Strengh Training Doesn't Count Towards Calories???

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turnerwesley155
turnerwesley155 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I am using this the Myfitnesspal for the first time today. I added my foods and my morning workout. Am I correct by saying that according to Myfitnesspal it does not count weight lifting towards my daily calorie goal? I certainly burn calories doing it. Should I just disregard that portion? Thats discouraging.

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  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    It's hard to count calories burned through strength training as there are different factors which change the burn.

    I think you can add it under cardio though.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,662 Member
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    So I am using this the Myfitnesspal for the first time today. I added my foods and my morning workout. Am I correct by saying that according to Myfitnesspal it does not count weight lifting towards my daily calorie goal? I certainly burn calories doing it. Should I just disregard that portion? Thats discouraging.

    look it up under cardio and log the minutes you spent lifting and it should show calories burned.

    its been awhile since i logged exercise on here though
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
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    Most people enter the weight training under the Cardio section.
    I think the Weight lifting part on teh exercise page is more for tracking progress rather than calories.
    Try looking for your exercise under "Cardio exercises".

    Also, since you're new, be aware that MFP tends to overestimate calories burned. Most people recommend eating about about half (50%) of what it says you burn. I actually overwrite mine. So if I run and MFP fills in 200 cals burned, I type 100 over the 200 so that I don't see a bunch of unused calories in my net calorie goal.
  • SCW250
    SCW250 Posts: 21 Member
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    Do not focus on any of that exercise bonus calories stuff. Stay with coming in under your food goals and you will do well with the program. It's a good tool and you will see results.

    Also, the cardio piece is suspect and cut the totals in half to play it safe.

    Good Luck
  • monicastricker9
    monicastricker9 Posts: 56
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    I would not add it as cardio, since the two are completely different things. Most weight training is great exercise and needed for cross training and building muscle; which in turn burns calories. It however, is not the primary activity that will result in a reduction of weight. I would assume that is why it is not a catagory to select. But, remember just because you can't add it does not negate the fact that you have done it. I wouldn't put it in for cardio, because that will misrepresent your progress in the long haul.
  • glennstoudt
    glennstoudt Posts: 403 Member
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    I use the circuit training calorie entry and cut the amount in half. So if I lift for 30 mins, I enter 15 mins. Seems to work out ok and as others have said, I am certain I am not over-estimating the calorie burn.
  • turnerwesley155
    turnerwesley155 Posts: 5 Member
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    Would i better off to just leave off my exercise and use it strictly as a food tracker?
  • Rerun201
    Rerun201 Posts: 125 Member
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    I wear a HR monitor that gives me a calorie burned reading at the end of any workout. Some say there is no accurate way to measure calories burned in weight training, but I have found over the past several months that if I log those resistance training calories burned from my HR monitor and keep my calorie intake at or under my goal + cals burned during exercise, I still lose weight.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    look for it under cardio.
  • lizzynewm
    lizzynewm Posts: 199 Member
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    i always go under cardio exercises to find "strength training" and use it to estimate. of course, it's really difficult to get a good idea when the app has no idea how strenuous the workout is!
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    The general consensus is that MFP underestimates calories burned during weight training (because it is very difficult to accurately determine how many calories your body uses to repair itself after the session) and overestimates cardio.

    But, as others have said - weight training is to be found in 'cardio' if you want to log the calorie burn - mfp estimates about 180 cal burned per 45 min session for me.
  • 1971MLJ
    1971MLJ Posts: 137 Member
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    I wear a HR monitor that gives me a calorie burned reading at the end of any workout. Some say there is no accurate way to measure calories burned in weight training, but I have found over the past several months that if I log those resistance training calories burned from my HR monitor and keep my calorie intake at or under my goal + cals burned during exercise, I still lose weight.

    This is what I do too, hit my goal and have been maintaining for 6 months using this method.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
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    Do not focus on any of that exercise bonus calories stuff. Stay with coming in under your food goals and you will do well with the program. It's a good tool and you will see results.

    Also, the cardio piece is suspect and cut the totals in half to play it safe.

    Good Luck

    Wrong, Wrong, Wrong and Wrong. If the original poster is using the MFP calculations for suggested caloric intake then they need to eat back at least some of the exercise calories. MFP gives you subtracts enough already to get you the deficit you requested. You need to eat back some of the calories to fuel your workout.

    As everyone said, MFP over estimates, so don't eat them all back.

    ETA: I just seen another post giving you bad advice. Please watch for responses from people that have had success. You sometimes have to weed through lots of posts and then watch for a pattern from those that have had success.

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