer putting in the conservative amount of calories burned (or manually input them myself) and I also log the calories a little more generously .. Better to think I ate more calories than I did than to underestimate.

    this seems to be working well for me
  • SheilaN1976
    SheilaN1976 Posts: 266 Member
    for my outside walks i use Run Keeper app on my phone...its based on current weight and speed and distance...at 189.2 lbs walking average speed of 2.61 mph, walking 1.28 miles in 29:18 minutes it says i burned 140 calories. MFP gives a much higher calorie burn if i enter in 29:18 minutes and 2.5 mph. i use what Run Keeper says. But i also agree that a HRM watch would be the most accurate...i intend on getting one as soon as the budget allows it.
  • jensweighingin
    jensweighingin Posts: 168 Member
    I find the MPF is higher than the machines at the gym which are notoriously off. For slow walks MPF matches my HRM calories. If it's in your budget, invest in a HRM. That way you have a pretty good guess. I halved the MPF calories when I needed a battery for my HRM!
  • BeingKevin
    BeingKevin Posts: 109 Member
    Thank you all very much for the suggestions. I will look into a HRM in the near future.

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