Am I really burning 1200 calories?

dualhammers · July 2014

Today I started biking to work and did 9 miles on a relatively flat paved road. It took me about 1.5 hours but I was huffing and puffing pretty good in parts so I would imagine it was <10mph but I wouldn't call it leisurely. I decided to calculate it as "light" using the 10mph entry and, according to my weight of 341lb, it spit out an amount of 1,238 calories burned.

My thought is that this number, similar to calculators for TDEE, is vastly over-estimating due to my weight. Can anyone give me advice on a more accurate calculation if this is the case?

Hornsby · July 2014

That sounds like a lot for 1.5 hours. I burn about 600 an hour on a bike, but my pace is much faster. MFP numbers are almost always grossly exaggerated. I would cut that number in half truthfully.

tsimblist · July 2014

You could get a second opinion from this calculator:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.htm

AllOutof_Bubblegum · July 2014

Seems a little high, though you are at a heavier weight, so your burns would be a little higher than the average person...but probably not THAT high.

dualhammers · July 2014

The bodybuilding.com website is also giving me high numbers: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.php?WeightPounds=341&WeightKg=&exertype=bicycling&highcal=0&minutes=80&order=TYPE

I think I will assume it's 50% of what it is suggesting and just only enter it once despite the fact I will be doing the same distance on the ride home.

Someday my pace will be much faster but right now hauling myself plus my 70lb steel frame bike around at 8-10mph is challenge enough. Someday though. Someday.

AusteenaHayes · July 2014

You could be. Every morning at the gym I burn a little more than 1300 calories. But my workouts are typically running over an hour, stationary bike for fifty minutes, a little on the elliptical and strength training

BrianSharpe · July 2014

According to this calculator

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/cycling-calories-burned-calculator

you would have burned a little over 900 cal biking @ under 10mph for 1.5 hrs (which is still a pretty good burn)

Morgaath · July 2014

9miles/1.5hrs = 6mph average speed.
Weight 341lbs
Time 90minutes (1.5hrs)

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/cycling-calories-burned-calculator
= 928cals (1.5hrs) = 10.31cals/min

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.php?WeightPounds=341&WeightKg=&exertype=bicycling&highcal=0&minutes=80&order=TYPE
= 866cals (1.33hrs) = 10.85cals/min

--- When I jumped it up to 90mins it said 974cals = 10.82cals/min

Here on MFP (Bicycling, <10 mph, leisure (cycling, biking, bike riding)
= 928cal (1.5hrs) = 10.31cals/min

Not sure where you got 1200 from. (Edit: Never mind, I see that you picked 10mph to get the 1200+... You huffing and puffing might be more of an indicator of being out of shape than of your speed. But keep doing it and in no time this 9miles trip will be nothing for you, or you will be still huffing and puffing while getting to work in 45mins or less).

Now, assuming that you are 5'9", and male, then BMR = 2407cals = 100.29cals/hr or 1.67cals/minute when you are doing nothing

Kimberlee55 · July 2014

I am so so proud of you!

QuietBloom · July 2014

You could be. Every morning at the gym I burn a little more than 1300 calories. But my workouts are typically running over an hour, stationary bike for fifty minutes, a little on the elliptical and strength training

:huh:

acpgee · July 2014

I don't trust the MFP burns too much, though I don't cycle. My typical workout is 65 on an elliptical, targeting a heart rate of 140. My chest strap HRM says I burn a little over 500. The machine says I burn around 750. MFP says I burn 882.

Am I really burning 1200 calories?

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