Best way to track calories when working out?

bekkyhadley
bekkyhadley Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I solely work out at the gym - no street jogging, bike rides ect. The machines at my gym show you the amount of calories being burnt when they're being used however I've noticed that I could do a 20 minute power walk at around 4 mph and it would say I've burnt the same amount of calories as when I go a 20 minute run at around 5 to 5.5 mph! also the calories that show on the bikes and cross trainer (Elliptical trainer) is away lower then when the calories that MFP shows when I enter the time and I have to change them.

I was looking at getting something which can log the amount of calories I really am burning so I can make sure I'm not over eating but don't sure what's best to do. I've seen some watches which can track calories, heart beat and all that jazz but they range any where from £6.99 - £99.99 (so about $11.95 - $170.91) on amazon.co.uk


All the apps I've seen for iphones are for street running, cycling so not sure if these would work?

Does anyone know any good apps I can get in the UK for free/cheap or are the watches worth it?

Thank you :smile:

Replies

  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    The best way, in my opinion, is to stop eating back calories. There really isn't a 100% accurate way to tell how much you burn.

    TDEE - 20% (and even this has to be figured out by you, you can go with what different online calculators tell you, but you won't really know until you try things out.) is what everyone who is reasonably active should be doing.
  • wlapp1107
    wlapp1107 Posts: 9 Member
    I find the RunKeeper calories burned calculation to be lower across the board compared to MFP so I use the lower number when posting. There are a number of posts on this site that mention MFP being overly aggressive in their calculations. That said, I wouldn't be where I am today weightloss-wise if not for MFP and the calorie counting functionality (its main purpose IMHO).
  • LimeGreenFwooper
    LimeGreenFwooper Posts: 11 Member
    If you want something to track your calories soley for when you are working out, invest in a heart rate monitor. I have the Polar H7 and it can (depending on the machine) connect to the machine you're on so you can see your HR and burn on screen. I also have the Polar Loop activity tracker for everyday use which I then pair with the H7 for exercise. Not sure what your price range is but the H7 HRM reatils for $90 CDN and the Loop retails at $120. Looking at Polar's Website, ordering the Loop online also prompts for "Optional Heart Rate Sensor" which is cheaper to get them together ($185 CDN). You can get the Polar H6 HRM for ~$20-25 cheaper but it doesn't have the capability to connect to a machine.

    Oh, and all these are waterproof so you can wear them swimming (or wear the Loop in the shower so you don't forget it!).

    Good luck!
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    Seconded. I do not eat back the calories from working out. I log them but just to keep track of the workout. I enter about 1/4 of the calories that mfp spits out. A simple example, my bike ride yesterday burned 800 cals according to mfp. So I entered 200cals to be safe.

    I have seen a few of my friends enter 1 cal manually for the same reason. They record the workout, but do not want to bank those calories to be eaten later.

    I think of working out and getting cardio as something I do for the mind/soul and body shaping. I dont workout to give me a few extra calories. I eat better so that I can lose weight, and I lift weights and get cardio to increase my strength, stamina and shape my body.

    You will see repeated many times to eat back half the calories burned....not a bad idea either. MFP has some pretty awesome guidelines and suggestions, mostly verified by thousands of users. So...why re-invent the wheel?

    Good luck
  • bekkyhadley
    bekkyhadley Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks everyone,
    I've started to not eat back my calories but I do sometimes use them as a safety net just in case I'm having a hungry day or my plans change ect.

    In the end I downloaded the mapmyfitness app and wore my phone in a holder on my arm - I'll see how I go with that but thank you for the advice :happy:
  • cart25
    cart25 Posts: 17
    The only accurate way is a power meter on a bike. Even then there is some guessing as to your bodys efficiency. If you ride for an hour at 250Watts then the energy needed to produce that power is 250 x 3600 (seconds that the work is done for) = 900kJ. Converted to calories is 215kcal, most people are around 25% efficient so multiply this by 4 to give the total energy expenditure so it will be 860kcal per hour at 250W.
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  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    An HRM.
  • Mystique225to504
    Mystique225to504 Posts: 11 Member
    I have a Polar H7 and I used Adidas Micoach to track my calories burned. I got my HR monitor from Amazon for 60 with free shipping but on the website is 79.99 with $13 dollar shipping.
  • splashtree2
    splashtree2 Posts: 277
    I solely work out at the gym - no street jogging, bike rides ect. The machines at my gym show you the amount of calories being burnt when they're being used however I've noticed that I could do a 20 minute power walk at around 4 mph and it would say I've burnt the same amount of calories as when I go a 20 minute run at around 5 to 5.5 mph! also the calories that show on the bikes and cross trainer (Elliptical trainer) is away lower then when the calories that MFP shows when I enter the time and I have to change them.

    I was looking at getting something which can log the amount of calories I really am burning so I can make sure I'm not over eating but don't sure what's best to do. I've seen some watches which can track calories, heart beat and all that jazz but they range any where from £6.99 - £99.99 (so about $11.95 - $170.91) on amazon.co.uk


    All the apps I've seen for iphones are for street running, cycling so not sure if these would work?

    Does anyone know any good apps I can get in the UK for free/cheap or are the watches worth it?



    Thank you :smile:



    the best way to track the burned calories during workout is the strip on the chest cause getting the beats and your weight can say effectively how much you burn...plus it gives you the percentage of your fitness level that's important cause let you understand if you're improving....
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    The best way, in my opinion, is to stop eating back calories. There really isn't a 100% accurate way to tell how much you burn.

    TDEE - 20% (and even this has to be figured out by you, you can go with what different online calculators tell you, but you won't really know until you try things out.) is what everyone who is reasonably active should be doing.
    That's not great advice I'm afraid. Exercise calories should be accounted for whether you follow the MFP method or not.

    TDEE method does include exercise calories - just an average estimate.
    TDEE -20% as a blanket recommendation is just wrong, might be suitable for some but certainly not for all.
    TDEE isn't great for people who have very large calorie burns that need to be fuelled or people that have a very irregular exercise routine.

    If the machines at the gym get you to enter your stats and they also record your power output (watts normally) then they could be pretty accurate (not guaranteed).
    HRMs can be reasonably accurate (accurate enough anyway) but also subject to wide variations.
    Walking or running online estimators can be reasonably accurate.

    Whatever you do you should be prepared to make adjustments based on actual results over time.
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  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Unlike some others on this thread, I DO recommend you eat back your exercise calories. MFP has already provided you with the appropriate deficit, exercising creates a greater deficit. This can lead to undernourishment, and at the very least make adherence more difficult because you will be HUNGRY. Keeping too great a deficit for too long can lead to bingeing. Ask me how I know.

    It is generally agreed upon that MFP overestimates calorie burns. A HRM really is the most accurate way to record your exercise burns, but if you don't have that, use the machine you're on IF it records your weight, since it also records your speed. If I am walking or running outside, I use Endomondo, a smart phone app. If I have no other way to record my calories burned, I enter 2/3 of the time I actually spent exercising into MFP and use the estimate provided.

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