How are you guys burning 500+ calories

SymphonynSonata
SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey,

So, I see when people log or check random diaries and they have like 500+ calories they can eat back because of exercise. How??? What exercises are you doing? Whenever I do or log an exercise I burn about 30 calories, lol. Which is nice and everything, but that barely makes room for me to even have a cracker and I'm hungrier after than I was to start with in the first place. Any advice welcome!!
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Replies

  • pamt1999
    pamt1999 Posts: 19
    Hey,

    So, I see when people log or check random diaries and they have like 500+ calories they can eat back because of exercise. How??? What exercises are you doing? Whenever I do or log an exercise I burn about 30 calories, lol. Which is nice and everything, but that barely makes room for me to even have a cracker and I'm hungrier after than I was to start with in the first place. Any advice welcome!!

    I will burn a lot using the elliptical. Being obese also makes you burn more than a thin person doing the same workout.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    They *may* or *may not* be burning 500+ calories, if they are going by what MFP says or by a HRM. MFP wildly overestimates calorie burns so likely they only burned half of what it says they did. That's why if you're eating back your exercise calories, it's best to halve the time you spent exercising and only eat back those calories instead so you're not under estimating your deficit and eating too much. Even an HRM can't really help determine calories burned on some exercises like weight lifting, but it's a better tool than MFP estimations
  • meganuhl1
    meganuhl1 Posts: 26 Member
    it depends on what kind of exercise you do, intensity, length, and your weight. I can easily burn around 500 calories from my daily workout of an hour on the treadmill. I usually set the incline up all the way and use weights while I walk. On run days its way more calories than that
  • Tillyecl1
    Tillyecl1 Posts: 189 Member
    I spend somewhere between 30 minutes and 3 hours exercising (and I mean really going for it) every day, I usually end up with a 350-1800 cal burn. But I am naughty because I tend not to eat them back *sits on naughty step*.
    Edit: Would also recommend an HRM, they are ace (I also have a Polar and would recommend it, even if the chest strap takes a little getting used to). In terms of exercise I run (at a reasonable pace) and cycle (speed ~30km/hr), I also do spinning and swimming regularly.
  • FancyPantsFran
    FancyPantsFran Posts: 3,687 Member
    For an accurate calorie burn to you get a heart rate monitor. I have the polar h7 and use it with the app digifit on my smart phone. I have already loaded my info into the app just put monitor on synch it up and it tells me how many calories I burn. When I do spinning class I can get lose to 500 calories. Since I started using this I broke my plateau and have a more accurate picture of my caloric burn.
  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
    For that kind of burn you typically need to do a higher intensity cardio, and for a decent period of time (for me I'd need to run for about an hour). And like pamt1999 pointed out, the more you weigh the more you burn so if you're already close to or at your goal weight it's going to take longer.
  • RadioactivePirate
    RadioactivePirate Posts: 212
    What are you doing that burns only 30 calories? And how long are you doing it for? If I exercise at or around my target heart rate I can get about 600 calories/hr and I usually exercise at least an hour, mostly running.
  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
    I would not eat back ALL of my exercise calories unless I was trying to gain weight, or maintain it.

    To answer your question...Get a heart rate monitor (HRM) - chest strap type.

    Figure out what your heart rate should be for good calories burns (age, weight, etc. all come into play) - check the web...there are all kinds of sites on this. Most inexperienced people do not exert themselves enough to get in the high calories burn range unless they have a way to monitor their heart rate.

    Do some sort of cardio exercise - Insanity, treadmill, bike ride, run, very fast walk, etc.

    Use the HRM to calculate your calorie burn...it is much more accurate than the MFP calorie burn estimates.

