Elliptical says only 120 calories burned...

kaylad8528
kaylad8528 Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello! It's been a bit since I posted here, but I have a burning question (ha ha, get it?):

I've recently taken up using an elliptical trainer, True brand. I can set my weight (200lbs), difficulty, resistance etc. It's a pretty good machine.. And when I am done with 30 minutes on it, MFP says that should come out to ~400 calories, but the ticker on the machine says I've burned only 120.

When using the machine, I keep up at about 55rpms, I use the "CV workout" setting, which goes from resistance level 3 to 6 and back to 3 over the course of the workout. My average heart rate reads out about ~125bpm from the machines sensors, but I don't know how accurate that is.. Sweating, panting, and definitely flexing my leg muscles to keep the machine going.

So which is more correct? Am I burning only the measly 120 calories the machine says I am, or am I really putting a dent in it like MFP seems to suggest I should be with that kind of work out?

Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    MFP overestimates by quite a lot. I would think the machine is probably closer to reality in this instance. Maybe split the difference, and see where that takes you?
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    The 120 could be correct, or close but it depends on many factors like age, sex, weight, fitness level etc. I'm 5'4" 38 year old woman, about 140 lbs and at a moderate pace on the elliptical if my HR averaged 125 that is probably close to what my burn would be.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
    using this http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx
    based on 21 yr old female at 200 lbs for 30 mins exercise with average hr of 125 it would be 184 calories

    Elliptical is all about how much you put in to it and at a hr of 125 you really are not in the high calorie burn area.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    It could be correct. I see some pretty inflated numbers on some people's work outs, but they are only cheating themselves. I worry that some machine actually inflate it. Don't give up though, it's 120 calories that you wouldn't have burned otherwise. You are also getting stronger and healthier. I started out around 55 rpms too, but a few months later, I'm around 70. If you have the time and want to burn more calories, try walking after your elliptical exercise. Also do some strength training.
  • janetteluparia
    janetteluparia Posts: 318 Member
    Use your heart rate and personal metrics to determine. Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) -- (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) -- 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/221621-formula-for-calories-burned-during-exercise/#ixzz2TZE2nDu5
  • adopp062715
    adopp062715 Posts: 93 Member
    I'm not sure what your budget is like but maybe invest in a hear rate monitor. That will give you a very good indication of how many calories you are burning.
  • jbabbitts
    jbabbitts Posts: 7 Member
    I use my fitness tracker to calculate my calorie burn... Which is usually in range of the machine... The estimates on MFP are way off!!!!
  • Betty_Rubble
    Betty_Rubble Posts: 117 Member
    Getting a good and reputable HRM is one of the best things I've gotten along the weight loss journey.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    Yeah, granted I'm older than you by 20 years, but I burn that *kitten* up on the elliptical. Get my heart rate b/w 155-165 for the 30 minutes, then do a slow 5 minute cool down where at the end my heart rate is still about 115-120. I'm 5'7", 198, 41 yr-old and with a high intensity and a high heart rate I can burn about 350-400 in 35 minutes (tho of course MFP estimates it higher at like 480). Like someone above said, it's all about what you put into in with the elliptical.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    I'm 39, 200 lbs and the elliptical at my gym says I burn around 300 cals for a 30 min session. My heart rate stays in between 170-185 from about 3 minutes in until I'm done.
  • steph0315
    steph0315 Posts: 13 Member
    I get on the elliptical every day, and I have never once (even in my really vigorous workouts) hit the number of burned calories that MFP estimates just for a moderate workout. Also, MFP doesn't take into account how hard you're working, just the duration. Some days I burn 630 calories in 45 minutes, sometimes it's 745. MFP would give me credit for 865 in either instance - again, because it is only going by duration. I manually enter the calories shown on the machine, not the inflated number MFP gives me.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Neither MFP or cardio machines are ever very accurate with calorie burns. It's more than likely they are both off, substantially.

    If you are very interested in tracking your burns, the only really accurate way to do it is to use an HRM.
  • Laurayinz
    Laurayinz Posts: 930 Member
    MFP doesn't know what intensity or speed you did, so it over estimates a lot. Does your elliptical have grips that give you a heart rate? If you're not wearing a monitor, then that's the closest you can get. Go with what the machine says rather than MFP.
  • rhonda6373
    rhonda6373 Posts: 61
    I do the elliptical for 30 minutes on the easiest level and it says I burned 300 calories. I am now thinking that number is inflated as well. I am sure the MFP number is inflated. I use the number on the machine because I would rather under-estimate than over-estimate. I guess I will stick with the machine number for now until I can get a HR monitor. I have no idea how high my heart rate gets, but it is pounding when I get finish.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    I don't think the machine is far off at all, definitely closer to accurate than the MFP estimates.

    One of the biggest mistakes we can make is substantially over-estimating our calories burned during exercise. We think that it should be way more than it actually is. I would err on the side of caution and use the lower number.
  • konerusp
    konerusp Posts: 247 Member
    Machine is more accurate than MFP!
  • aliencheesecake
    aliencheesecake Posts: 569 Member
    I used the reading on my machine and the time I used and entered it into MFP as a new exercise... so my machine and my MFP entry should be similar if not the same....
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
    that is not a high heart rate - you need to be working a bit harder and get that heart rate up. Its not about "plodding" alot. Go faster, up the intensity and get a sweat going. Then you will burn more calories.
  • kaylad8528
    kaylad8528 Posts: 27 Member
    Well, I actually find this extremely discouraging. The elliptical feels very difficult to me, and at first I didn't question MFP at all - I think I feel like I worked 400 calories hard, but if 30 minutes of "Is it over yet? Is it over now? Now? Now?" and feeling like I'm going to die, or feeling like I have to quit or I am going to get sick, is really only burning 120 calories, this is not what I want...
  • HWeatherholt
    HWeatherholt Posts: 283 Member
    MFP overestimates by quite a lot. I would think the machine is probably closer to reality in this instance. Maybe split the difference, and see where that takes you?

