Zumba Calories

Hmmm, MFP calculator says Zumba for one hour burns almost 700 calories. I am 210, 5'7 female 32 years old, and although I am pretty out of breath and very sweaty when done, that seems like a lot. Thoughts? I do not own a heart monitor nor do I have money to buy one, anybody with a monitor ever see how many cals they burned during a Zumba class? Thanks!

MFP estimates are pretty high. Someone else wearing a HRM wouldn't necessarily be any closer for you. Could be their instructor was less "enthusiastic."

Calorie burns are dependent upon MANY factors (some of which are): height, weight, age, gender, and exertion level. The more information you plug into a calculator (machine, on-line….whatever) the better the estimate.

It's still an estimate .........no calculator (machine) can know your exertion level. The same workout that is difficult for you ..... may be easy for someone else.

It's best to use the lowest number or at least an average. A heart rate monitor (with a chest strap) or HRM measures electrical impulses and compares to your resting heart rate....this is a pretty good indicator of exertion level (for steady state cardio).

Thank you, you seem very knowledgeable. Would your suggestion be to log only 1/2 the min so the estimate is lower? Or not log it at all? I don't usually eat back exercise calories anyways, but I do like to kind of "bank" some calories burned or uneaten for the weekend as I usually eat more on those days.

Many MFP users start with 50-75% of calories. But, if you start to feel run down, then you need to eat back more. I bank them for the weekend too.