Burned calorie accuracy

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Hey there! I have a question. As someone who is not a nutritionist or a trainner, I often wonder how accurate the number of calories I burned during exercise actually is. MFP might give me one number, while a machine I'm using may give me a different one. It seems that the number of calories a person burns would be different for each individual. Maybe the best thing to do is just keep paying attention to what I put in my mouth, keep exercising, and don't sweat the details.

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  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    Hi, neither of them would are accurate, the only way you will get an accurate account of calories burned is with a heart rate monitor that you set up with all your own stats height, weight, age etc.
  • devilguy
    devilguy Posts: 2 Member
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    I've been using a Polar HRM for years (same model) and have been very happy. You'd be very surprised how off MFP, cardio machines at gym, etc. are for calories burned compared to heart rate monitor, even when as many factors are entered as possible (age, sex, weight, etc.).
  • idahogirl71
    idahogirl71 Posts: 1,110 Member
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    Mads is right...there is more to the accuracy than just what is available on here. However, if you are on a machine that you can enter your weight and age that will be more accurate than what is on here. My suggestion....take the # the machine is telling you and enter it into your calories burned on this site. Most programs average calories burned based on an average weight of 150 pounds so it will not be accurate unless you can enter your weight into it. And you are right, different people burn calories at different rates, based on age, weight, metabolism, amt of lean muscle mass vs fat, etc.
  • MericoX
    MericoX Posts: 199 Member
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    The only way you can accurately check is with a HRM, and they are totally worth the price!