Is what the treadmill saying true?

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UnicornRides
UnicornRides Posts: 56
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I've always been a bit unsure. I do treadmill workouts (no jogging/running because of my feet and knees) at a 10% incline.. and never noticed, until tonight, that it tells you the calories you burned at the end of the workout.

Here is my treadmill adventures for the day:

2.5 mph at a 10% incline for 30 minutes (2.5 pace, 10 incline, for 30 mins)
3.0 mph at a 10% incline for 5 minutes (3.0 pace, 10 incline, 5 mins
2.0 mpg at a 10% incline for 10 minutes (2.0 pace, 10 incline, 10 mins)
I weigh 189lbs.

Now, the treadmill said I burned around 856 calories in this time..
And this treadmill site (http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/) says I burned 433..
but, because MFP doesn't let you choose anything but your speed and time.. it says I burned 267 calories..

Help me out! I've been using MFP but I might be burning more calories than what it tells me!
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Replies

  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
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    The treadmill cals definitely seem quite high. I would go with the treadmill site or split the difference between the website and MFP cals if you want to eat the cals all back.
  • Resa52
    Resa52 Posts: 182 Member
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    The treadmill site is about 10-15 calories away from what my heart rate monitor tells me, so I find it to be pretty accurate!
  • UnicornRides
    UnicornRides Posts: 56
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    The treadmill cals definitely seem quite high. I would go with the treadmill site or split the difference between the website and MFP cals if you want to eat the cals all back.

    That's probably what I will do. Thanks for the reply. :)
  • UnicornRides
    UnicornRides Posts: 56
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    The treadmill site is about 10-15 calories away from what my heart rate monitor tells me, so I find it to be pretty accurate!

    10-15 calories higher or lower?

    And thanks for the accuracy reply! It's hard to tell which sites are better to go by these days. I just found the treadmill site and it seems pretty helpful (it's all gibberish to me.)
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    So, I've always been a bit unsure. I do treadmill workouts (no jogging/running because of my feet and knees) at a 10% incline.. and never noticed, until tonight, that it tells you the calories you burned at the end of the workout.

    Here is my treadmill adventures for the day:

    2.5 mph at a 10% incline for 30 minutes (2.5 pace, 10 incline, for 30 mins)
    3.0 mph at a 10% incline for 5 minutes (3.0 pace, 10 incline, 5 mins
    2.0 mpg at a 10% incline for 10 minutes (2.0 pace, 10 incline, 10 mins)
    I weigh 189lbs.

    Now, the treadmill said I burned around 856 calories in this time..
    And this treadmill site (http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/) says I burned 433..
    but, because MFP doesn't let you choose anything but your speed and time.. it says I burned 267 calories..

    Help me out! I've been using MFP but I might be burning more calories than what it tells me!

    That seems awfully high for 45 minutes of walking. I don't even burn that much running at 10mph for 45 minutes. As a rule of thumb, pick the lowest (within reason) estimation for exercise and the highest (within reason) estimation when eating food of unknown caloric value.
  • fluffykitsune
    fluffykitsune Posts: 236 Member
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    My rule of thumb is 100cal for 1mile
    so you did like 1.5 - 2miles.. I wouldn't count on more than ~250cal
  • UnicornRides
    UnicornRides Posts: 56
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    So, I've always been a bit unsure. I do treadmill workouts (no jogging/running because of my feet and knees) at a 10% incline.. and never noticed, until tonight, that it tells you the calories you burned at the end of the workout.

    Here is my treadmill adventures for the day:

    2.5 mph at a 10% incline for 30 minutes (2.5 pace, 10 incline, for 30 mins)
    3.0 mph at a 10% incline for 5 minutes (3.0 pace, 10 incline, 5 mins
    2.0 mpg at a 10% incline for 10 minutes (2.0 pace, 10 incline, 10 mins)
    I weigh 189lbs.

    Now, the treadmill said I burned around 856 calories in this time..
    And this treadmill site (http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/) says I burned 433..
    but, because MFP doesn't let you choose anything but your speed and time.. it says I burned 267 calories..

    Help me out! I've been using MFP but I might be burning more calories than what it tells me!

    That seems awfully high for 45 minutes of walking. I don't even burn that much running at 10mph for 45 minutes. As a rule of thumb, pick the lowest (within reason) estimation for exercise and the highest (within reason) estimation when eating food of unknown caloric value.

