treadmill underestimates cals burned&MFP overestimates HELP

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jenarball
jenarball Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
So I tested out my new treadmill and I used it for 21 minutes since I am very busy and I did 15% incline at 3.5mph
The treadmill said I burned 29 calories (how feeble lol) but I wasn't using a heart rate monitor etc I was just using it with the safety thing clipped onto my trousers
So I went on MFP and typed in "treadmill" and it comes up with ONE option -.- so I typed in the amount of minutes I did and it overestimated

So then I typed into google and found on sparkpeople a calories burned thingy and I calculated the median of two calculations I used on there (one was 15% incline and 4mph the second was 15% and 3mph) since I did it at 3.5mph (lol)
I typed in my weight and the minutes I did it and it said I burned 247 at 4mph and 193 at 3mph and the median of that is 220 calories so do you think that's okay??? IDK if I should trust this but damn I don't think I burned 29 calories at 15% INCLINE at 3.5mph that just doesn't seem right y'know?

Anyone suggest anything for me to find out how many calories I burn? I hear something about "polar" thing? does that count cals burned?

thanks!

Replies

  • kiwitechgirl
    kiwitechgirl Posts: 145 Member
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    Heart Rate Monitor. I have a Polar FT4 and it does tell you how many cals you burned - it's not 100% accurate but it's as close as you'll get. I'd say 21 cals is too low but 220 is too high - I burn about 340 in 40 mins of running, but it does depend on weight and fitness level - I'm fairly close to goal weight and reasonably fit, so my burn isn't massive.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    21 minutes at 3.5mph is just over one mile. Net calories burned for that is 0.3 * body weight in pounds.

    An incline of 15% adds about 250m in elevation change. Rule of thumb is 1 calorie per 100kg (220 pounds) of body weight per meter climbed. So add roughly your bodyweight/220 * 250.

    So if you weigh 180 pounds, it's 60 calories + 200 calories.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I burn about 300 calories running on the road for 30 to 35 minutes measured with my Polar FT4 heart rate monitor. 220 for 20 minutes seems a bit high for walking unless you are very heavy and very out of shape.

    If you want to be more exact I'd suggest getting a HRMM.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
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    At 209lbs a 21 minute walk at 4mph uphill carrying 18kg I burnt 155 calories so depending on your size etc it sounds a little high to me!
  • Greywalk
    Greywalk Posts: 193 Member
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    Runners use the following...walk or run 1 mile equals 100 calories. I operate on the KIS principle...and this fits.
  • UpToTheChallenge
    UpToTheChallenge Posts: 247
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    I would suggest a heart rate monitor with a chest strap for the most accurate. You input your data and it records your heart rate while you're working out!

    I have the Polar FT watch and love it!
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
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    Though a "calibrated" heart rate monitor is best, your estimate is probably just fine. I have been told by a few individuals that the calorie estimates that my heart rate monitoring program estimates is too high as a replacement for the calories that MFP would normally assign (note: I make sure that my allowance for calories from exercise isn't double counted). But the formulas and the underlying research data is all published and I haven't found any issues or errors that counter their use.

    My treadmill under estimates calorie expenditure by 10-20% depending upon the particular program I am using.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    If you don't use the HRM part of the treadmill and it doesn't ask for weight, it won't be accurate.

    I would log my walk on a treadmill as a walk at whatever speed you were using.

    A good HRM is the best indicator of how many calories burned. I would use MFP's suggestion and eat half back (or log half the time, if you aren't tracking time)

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