Is that calorie counter at the gym really right?!

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DeidreJean
DeidreJean Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, my progress has been a little slower than I would like and I'm trying to figure out why. When I go to the gym, I get on the elliptical trainer for an hour and when I get off, if I've used the total body program on intermediate level 5, it says I've burned about 300 calories- myfitnesspal says 992. Tonight, for the first time, I decided to just add what the machine says, even though I think it might be wrong- so, an hour later, 300 calories- which do you think is right? Should I just be splitting the difference? Feeling frustrated tonight-
Thanks, everyone!

Replies

  • borjanap
    borjanap Posts: 232 Member
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    I usually figure that I burn about 100 cals every 10 min(1 mile) of intense exercise. I usually go by that which is close to mfp and the machine
  • dclarsh1
    dclarsh1 Posts: 83
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    Does the machine at the gym allow you to enter in your weight, and does it have heart rate monitor handles? I find that MFP calorie counts are pretty much in line with the machines I use as long as the machine has those two features. If you can't enter your weight, then the machine is probably underestimating your calories by a lot, and you should probably go with the MFP number. Of course, if you really want to know for sure, you might want to invest in a good heart rate monitor.
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
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    An hour on an elliptical trainer should net you more than 300 calories. 996 sounds about right unless you were moving very slowly! Although I sometime doubt the machines, I found that MFP and other sites actually list calories burned higher than the machines.

    Be careful on a treadmill with a high incline and holding on to the machine. That will change your calories from what the machine reads to actually less than calculated as you are compensating by holding on to the machine.
  • HappyJamese17
    HappyJamese17 Posts: 9
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    Are you entering your age and your weight on the elliptical trainer when you start? It calculates differently for age/weights. That might be the difference. I can't imagine an hour on the machine and only burning 300 calories. I burn 500 in 45 minutes. I believe it is normal to burn approximately 10-15 calories per minute, especially at the level that you are training.
  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
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    To get the most accurate reading invest in a heart rate monitor! You program them to YOU and it will give the most honest of readings! The machines and MFP are WAY higher than my Polar F11 hrm. I was disappointed at first but no wonder I was not losing when I was eating my "earned" exercise calories. Most of the machines do not ask if you are male or female and I personally think that they are set for the male gender. Once you own a HRM you won't go without it!! Good luck and whatever you do, do NOT quit the fitness!!
  • footballmom2000
    footballmom2000 Posts: 15 Member
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    I normally go by what the machine says. I average about 100-120 calories every 10 minutes. I have noticed that some of calculations here are incorrect and I just key what I get from the gym.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    I burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes on advanced interval programs on the elliptical. I can burn much less if I'm taking it easy. MFP shows me as much higher, so I use the gym's machinery (I enter weight, age, etc) calculations.
  • DeidreJean
    DeidreJean Posts: 51 Member
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    The machine does ask for my weight, and it has the heart rate monitor on the stationery hand grips. It is difficult to hold onto them if I am moving very quickly, so I don't always use them. Tonight, I entered my weight, but did not use the heart rate monitor because I assumed that part of the total body function is the resistance in the mobile hand grips and that I would burn more calories by using the mobile grips. It's strange, because if I just set the elliptical to a manual program and put it on level 8 or 10, it will tell me I've burned 700 calories. It sounds like I should invest in a heart rate monitor...
    Thanks for all the advice!
  • FireMonkey
    FireMonkey Posts: 500 Member
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    300 calories an hour sounds low. At my gym the ellipticals have all the above mentioned features and I'm burning 8-9 calories per minute, which is not super intense but I'm working up a pretty good sweat. That comes to about 480-500 calories per hour. I find the MFP number way too high for me, but maybe for people who have a more intense workout it's ok.
  • yellowhouse
    yellowhouse Posts: 80
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    To get the most accurate reading invest in a heart rate monitor! You program them to YOU and it will give the most honest of readings! The machines and MFP are WAY higher than my Polar F11 hrm. I was disappointed at first but no wonder I was not losing when I was eating my "earned" exercise calories. Most of the machines do not ask if you are male or female and I personally think that they are set for the male gender. Once you own a HRM you won't go without it!! Good luck and whatever you do, do NOT quit the fitness!!

    I agree...I was using the numbers from the machines at the gym which were significantly lower than MFP numbers (yes I entered my age and weight) and I still was not seeing the results I thought I would. I recently purchased a heart rate monitor and sure enough those numbers were even lower than the machines. For example, today I worked out on an elliptical for 1 hour and the machine said I burned 780 calories, my heart rate monitor said 600, and MFP calculated close to 900.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    I usually figure that I burn about 100 cals every 10 min(1 mile) of intense exercise. I usually go by that which is close to mfp and the machine

    Really? That's awesome since we are same height almost the same weight but I burn only 490 cals in 55 min on the elliptical and I go almost 7 miles. MFP says about 540 in cals so I go by the machine b/c for some reason my HRM doesn't work on the elliptical. It worked the next night on the spinning bike so I'm not sure what’s up with that.

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