Increasing calorie burn???

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nad825
nad825 Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm starting my 4th week of T25 and I've been consistently burning around the same amount of calories for each workout week-to-week. From one of my accountability groups, I notice that I'm burning quite a bit less (100-150) than they are per workout. It's somewhat discouraging because I feel like I'm pushing myself to my personal limit. I know I shouldn't be comparing myself to others, but it makes me question if I'm doing something wrong.

Does anyone have any experience or advice?

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Your weight, gender, intensity, and duration will all apply to your calorie burn on any given exercise(s). If you're losing weight, then expect the same workout to burn less calories because you're lighter and need less energy to complete the same workout.
    If you want to increase your calorie burn you either: increase the intensity or increase the duration.
    If you want to make it harder, then get a weighted vest so your resistance is higher.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ME0172
    ME0172 Posts: 200
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    Your weight, gender, intensity, and duration will all apply to your calorie burn on any given exercise(s). If you're losing weight, then expect the same workout to burn less calories because you're lighter and need less energy to complete the same workout.
    If you want to increase your calorie burn you either: increase the intensity or increase the duration.
    If you want to make it harder, then get a weighted vest so your resistance is higher.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    +1
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for the insight! I guess I'll have to do something on top of the T25 to burn more calories.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Why are you so concerned about having to burn X number of calories per workout? You do realize that your weight loss deficit is already built into your calorie goal before exercise right? You're not trying to create your calorie deficit with exercise with MFP.

    Also, it is very possible that others are inflating their calorie burns...a lot of people log stupid **** like 30 minutes of swimming "vigorous effort" @ 900 calories...sorry...that's a bunch of bull****. Most people vastly overestimate calorie burn. Exercise is important, but is pretty insignificant for the most part where calorie requirements are concerned (exceptions being professional athletes and whatnot).
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
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    How are you calculating your burn? Using the MFP database? Using some other resource? Using a HRM? Something else?

    Also, how are other people calculating their burn? If different people use different resources to get their caloric burn, they are likely to get different results.

    If you are losing weight, then you have the right amount of burn and the right amount of caloric restriction.If you are not losing weight, you need better control of caloric restriction. The caloric burn number that you record merely helps you keep score. But the caloric burn number is not, itself, the point.

    Keep in mind that different resources (MFP database, other online database, HRM) will give different results. If you are engaged in competitive logging, and therefore want to RECORD the highest burn, find the resource that claims a bigger number! That won't help you lose weight faster or keep you in better shape, but it will give you the number you desire.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
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    Don't compare yourself to other people as you said. You know that you shouldn't. I am 5'10" and 180ish pounds. I burn more calories running a mile than my 115lb, 5'2" sister.

    Some people think that's not fair. It is. It's harder for me to move my body because I have extra fat.

    I'd rather burn less calories and not be fat haha.

    Just keep doing what you're doing. If you want to burn more, add another 10-15 minute video afterwards!
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
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    Why are you so concerned about having to burn X number of calories per workout? You do realize that your weight loss deficit is already built into your calorie goal before exercise right? You're not trying to create your calorie deficit with exercise with MFP.

    Also, it is very possible that others are inflating their calorie burns...a lot of people log stupid **** like 30 minutes of swimming "vigorous effort" @ 900 calories...sorry...that's a bunch of bull****. Most people vastly overestimate calorie burn. Exercise is important, but is pretty insignificant for the most part where calorie requirements are concerned (exceptions being professional athletes and whatnot).

    I just didn't know if I was doing something wrong. I'm still trying to learn as I go. They're logging their workouts on HRMs like I am, so I'm not sure if they're overestimating or not. I hope they aren't. Thanks for your input!
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    How are you calculating your burn? Using the MFP database? Using some other resource? Using a HRM? Something else?

    Also, how are other people calculating their burn? If different people use different resources to get their caloric burn, they are likely to get different results.

    If you are losing weight, then you have the right amount of burn and the right amount of caloric restriction.If you are not losing weight, you need better control of caloric restriction. The caloric burn number that you record merely helps you keep score. But the caloric burn number is not, itself, the point.

    Keep in mind that different resources (MFP database, other online database, HRM) will give different results. If you are engaged in competitive logging, and therefore want to RECORD the highest burn, find the resource that claims a bigger number! That won't help you lose weight faster or keep you in better shape, but it will give you the number you desire.

    I'm currently using a HRM - specifically a Polar FT4. I don't use the numbers from MFP as I found that they were inflated compared to what my HRM said. I'll have to stop focusing on my caloric burn. I think I'm letting that determine the success of my workout most of the time and I guess that's not the right frame of mind to have. Thanks!
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    Like someone else said, I wouldn't care too much about the amount of calories you burn. 200 calories burned for you body, could do the same as 400 burned for someone else's.

    The only time I burn over 300 calories during a cardio workout is if I know I am going to be splurging on calories that night. Otherwise, my normal day to day ... 100-250
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
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    Don't compare yourself to other people as you said. You know that you shouldn't. I am 5'10" and 180ish pounds. I burn more calories running a mile than my 115lb, 5'2" sister.