    I have a HRM but I always split the difference between what the machine says (using that morning's weight) and my HRM (using that week's 'official' weight).
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Well, I actually find this extremely discouraging. The elliptical feels very difficult to me, and at first I didn't question MFP at all - I think I feel like I worked 400 calories hard, but if 30 minutes of "Is it over yet? Is it over now? Now? Now?" and feeling like I'm going to die, or feeling like I have to quit or I am going to get sick, is really only burning 120 calories, this is not what I want...

    Well, to use as a rule of thumb going forward, anything over 10 calories per minutes is very, very hard to do. A lot of people think they get that level of burn or more, but most of the time, it's over inflated.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    Well, I actually find this extremely discouraging. The elliptical feels very difficult to me, and at first I didn't question MFP at all - I think I feel like I worked 400 calories hard, but if 30 minutes of "Is it over yet? Is it over now? Now? Now?" and feeling like I'm going to die, or feeling like I have to quit or I am going to get sick, is really only burning 120 calories, this is not what I want...

    That's how all of my cardio feels. If it doesn't feel like that, then I push harder and increase my rpms or resistance. Are you warming up? You may need to do a longer warm up at a lower intensity. You should break a sweat and get your second wind. Get some work out music that pumps you up and makes you want to mosh. make sure you don't have a full stomach, but get some energy into you before you start and stay hydrated. I usually finish a bottle of water during ine 25 min workout (but i workout on an empty stomach). Even at avg 70 rpms for 25 mins, I only burn around 165 calories and that's according to MFP, but I definitely see and feel results. I usually take a break and walk in the treadmill for a bit and then do another round in the elliptical. My second round always feels much better than my first.
  • fayefayee5
    fayefayee5 Posts: 87 Member
    Try upping your incline and resistance.

    I do the elliptical for 15-25 mins everyday and set it on incline 11, resistance 8 or 9 and try to stay at least 145 rpms. I ussualy burn about 200 cals in 15 mins and 300 ish if i push through and do 25. My heart rate usually averages 160-175 (yes its high, but im still way overweight)

    Sure im sweating like crazy afterwards but the higher resistance really gives me a good workout.
  • watermelonsugar_
    watermelonsugar_ Posts: 45
    Neither MFP or cardio machines are ever very accurate with calorie burns. It's more than likely they are both off, substantially.

    If you are very interested in tracking your burns, the only really accurate way to do it is to use an HRM.

    This. I wear my HRM to the gym, and all the machines (even the same types) give me a substantially different reading each time.
  • tskvaughn
    tskvaughn Posts: 114 Member
    I was looking for a post like this. My recumbent stationary bike monitors my heart rate and I enter my age and weight. Tonight I worked out pretty heavy ( for a 59 year old obese woman) but logged it in MFP as light. MFP said I burned over 1000 calories and the bike computer said 531. I manually entered into MFP what the bike computer said. I also use a Fitbit for step activity, which I don't wear on the biked b/c it really gets off. I checked Fitbit and it gave the burn at 731.
    So yes, I believe that MFP estimated burn is way off.
    Maybe this is why people are gaining or not losing weight when the think they are eating the correct amount of calories. They are way over estimating their burn on exercise activity.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I am 30, 160 lbs and I burn about 275 calories per 30 minutes when I keep my heart rate between 175-185. If you get your heart rate up a little higher, you will burn more calories in the same amount of time. Try using a hill interval setting and working hard on "flat" and recovering on "hill". That's what I do to keep my hr close to my max for the whole workout.
  • krennie8
    krennie8 Posts: 301 Member
    i go with what the machine says. I don't end up logging minutes correctly b/c of MFP's differences, so while MFP says 330 for 30 minutes for me, it generally takes me more like 35 minutes to get that burn. (162 lbs, I use a resistance of 11 and keep the rpms at 100-110).
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    Mr hrm is actually usually about 40-60 calories behind what the machine reads that I've burned. Hrm = most accurate guesstimate.
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    125 is only 1 over what my minimum is for the target heart rate. I try to do an average in the 150's. So that 120 is probably right. I am with the others and suggest a HRM. You can input all your info and get an accurate reading.
  • lwestmill
    lwestmill Posts: 91 Member
    Well, I actually find this extremely discouraging. The elliptical feels very difficult to me, and at first I didn't question MFP at all - I think I feel like I worked 400 calories hard, but if 30 minutes of "Is it over yet? Is it over now? Now? Now?" and feeling like I'm going to die, or feeling like I have to quit or I am going to get sick, is really only burning 120 calories, this is not what I want...

    If it feels that discouraging, you are fighting this exercise thing. Find a workout that your feel comfortable doing. You may later you will like the Elliptical. It is frustrating to exercise in the beginning of the weight loss journey. Once you form your routine and make it a habit, you won't notice the time so much.

    Also, a big help in working out is music! Buy a ipod or something. Get some good workout tunes going. It really helps! Good luck and don't give up!

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