Machine Calories or fittness pal?

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colintsmith
colintsmith Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hey all - is the concensus to go with what the machine tells you about calories burned vs fitnesspal? I'm thinking yes but...

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  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    I've been going with machine totals, if available. If not, I use a couple of websites including MFP and take the lowest number. I don't always eat them back but usually do. I haven't had any problems with weight loss slowing as a result so I think for me, at least, they are pretty accurate. I guess results may vary?
  • 78brownie_wechanged
    78brownie_wechanged Posts: 291
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    I only rely on my HRM. No other machine or formula can give me an accurate figure.
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    the machine gives a decent read of it but you cant fully trust it you have to guess based on what the machine says and how hard you actually worked but the info on mfp is pretty bad
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    In before 9 million "You need an HRM" posts!

    Generally the machine is more accurate than MFP between the two choices, because it knows how hard you're working. But some machines can be really....optimistic? Like, for example, ellipticals can read quite high. I would use the machine calories, but reserve some cushion- maybe 30%- when you eat back the calories. Treadmills tend to be more accurate than any of their counterparts.
  • nznatural
    nznatural Posts: 45 Member
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    I just got a HRM last weekend, and already Ive found some pretty interesting differences between HRM/machines/MFP estimates.

    Last night I warmed up on the treadmill before a spin class - my HRM said 140 cals, the machine said 110 cals, and MFP suggested 172 calories.

    Then in spin class my HRM said 681 calories, whereas MFP suggests 570.

    I guess the difference between actual and what MFP suggests probably averages out if you do a few different cardio exercises, but I wasnt expecting differences as big as I saw.
  • stacy_1971
    stacy_1971 Posts: 104 Member
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    I only rely on my HRM. No other machine or formula can give me an accurate figure.

    There are several types of HRM out there, I've noticed, from a watch to something you wear under your shirt. Which do you all advise, when you consider ease of use vs. accuracy?

    Thanks!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    Being a guy, you might be okay to go with machine totals. Since machines are calibrated to be a general number, they tend to be closer to men's burns than to women's.

    But I always found that MFP was a bit closer than the machines on some things and just as wrong as the machine on others. I usually just enter the exercise and then modify the calories to whatever my HRM. And that is always lower than the machine and sometimes lower, sometimes higher, than MFP.

    Just look at this way with machines like treadmills or stairmills. If you turn it on, enter your age and weight, set it to the speed/resistance you want, then step aside and just let it run, it's still going to give you a caloric burn. So how much can you trust those to be really spot on to your actual burn.

    At least stationary bikes, ARC Trainers, and ellipticals depend on the user to keep them moving for their readouts. But out of those three, the ARC Trainer is the only machine I've had give me an accurate readout. I actually once did a 60 minute workout on an elliptical that counted up to 999 calories burned and then rolled over and started counting from 0 again. My HRM said I burned about 500 calories. So...yeah, I don't really even look at the machine readouts anymore. lol
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I only rely on my HRM. No other machine or formula can give me an accurate figure.

    There are several types of HRM out there, I've noticed, from a watch to something you wear under your shirt. Which do you all advise, when you consider ease of use vs. accuracy?

    Thanks!

    HRMs must have a chest strap to give you any degree of accuracy.
  • colintsmith
    colintsmith Posts: 3 Member
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    THANK YOU ALL!

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