    Some people think that's not fair. It is. It's harder for me to move my body because I have extra fat.

    I'd rather burn less calories and not be fat haha.

    Just keep doing what you're doing. If you want to burn more, add another 10-15 minute video afterwards!

    Yeah, I think I was just comparing to myself and thinking that there was something wrong with me because they're burning 400-500 calories for the same workout that I'm burning a max of 330 on. I think I was also letting myself think that I wasn't pushing myself hard even though I was! I am losing weight, so I'll just have to remind myself not to focus on comparing myself to others. Easily said, but not easily done :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Why are you so concerned about having to burn X number of calories per workout? You do realize that your weight loss deficit is already built into your calorie goal before exercise right? You're not trying to create your calorie deficit with exercise with MFP.

    Also, it is very possible that others are inflating their calorie burns...a lot of people log stupid **** like 30 minutes of swimming "vigorous effort" @ 900 calories...sorry...that's a bunch of bull****. Most people vastly overestimate calorie burn. Exercise is important, but is pretty insignificant for the most part where calorie requirements are concerned (exceptions being professional athletes and whatnot).

    I just didn't know if I was doing something wrong. I'm still trying to learn as I go. They're logging their workouts on HRMs like I am, so I'm not sure if they're overestimating or not. I hope they aren't. Thanks for your input!

    Just do your exercise and workout...i don't even concern myself with my calorie burn...I just workout and try to improve my fitness and get stronger, faster, etc.

    You just can't compare to other people...someone who has a lot more mass than you is going to burn a lot more calories to move that much more mass. To boot, you don't know if other people have conditions like high resting HRs, hypertension and the like...if they do, their calorie burns are inflated and they don't even know it. Also, people who are very out of shape will tend to have high resting HRs just from being out of shape...HRM calorie burns tend to overestimate for people who are out of shape.

    A HRM is still just going to be an estimate for calories burned...they can be reasonably accurate for a steady state aerobic workout for someone who is in decent physical condition. The further you get away from a steady state aerobic event like running, the less accurate it is and the more out of shape an individual is, the less accurate it will be...and of course medical conditions. Your HR isn't directly correlated to your calorie burn...it is simply used in an algorithm to determine some reasonable estimation of VO2 max you are working at. Someone who is out of shape or who has a medical condition may have a high RHR which is going to erroneously tell the HRM that they are busting their butts and working to a level to which they really aren't working and thus inflate their numbers.

    Don't get too hung up on the "burn"...just get your nutrition on and get your fitness on and the rest just kinda takes care of itself.
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
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    Everyone's burn will be different as others have mentioned - if it makes you feel any better except on double days - i never get past 250 for a burn from T25 ;)
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
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    Like someone else said, I wouldn't care too much about the amount of calories you burn. 200 calories burned for you body, could do the same as 400 burned for someone else's.

    The only time I burn over 300 calories during a cardio workout is if I know I am going to be splurging on calories that night. Otherwise, my normal day to day ... 100-250

    Yeah, it was just the combination of my ignorance and comparing myself to others. That makes me feel better!
  • nad825
    nad825 Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    Why are you so concerned about having to burn X number of calories per workout? You do realize that your weight loss deficit is already built into your calorie goal before exercise right? You're not trying to create your calorie deficit with exercise with MFP.

    Also, it is very possible that others are inflating their calorie burns...a lot of people log stupid **** like 30 minutes of swimming "vigorous effort" @ 900 calories...sorry...that's a bunch of bull****. Most people vastly overestimate calorie burn. Exercise is important, but is pretty insignificant for the most part where calorie requirements are concerned (exceptions being professional athletes and whatnot).

    I just didn't know if I was doing something wrong. I'm still trying to learn as I go. They're logging their workouts on HRMs like I am, so I'm not sure if they're overestimating or not. I hope they aren't. Thanks for your input!

    Just do your exercise and workout...i don't even concern myself with my calorie burn...I just workout and try to improve my fitness and get stronger, faster, etc.

    You just can't compare to other people...someone who has a lot more mass than you is going to burn a lot more calories to move that much more mass. To boot, you don't know if other people have conditions like high resting HRs, hypertension and the like...if they do, their calorie burns are inflated and they don't even know it. Also, people who are very out of shape will tend to have high resting HRs just from being out of shape...HRM calorie burns tend to overestimate for people who are out of shape.

    A HRM is still just going to be an estimate for calories burned...they can be reasonably accurate for a steady state aerobic workout for someone who is in decent physical condition. The further you get away from a steady state aerobic event like running, the less accurate it is and the more out of shape an individual is, the less accurate it will be...and of course medical conditions. Your HR isn't directly correlated to your calorie burn...it is simply used in an algorithm to determine some reasonable estimation of VO2 max you are working at. Someone who is out of shape or who has a medical condition may have a high RHR which is going to erroneously tell the HRM that they are busting their butts and working to a level to which they really aren't working and thus inflate their numbers.

    Don't get too hung up on the "burn"...just get your nutrition on and get your fitness on and the rest just kinda takes care of itself.

    Thanks for the info! I definitely need to read up some more! I'm going to take your advice and just focus on eating well and getting my workouts in.

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