Accurately count calories burned?

jellab
jellab Posts: 35
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'd like to know how you accurately count the calories you burn during exercise. Especially if you're eating those calories back you have to be pretty on target. I've read that the computers on treadmills and elliptical can be up to 30% inaccurate. Is that true? If so, what do you use and how accurate do you think it is? Especially those of you who do classes and videos...

Thanks!!

Replies

  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
    You can wear a heart rate monitor that counts your calories burned.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    Just pick a method and stick with it. You don't need to buy any devices. I have a HRM, but I never use it. All the devices are estimates. Pick one, use it, and if you aren't getting the results you want, adjust.

    It's all a guess. Even HRMs. Even MFP, even the treadmill.

    My strategy is just to use 300 calories burned for every one hour of strenuous exercise. Done and done. I know it works, I've done the work to find that number.

    ALL of this is estimation. Thankfully, your body doesn't count "exact" numbers. It's about a pattern of eating and exercise over time.
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    You can wear a heart rate monitor that counts your calories burned.

    Is there a specific type that you'd recommend?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A HRM with a chest strap is going to be the most accurate...that said, it's all still an estimate; you're never going to get exact numbers. I think Polar models tested to be around 70% accurate for calorie burn during an aerobic event for an individual without any other underlying heart issues (i.e. low resting HR, high resting HR, high blood pressure) that skew results and make a HRM pretty worthless for calorie burn. Also...only relatively accurate for an aerobic event. Worthless for calorie burn for anaerobic events like weight lifting.
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    Just pick a method and stick with it. You don't need to buy any devices. I have a HRM, but I never use it. All the devices are estimates. Pick one, use it, and if you aren't getting the results you want, adjust.

    It's all a guess. Even HRMs. Even MFP, even the treadmill.

    My strategy is just to use 300 calories burned for every one hour of strenuous exercise. Done and done. I know it works, I've done the work to find that number.

    ALL of this is estimation. Thankfully, your body doesn't count "exact" numbers. It's about a pattern of eating and exercise over time.

    Good point! Thanks for the reality check. I think I'm getting a bit obsessive. :-)
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    Just pick a method and stick with it. You don't need to buy any devices. I have a HRM, but I never use it. All the devices are estimates. Pick one, use it, and if you aren't getting the results you want, adjust.

    It's all a guess. Even HRMs. Even MFP, even the treadmill.

    My strategy is just to use 300 calories burned for every one hour of strenuous exercise. Done and done. I know it works, I've done the work to find that number.

    ALL of this is estimation. Thankfully, your body doesn't count "exact" numbers. It's about a pattern of eating and exercise over time.

    Good point! Thanks for the reality check. I think I'm getting a bit obsessive. :-)

    It would be nice to know a range though. ;-)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    Just pick a method and stick with it. You don't need to buy any devices. I have a HRM, but I never use it. All the devices are estimates. Pick one, use it, and if you aren't getting the results you want, adjust.

    It's all a guess. Even HRMs. Even MFP, even the treadmill.

    My strategy is just to use 300 calories burned for every one hour of strenuous exercise. Done and done. I know it works, I've done the work to find that number.

    ALL of this is estimation. Thankfully, your body doesn't count "exact" numbers. It's about a pattern of eating and exercise over time.

    Good point! Thanks for the reality check. I think I'm getting a bit obsessive. :-)

    It would be nice to know a range though. ;-)

    When I was actively trying to lose weight, I would sometimes just use an average of three sources. You aren't going to get an "exact". My 300 calorie guess is higher than some calculators and lower than others.

    Unless you are doing lengthy strenuous exercise such as training for an endurance event for several hours a day, or you are very obese, you can just pick a number that's an average of the treadmill and MFP, and look online for a third source and average the three. That's the best you can do. You're not burning enough to make a huge difference. You'll make 200 calories worth of food errors every day, too. :flowerforyou:
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I don't, not accurately at least. I've got 2 HRMs, a bodymedia fit and a fitbit flex - all they do is estimate calories. Accuracy is almost a crapshoot.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I never workout without my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor....... Best of Luck
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    [/quote]

    When I was actively trying to lose weight, I would sometimes just use an average of three sources. You aren't going to get an "exact". My 300 calorie guess is higher than some calculators and lower than others.

    Unless you are doing lengthy strenuous exercise such as training for an endurance event for several hours a day, or you are very obese, you can just pick a number that's an average of the treadmill and MFP, and look online for a third source and average the three. That's the best you can do. You're not burning enough to make a huge difference. You'll make 200 calories worth of food errors every day, too. :flowerforyou:
    [/quote]

    That's a good idea. Going to try that. I'm doing GRIT classes at the gym. They seem strenuous, but I can never tell...sometimes I swear I've burned 10,000 on the treadmill and look down to see 100. HAHA!
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    I never workout without my Polar FT60 heart rate monitor....... Best of Luck

    I'll look into that one. Thanks!
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    Hi! I'd like to know how you accurately count the calories you burn during exercise. Especially if you're eating those calories back you have to be pretty on target. I've read that the computers on treadmills and elliptical can be up to 30% inaccurate. Is that true? If so, what do you use and how accurate do you think it is? Especially those of you who do classes and videos...

    Thanks!!

    i cant afford a heart rate monitor till the fall/winter when money is less tight. until then, i use MFP's estimation but cut it in half every time. they try to take into account my height/weight/age, etc so i figure its a better estimate than any old number i throw in there. I cut it in half because ive read on here where mfp estimates more than their HRM says, so i figure im safe at half their estimate.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    I don't, not accurately at least. I've got 2 HRMs, a bodymedia fit and a fitbit flex - all they do is estimate calories. Accuracy is almost a crapshoot.

    ^^ Honestly, this. Some things you just have to do your best with and experiment a bit with to get an idea of what you're actually burning.

    The one HRM I bought drove me nuts so I never wore it for a full run. It's probably still sitting in the bushes somewhere.
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35
    I don't, not accurately at least. I've got 2 HRMs, a bodymedia fit and a fitbit flex - all they do is estimate calories. Accuracy is almost a crapshoot.

    ^^ Honestly, this. Some things you just have to do your best with and experiment a bit with to get an idea of what you're actually burning.

    The one HRM I bought drove me nuts so I never wore it for a full run. It's probably still sitting in the bushes somewhere.

    HA! That made me LOL! I was wondering about that...wouldn't it slip down from sweat and movement? So funny!
  • haanmom
    haanmom Posts: 90 Member

    That's a good idea. Going to try that. I'm doing GRIT classes at the gym. They seem strenuous, but I can never tell...sometimes I swear I've burned 10,000 on the treadmill and look down to see 100. HAHA!


    If you are going for an estimate instead of exact, I read that the "average person" burns about 500 calories during a GRIT session. That's the number I have used because I think I'm a pretty average person (!!), and it has worked for me in terms of calorie intake, projected weight loss and actual results. I'm 5'10 and 160lbs.
  • jellab
    jellab Posts: 35

    That's a good idea. Going to try that. I'm doing GRIT classes at the gym. They seem strenuous, but I can never tell...sometimes I swear I've burned 10,000 on the treadmill and look down to see 100. HAHA!


    If you are going for an estimate instead of exact, I read that the "average person" burns about 500 calories during a GRIT session. That's the number I have used because I think I'm a pretty average person (!!), and it has worked for me in terms of calorie intake, projected weight loss and actual results. I'm 5'10 and 160lbs.

    Awesome! That's a lot. I probably won't be up there until I can actually keep up with the class, but I'm getting there. :) Thanks for the info. Have a great weekend!!

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