    Well, you have to take into account that I weigh much more than you.. so I will probably burn quite a bit of calories in just a short amount of time (at an uphill pace)

    The problem with the rule of thumb is if I want to eat my calories back or if I'm not getting enough calories.. because of my weight and workout, I need to be more precise.

    But thanks for the reply and the idea. I usually go by that in other circumstances.
  • UnicornRides
    UnicornRides Posts: 56
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    My rule of thumb is 100cal for 1mile
    so you did like 1.5 - 2miles.. I wouldn't count on more than ~250cal

    I never really keep up with miles because I'm on a treadmill. And the one I use doesn't show me mileage. :(

    Thanks, though.
  • katebowen37
    katebowen37 Posts: 55 Member
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    Half an hour of walking with no incline, the treadmill tells me I burn 200. I go to the eliptical and do a half hour on strength program 4 (it's like an interval workout) and it says I burn over 400. The 400 seems high to me but it's a workout!
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
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    Can you get a heart rate monitor? Then you will know almost exactly. I use one and always eat almost every single calorie back and have been losing steadily so it's definitely on point. :)
  • jrreed1
    jrreed1 Posts: 57 Member
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    Read this. It may answer some of your questions.

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn.aspx
  • fluffykitsune
    fluffykitsune Posts: 236 Member
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    My rule of thumb is 100cal for 1mile
    so you did like 1.5 - 2miles.. I wouldn't count on more than ~250cal

    I never really keep up with miles because I'm on a treadmill. And the one I use doesn't show me mileage. :(

    Thanks, though.
    think of it as, 20 minutes walking at 3mph is 1 mile, because 60 / 3 = 20 C:
    the incline does add more burn.. but I would rather undershoot than overshoot, you know?
  • TarshCooper001
    TarshCooper001 Posts: 25 Member
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    Inaccurate.. a heart rate monitor is the closest you will get to knowing your calorie burn :)
    Also- you cannot expect to continue to work off exactly the same calories everytime you do the same exercise for the same amount of time.
    Variables include your increasing fitness and your weight loss. I definately know I burnt alot more calories doing an hour of mixed cardio initially and now have to push further to burn the same amount of calories I used to!
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Both are going to be inaccurate unless you can input your age weight, gender. The most accurate way of knowing is with a heart rate monitor.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I don't think so.. at all.. I run on the treadmill and even when I weighed the same weight as you, I didn't burn more than 300 for a 30 min session. HRM is a bit more accurate and allows you to input factors not typically included on cardio equipment.
  • maniesduchocolat
    maniesduchocolat Posts: 39 Member
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    I heard a lot of them are pretty inaccurate. Just for the sake of it, I substract 20% of what the machine tells me
  • Chan42069
    Chan42069 Posts: 1
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    If you want to be extremely accurate i suggest the polar ft watch line... For about 90$ you get a watch and a heart rate monitor that work together. It tells you your heart rate and accurately measures your calories. Treadmills are set to count calories for certain weights, which might not be yours. I use my watch almost everyday and it was more that worth the 90$
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    If you want to be extremely accurate i suggest the polar ft watch line... For about 90$ you get a watch and a heart rate monitor that work together. It tells you your heart rate and accurately measures your calories. Treadmills are set to count calories for certain weights, which might not be yours. I use my watch almost everyday and it was more that worth the 90$

    Definitely agree with this post!
  • teebeegeebee
    teebeegeebee Posts: 218 Member
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    Walking, 2.9 To 3.5 Mph, Uphill, 6% To 15% Grade 396calories burned ( assumptions were female 5'3" age 40(sorry) and weight 189lbs )

    Hi - I use this website to check the gym machines accuracy out http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calories_burned.htm , obviously with the right age and height you will get a better estimate as to calories burned.

    If my gym machine is plus or minus 5% on the above result for my age, weight height gender etc then i go with that, I deduct 20% for my food add back as a means to keep me from over indulging - some days i get major munchies.... for snacks in the evening

    I hope this is a help for you
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
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    Another short term alternative might be to go to a local gym for a day that has treadmills with heart monitor straps and do the same workout.

    I accidentally left my husband's settings on one day (he's heavier than I am), and I could not believe the burn when I was done! LOL. He can do the same workout as me and net a much better burn!

    I have a Sole F80 treadmill, and it let's you put in your weight, age, and gender, and adds in the calculation for heart-rate (which goes up with the hills). You definitely want to be netting results from all your hard work.

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