    If you are not used to this level of exercise, ease into it. Doing something you are comfortable with for a week, then amp it up the next week, repeat. In a few weeks time you will be a calorie burning machine.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Considering you weigh nothing you will not burn as much in comparison to others. I'm a 209 pound man so I can burn 800-900 calories an hour running. You as 120 pound woman would be lucky to burn 400 in the same time doing the same amount. If you're desperate for the calories to eat back it makes me think that maybe your calorie goal is un realistic so maybe you need to look at eating a bit more but losing slower.
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
    I think it depends on a variety of factors- what kind of exercise one is doing, for how long- AND (likely the most important factor) their size.

    Think about it this way- imagine doing your workout with a 100lb hiking pack strapped to you- you're necessarily going to burn more calories, simply because you're carrying more weight.

    So even if all other variables are equal (same excercise and duration) those who are carrying more weight are going to burn more calories.

    Now, it's a great thing when you have 100+lbs to lose (like I do) but, I fully recognize I'm not going to get the same burns as I get closer to my goal. That's going to suck, but, I'll be closer to goal, and that's waaaay better than being a fatty who burns 500 calories in 75 minutes.
  • pbruce706
    pbruce706 Posts: 15 Member
    I do 70 minutes of cardio, 35 on the treadmill and 35 on the elliptical. On the treadmill I either use a cardio routine to keep my heart rate in the "zone" (65% to 80% of "max") or the next C25K run if it's that time. On the elliptical I run a cardio routine, but usually just try to push for a little more distance than the last time, don't always get there. I also use a USB to save the results from the exercise equipment and upload it to LifeFitness LFConnect site to track my progress.

    And yes, MFP can be 1.5 times what the actual equipment (using a measured heart rate) is. Neither is perfect, but the one from the measured heart rate is going to be a lot closer to accurate than what MFP estimates.

    I also find that my FitBit Force estimation is usually a lot closer to calories burned than MFP, so if you're using a FitBit, I'd trust those numbers more.

    And with weight loss your calorie burn goes down naturally. I used to easily do 850 to 900 but now am down around 650 to 680.
  • Dogwalkingirl
    Dogwalkingirl Posts: 320 Member
    I wear a HRM monitor so my 'burns' are not always accurate but the closest I can get for now. I typically burn 500 plus cals in an hour of my bootcamp class. Also I do HIIT videos from youtube and seem to burn around that in about an hour. Swimming/running etc are also always a good burn.

    I always only log my exercises and even if they are not 100% accurate I figure it is okay since I also walk 5-7 hours a day with the dogs I walk and never log what I burn through that.

    What are you doing and only burning 30 cals?
  • jirwin323
    jirwin323 Posts: 40 Member
    i bike or swim/water run for at least an hour a day for my cardio (i do pushups and hand weights every other day but don't count those calories burned). I have a bike trainer setup in the office and start out every morning on it. I do about 17-20miles in the hour and no matter which calculator I use, it comes up at 1600-1900 calories burned. I take 65% of that and attempt to eat those calories back. For my water workout, I burn approximately 1200 calories according to multiple calculators (people say the MFP one is to generous) and again back about 50-60%.
  • frangrann
    frangrann Posts: 219 Member
    Elipitical or stationary bike burns like 200 calories in 20 min so 500+ in an hr.
    Aerobics, kick boxing, zumba, step aerobics for an hr usually burns around 500.
  • theashtrees
    theashtrees Posts: 104 Member
    Elipitical or stationary bike burns like 200 calories in 20 min so 500+ in an hr.
    Aerobics, kick boxing, zumba, step aerobics for an hr usually burns around 500.

    Agreed.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    My NIke+ app gives me about 100calories/km, given my age and weight. So a 3mile walk burns about 500 cal, but I only log 75% of that in order to be on the conservative side.

    Today is my weekly 10k+ hike with the dog, so I will have a 1000cal burn for about 90mins - I will only log 750, but still an awesome burn.

