My Fitness Pal calorie calculation

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rg3skins123
rg3skins123 Posts: 10
in Motivation and Support
Does anyone else think that the MFP calorie calculation is way too high? I actually revise it down because it seems so way out of whack. When I log 30 minutes of cardio, it calculates that I burned 570 calories. I am way skeptical of that number. so I always change it to 350 calories. I hope I'm wrong but wanted to get some feedback.

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  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
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    The best way to get an accurate measurement is to use a chest-strap-type heart rate monitor and forget all about the MFP estimates.

    For me, doing Insanity or some other high intensity cardio, I can easily burn about 800-900 calories per hour. When I was heavier, it was higher (i.e. - more exertion to move my former fat *kitten*).
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    I am skeptikal and tend to ignore the actual calories burned.
    I try to stay within my calorie goal and exercise is extra.
  • rocketblaster
    rocketblaster Posts: 50 Member
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    I've wondered this too, thanks for posting it :)
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Yup, a lot of the listings are overestimated. You should eat at least some of them back as you don't want your calorie deficit to be too high so shoot for about half, maybe up to 75% if you still feel hungry. As mentioned above, if you're interested in a more accurate calorie burn reading (they're not 100% but better than a lot of the calculations you get from cardio machines or online calculators), get a good heart rate monitor with a chest strap like a Polar or Garmin.
  • Skittle_BoomBoom
    Skittle_BoomBoom Posts: 72
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    I do too! What I do is use the website and not my app. It calculates using your body weight, too. I also use another website and do the average if I feel it is WAY too high.
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
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    I find that the estimates for exercise are chronically overstated, & that for many the calorie goals are too low. For this reason I have chosen the TDEE-% approach, which I feel far more accurately reflects my activity level while keeping my caloric intake above my BMR.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    There are too many variables for any calculator to be accurate. What is intense for me might be moderate or light for someone else.

    I do a modified version of TDEE less 20% based on exercising 3 days a week even though I do some for of exercise 6 days a week. Then I played around with MFP until it gave me the calories to match my figures. This way I felt that I covered some exercise days being "light" and others "moderate" to "intense". I also don't worry as much about the calorie burn since I don't eat them back...well...except when I have pizza once a week.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Any data base or calculator is likely to be off...often by a lot...there are just too many variables and frankly, this is one of the biggest downsides to utilizing the NEAT method. To boot, most people don't even question what they find in some database or calculator...they're usually just all, "sweet...I burned 1000 calories doing 30 minutes of swimming" and call it a day...so kudos OP for realizing that often the numbers you get from here or any other database are often highly inflated.

    When I did the MFP method, I used my HRM and still deducted around 20% for estimation error. To boot, I always performed a reasonableness check using a factor of 5 to 10...5 calories per minute being basically a moderately paced walk and 10 calories per minute being a level of intensity for which I could not readily hold a conversation. Mind you these are calories per minute in excess of your basal calories. It is really difficult to burn more than 10 calories per minute so I never logged any more than that to be on the safe side of things.

    Doing the above and eating back those conservatively estimated exercise calories, I pretty easily lost around 40 Lbs. You do want to make sure you're giving your body adequate fuel for repair and fitness gains...but conservative enough so that you are truly netting to your desired level of deficit.
  • osothefinn
    osothefinn Posts: 163 Member
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    Are you trying to tell me 45 minutes of house cleaning isn't 350 calories? The deuce you say!! ;)
  • rg3skins123
    rg3skins123 Posts: 10
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    Thanks guys. I appreciate it. I like the 5 per 1 min. and 10 per min system. Although I think I'm going to buy a chest strap.

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