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I have a question

tlcrawford916
tlcrawford916 Posts: 16 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
When I log my exercise should I put in the amount of calories burned that this website says I should have burned, or do I use what the machine said I burned. I have been using what the machine says I burned but it is about 200 calories less than what this website says I should have burned. Just wondering.

Replies

  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
    I do what the machine says.
  • hrigsby
    hrigsby Posts: 31
    Keep in mind this program is based on your age, weight etc. Does the machine that you are working on? If not I would go by the program not the machine.
  • pvesey
    pvesey Posts: 55 Member
    I find the calorie burn to be really high on here also. I usually cut them in half. So, I would say use what the machine says.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    They only way to know accurately is to get a heart rate monitor (HRM) and enter what that says. MFP is probably closer than the machine because most of those think every user is a male even if you enter your age and weight.
  • JessJoJell
    JessJoJell Posts: 46
    yeah I think the calories burned on here are kinda high I always go low. I would rather go to low then to high.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    i would pick the lower one
  • Shadowcasting
    Shadowcasting Posts: 124 Member
    MFP has no idea at what intensity you worked. Level 2 or level 8? Low speed, high speed? The machine will take your intensity into account, but MFP can't. Personally, I would go by the machine.
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
    i would pick the lower one

    Agreed. The easy formula to use for cardio, pick the number that closest represents your effort level 1-10. 1 being chilling on the couch, 10 being running from a hungry bear. That's your calories per minute. That's probably a little low, but safer to be low than high - and that allows for warm-up, cool-down, stretching.

    For example if you did 30 minutes on the elliptical and think you gave it a 7 effort, then 7x30 = 210 additional calories burned. This is additional calories burned, not total. A lot of machines factor in the calories that you would have burned had you just been sitting on the couch watching Oprah.
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