    BTW, I started as a 232lb 50yo woman. I am now a 193lb 51yo woman. As a previous posted commented, as a 120lb young female, your burn is going to be considerable less.
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  • tommills95
    tommills95 Posts: 2
    60 minutes of yoga followed by 30 minutes of elliptical and 30 minutes of intense circuit training twice a week. Weekends are at the local fitness center doing 30 minutes of elliptical at high settings and 45 minutes of HARD circuit training. 30-45 seconds between sets. No lollygagging for me! Yeah, I'm most definitely seeing results. lol! At 56, I'm almost in as good physical shape as when I was 30.
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  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
    I can burn 500 calories with one hour of super intense exercise,
    or in two hours of moderate exercise.

    Unless you're only doing 5 minutes of exercise, you must be burning more than 30 cals.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    Hey,

    So, I see when people log or check random diaries and they have like 500+ calories they can eat back because of exercise. How??? What exercises are you doing? Whenever I do or log an exercise I burn about 30 calories, lol. Which is nice and everything, but that barely makes room for me to even have a cracker and I'm hungrier after than I was to start with in the first place. Any advice welcome!!

    By working out hard for 1.5-2 hours. There you go!

    Fully expecting over a 500 calorie burn today for volume squats (72kg) and a bench/bicep curl challenge (admittedly the squats will cover most of that). I'd like to do some yoga too. High burns aren't unrealistic when you do a lot of exercise.
  • tinapi96
    tinapi96 Posts: 112 Member
    Mine comes up on my diary as +500 or so because I set my MFP at sedentary and use my Fitbit to add calories to my day. I may only exercise 30 minutes (for me that means about a 250 burn) but if I make more than 8000 steps in a day I normally get extra just from getting on with my life. I log exercise on my Fitbit and food on MFP. It might not be what you think...
  • skyfall91
    skyfall91 Posts: 74
    totally depends. I go on my treadmill/stationary bike for 30mins and burn about 200-220cals so I usually get about 400cals in an hour for my usual workouts.
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    Several options:
    1. They are heavy so it doesn't take much time to burn so much.
    2. They're doing intense cardio.
    3. They work out for a really long time. I often log 800 cals workouts, but that's because I dance for three hours almost non stop.
  • april34josey
    april34josey Posts: 10
    This is not true...who told you that being obese makes you burn more then a thin person??? smh
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
    This is not true...who told you that being obese makes you burn more then a thin person??? smh

    Erm... If you're obese then you will burn more doing the same activity at the same level than a thin person. More weight to be shifted around, etc.
  • FraggleRockerFitnessLover
    FraggleRockerFitnessLover Posts: 307
    I use a HRM, do roughly 30-45 minutes of weight training followed by a good 1-1.5 hours of cardio via stair master, elliptical, or spin and shoot for 1000 calories to burn. The stair master
    is a fantastic and challenging burning machine. I typically don't eat back my calories I have burnt. I love my HRM. Best of luck!
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    This is not true...who told you that being obese makes you burn more then a thin person??? smh

    Just check out any calorie burn calculator. Compare burns for the same activity at 140lbs and 240lbs. Increased body mass (weight) = increased effort/energy required to move said body mass = increased calorie burn.
  • april34josey
    april34josey Posts: 10
    I burn over 500 calories because I weight train (lifting pretty heavy) and than I don cardio for about 20 to 30 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) which burns way more calories than steady state cardio for an hour...........google HIIT to learn more about it.....:) I spend 1 hour and 1/2 to two hours in the gym and I am a fitness competitor......
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    I ride long distances, often riding for between 2 - 10 hours. Yes I take breaks and even eat while I'm out. The 2 - 10 hours are actual ride time. I have a bike computer that only counts as the wheels are turning. I sometimes burn as little as 700 calories on a ride, and have burned more than 5000 on a ride. Now when I'm working on strength building or attacking my abs ... it may be as low as 200. I exercise for fitness not for calorie burn. I do track it and I do eat back a portion (50 to 75% rarely all), but it isn't to give me more to eat ... it is to make me healthier. I even do videos, but they are not my sole or even my go to workout. It is for variety. Do the exercise you enjoy ... for fitness ... stop worrying about the calorie burn. Track it yes, but like what you do.

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