Calorie Burn Calculators

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wendybird5
wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Sometimes I wonder how accurate the calculators are on MFP for determining calories burned during different exercises and I know it's a question that comes up often in the forums. I found a couple calculators online to use to compare and thought I'd pass them on in case anyone else might find these useful. So far the exercises I've checked show up as higher calorie burns on these calculators than in MFP so for now I'll stick with MFP's numbers or the cardio machine if I'm using one.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

http://www.prohealth.com/weightloss/tools/exercise/calculator1_2.cfm

http://www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/calculators/app/exercise-counts-calculator

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.htm

Replies

  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    I have wondered whether the MFP calculator accounts for sex and age.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
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    I did a workout tonight and wore my HRM - it was very close to what MFP said, few calories higher actually. So if I don't use my HRM I know MFP is pretty close!
  • Niivsmom
    Niivsmom Posts: 145
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    I have wondered whether the MFP calculator accounts for sex and age.

    If I am not mistaken the MFP calculator takes your height, weight, sex and age into account to come up with the calorie burn. I actually think it's a very good calorie counter. I've also compared to others and it is the closest to being/most accurate so far.
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
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    I use a HRM for all of my workouts, unless I don't have it at hand I go by a calculator. I do a lot of Zumba, and I find the one for that is very close to accurate. Nearest to Zumba on MFP is 368kcals an hour. Calculator predicted about 700-800. I burn between 650-800 depending on how hard I work.
  • A01fe
    A01fe Posts: 15
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    I use a HRM for all of my workouts, unless I don't have it at hand I go by a calculator. I do a lot of Zumba, and I find the one for that is very close to accurate. Nearest to Zumba on MFP is 368kcals an hour. Calculator predicted about 700-800. I burn between 650-800 depending on how hard I work.

    The really good point you made here is that it depends how hard you work while doing the exercise. That's the one variable that MFP can't account for
  • Kathy_Noring
    Kathy_Noring Posts: 143 Member
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    If I am not mistaken the MFP calculator takes your height, weight, sex and age into account to come up with the calorie burn. I actually think it's a very good calorie counter. I've also compared to others and it is the closest to being/most accurate so far.

    Good to know! I have sort of assumed it overestimates how many calories I've burned.
  • domduck
    domduck Posts: 13
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    What's HRM?
  • kellehbeans
    kellehbeans Posts: 838 Member
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    What's HRM?

    Heart rate monitor.

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