What calories do you count?

vicki9792
vicki9792 Posts: 31
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
When you work out on an machine such as an elliptical, which calories burned do you count? What the machine states or the website? MFP said I earned 253 for 20 min but my machine told me 425- that's quite different!!!

Replies

  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
    I always put the lower calorie information to ensure that I am actually going to lose weight!
  • donna56
    donna56 Posts: 412
    I go with MFP, better safe than sorry. My treadmill says I burn more also. :grumble:
  • cdavis1126
    cdavis1126 Posts: 302 Member
    Always what the machine says. I just don't know where MFP comes up with their stats.
  • irunwithscissors
    irunwithscissors Posts: 89 Member
    MFP, because it goes by your weight. The machines unless you can enter your weight, go by a standard 150lb weight or something.....
  • HMFoss
    HMFoss Posts: 6
    I would have to say the machine too... because the machine knows your weight and heart rate.
  • mommyhof3
    mommyhof3 Posts: 551 Member
    I use a HRM and go by that. I don't trust the machine or MFP. I posted a thread on here about the difference between what I am actually burning and what MFP says. It is really scary how different they are on some things.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/91659-be-aware
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
    I use my HRM for the "best guess" but generally I'll use the lower number. I find that I can slide into a lower effort and if I go with a higher number and then EAT those calories - I just don't lose.
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
    I go by the machine, it asks your weight, age and tracks your heart.
  • writer190
    writer190 Posts: 51 Member
    Definitely MFP. My treadmill says I burn 120 calories per mile, but MFP (and several other websites) tell me I burn about 80 per mile.
  • SoonToBeThinCyn
    SoonToBeThinCyn Posts: 7
    I go by what my elliptical says. I can burn 35 calories in 5 mins or I can burn 65 calories in 5 mins. It depends on the setting and how hard you are working. If I only have a few minutes, I go as fast as I can to burn as many calories as possible. If I plan on being on the elliptical a while, I keep a steady pace.
  • vicki9792
    vicki9792 Posts: 31
    I know- I feel like I should do the lower #, but I go at a higher resistance level so I don't know that MFP accounts for that. Thanks for the advice :)
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    I just got a HRM and it was a huge eye-opener as to how many calories I am actually burning. Since swimming is my only workout, I was using MFP for the calories burned and then this week started calculating with the HRM. So far, MFP consistently tells me I am burning 200 more calories than what my HRM says. I'm going with the HRM to give myself a chance to actually lose weight.
  • AnnieeR
    AnnieeR Posts: 229
    I enter my age and weight into the machine and then subtract 10% from that total (just to be on the safe side) and use that. MFP estimations are FAR higher for me than the machine and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'm going to start using a HRM next week, so it'll be interesting to see what that says!
  • yankeefamily05
    yankeefamily05 Posts: 657
    I found this to be really disheartening when I noticed the difference .....
    *On my eliptical, for 25 minutes I burn around 275-290 cals..depending on how hard I work, My eliptical takes in my age and weight. MFP says I burn way over 400 cals for that. And the HRM that I have, I cant get my weight into it, it tells me that I only burn about 150 cals...SO...I got with my eliptical....BC I know I am working really friggin hard to only be burning 150. And I tend to trust the eliptical more because it has all of my info in it:)
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 465 Member
    When I am on the treadmill I change speeds and inclines. Because of this, I use what my machine says.
  • afyfe
    afyfe Posts: 93
    I use my HRM. I figure it is probably the most accurate, because it uses my weight, height, age, sex, resting heart rate and vo2 max.
  • anikab
    anikab Posts: 150 Member
    so If you're using a HRM, do you just go by the MFP amount of calories you should be eating and just not input the exercise you did? does that make sense? let's say MFP tells you your calorie goal for the day is 1200, if you ran for 30min and your HRM says you burned 300cals, do you just input your meals on MFP and go by the 1200 cals or do you input the 30min run also and then go by what MFP says?
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,029 Member
    I use my HRM to determine how many calories I burned. I then log my exercise and adjust the amount burned to what I actually burned. then i deal with eating my calories on the food diary in total, my base and my exercise calories. I think that is what you were asking.
  • anikab
    anikab Posts: 150 Member
    oh ok! I see now. I'm going to get a HRM so I was just wondering how I'd record everything but what you just said makes perfect sense. I forgot you can change the amount of calories burned. thanks!
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
    I use my Heart Rate monitor because it knows my weight, gender, age, etc. so I feel that it is most accurate.

    If you don't have a heart rate monitor - I would NOT use MFP calculations for calories burned because now that I have an HRM, I see that the numbers on MFP totally overcalculated what I really burned.

    So if you don't have an HRM, if you can use a machine that will allow you to put in age and weight, I would go with the machine. IF you are using a machine that will not allow you to enter age and weight, just know that the machine is assuming you are 150 lbs at the age of 35 (I think) in most cases and I'm not even sure it assumes you are a 150 lb man or woman.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    I use my gym's machines because it makes me put in my weight.
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,029 Member
    Just on a note on the machines. even knowing my age and weight they really overstate my cals burned. today treadmill said 1095 HRM said 755 so even the machines can guess high. My tread has heartrate on it too but it doesn't use that in the calorie calculations.
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
    MFP doesn't ask how fast you are going or if you're going up and down hills either. I always go up hills at a quicker pace, I know I am burning more than what MFP says. All the trainers tell me how accurate the machines are at the gym.
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