Different calorie burning rates?

queen_ana
queen_ana Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
I did 45 minutes of the elliptical today; MFP says I burned 583 calories, the machine said 434, and an online calculator that tells you calories lost "based on your weight" says 787. So...should I just input the MFP calorie deficit?

Replies

  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    I would always go with the lowest. Better to underestimate caloires burned, overestimate calaries eaten
  • DonnaMarie1943
    DonnaMarie1943 Posts: 3
    I agree. I go with the lower, too. I noticed when I am on the treadmill, MFP lists a higher amount of calories burned then my treadmill does. I think MFP is basing it on avg speed someone is walking, and I probably walk slower. Idk
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    I would always go with the lowest. Better to underestimate caloires burned, overestimate calaries eaten

    ^^^This...I always go by the machine without entering my height and weight so it gives me an average burn rate and I can estimate on the low side. This way, as long as I stay under my galorie goal, I won't be overeating based on what I think I burned.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    They're all estimates, and all of those are probably on the high end. Data base and calculator numbers can be wildly off because they cannot predict your level of effort and often people overstate their level of effort because they're tired and sweaty and whatnot so they put "vigorous effort"....when in reality, they're just out of shape.

    The machine is likely a little high as well...but really, it's all an estimate. It's hard to burn more than about 10 calories per minute in excess of your BMR...10 calories per minute is working hard and that was always my maximum burn I would log if I was working to a level of effort for which I could not hold a conversation or do really anything else besides my workout. You want to be as conservative as possible with your burn estimates without depriving your body of nourishment.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I'd go with 434 as that sounds the most accurate. In my experience, unless you're doing something really intense like running fast, anything more than 10 cal per minute is probably an overestimate.

Categories