What's your typical calorie burn?

brandyshopperj21
brandyshopperj21 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm curious what you guys are getting for calorie burns through different exercises. I sometimes see people on MFP claiming 2000+ calorie burns in a day and would love to know what they are doing. If I am lucky, I'll burn around 550/600 in an hour of spinning or running and that's at my average max heart rate.
I have been careful to adjust my Polar FT7 with my weight loss as I go and also notice my fitness has gotten better through intense training and workouts. But with that, my calorie burn is getting less and less.
I would love to see what other people are doing to burn calories.

I am 5'4 and bmi around 22%

Replies

  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    I have no idea. When I ran, I'd be lucky to get 300 calories for 30 minutes of running from my polar FT4. However, none of the numbers will be accurate. It's all a guess. MFP is notorious for overestimating. It's actually why I switched to TDEE method rather than MFP, so I didn't have to worry about adding calories for burns from exercise. Made it easier to adjust my calories too
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    If they aren't wearing a HRM, it's likely that they are grossly overestimating their burns via MFP or machines. I've also seen people log absolutely everything they do, which is just adding to the liklihood that they are not getting accurate burns.

    I personally aim for 200-300 a workout, and I will generally workout from 20-35 minutes. But I also push myself pretty hard, since I don't like to do cardio for very long.
  • jaedging
    jaedging Posts: 1 Member
    Road cycling is a good possibility. On flat roads at a decent speed (20 mph range) it isn't uncommon to burn 600-700 calories per hour, and it isn't uncommon to ride for 3+ hours. If you're climbing on a bike, it can shoot to 1,000+ calories per hour.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    edited November 2014
    I've been able to achieve burns like that (according to my trusty HRM) by running a half marathon/cooling down/stretching and by cycling 50 miles up and down some decent hills--about 2.5 hours of work in either case.

    ETA: YMMV. My BMI is ~21--I tend to push myself pretty hard when I'm working out though.
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    heavier people burn more.
    at 235lbs and 35 bmi, i averaged close to 1000 cal burns swimming and playing squash.
    at now 185 and 27.7 bmi,my gym logs show an average of 600 per hour over last 5 weeks from swimming,rowing,elliptical and strength training.
    several of my 200+llb friends on my feed can burn 2k in 2 hours swimming and on elliptical.
    i personally am just delighted to be lighter and fitter!
  • brandyshopperj21
    brandyshopperj21 Posts: 12 Member
    missiontofitness wrote: »
    If they aren't wearing a HRM, it's likely that they are grossly overestimating their burns via MFP or machines. I've also seen people log absolutely everything they do, which is just adding to the liklihood that they are not getting accurate burns.

    I personally aim for 200-300 a workout, and I will generally workout from 20-35 minutes. But I also push myself pretty hard, since I don't like to do cardio for very long.

    Which scares me when they say they've eaten those calories back...
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    brandyshopperj21 wrote: »
    missiontofitness wrote: »
    If they aren't wearing a HRM, it's likely that they are grossly overestimating their burns via MFP or machines. I've also seen people log absolutely everything they do, which is just adding to the liklihood that they are not getting accurate burns.

    I personally aim for 200-300 a workout, and I will generally workout from 20-35 minutes. But I also push myself pretty hard, since I don't like to do cardio for very long.

    Which scares me when they say they've eaten those calories back...

    Unfortunately it's trial and error! What people said above is true (heavier people with more to lose burn more calories per workout than you or me). But some people do not entirely understand that these are only estimates, and that logging every thing you do is not the way to go.
  • carolyn000000
    carolyn000000 Posts: 179 Member
    brandyshopperj21 wrote: »
    missiontofitness wrote: »
    If they aren't wearing a HRM, it's likely that they are grossly overestimating their burns via MFP or machines. I've also seen people log absolutely everything they do, which is just adding to the liklihood that they are not getting accurate burns.

    I personally aim for 200-300 a workout, and I will generally workout from 20-35 minutes. But I also push myself pretty hard, since I don't like to do cardio for very long.

    Which scares me when they say they've eaten those calories back...

    Right, I see people put light house cleaning or shopping on and count the calories as exercise. Anyway, I burn around 600 to 700 an hour. I know it is accurate because when I count calories and eat back these calories I still lose weight as expected. That is the best way for me to tell if I am logging the correct amount of calories because HR monitors are too distracting.
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    BombshellPhoenix wrote: »
    I have no idea. When I ran, I'd be lucky to get 300 calories for 30 minutes of running from my polar FT4. However, none of the numbers will be accurate. It's all a guess. MFP is notorious for overestimating. It's actually why I switched to TDEE method rather than MFP, so I didn't have to worry about adding calories for burns from exercise. Made it easier to adjust my calories too

    ^^THIS
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I don't exercise enough to get 2000+ calorie burns.

    I've been doing a 90 Day DVD program (currently on Day 63), here's a break down of my burn's for each of the DVD's:

    dh03lz0nka93.jpg

    On Thursday, the program starts having me do Hardcore + Cardio on the same day 1-2 times a week. Based on my averages that means my HRM burn for the day is probably going to be approx 660, but I will log about 393.

    Now, I don't log my exercise here. I log it on Fitbit's site. Since my profile is set to Sedentary here on MFP, my Fitbit adjustments are sometimes close to 1000 calories for the day. That however takes into account the fact that most days I'm not sedentary and my exercise burns.
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
    Well, I usually enter in my bodyweight minus 100 lbs into cardio machines, and keep working out until I hit 1000 or so calories. Depending on what I'm doing this could take 90 minutes [elliptical] to 150 minutes [treadmill].

    It's definitely been working for me so far for these past three months. I've lost 60 lbs so far.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Some people don't believe me, but I've been getting a couple thousand calories burned from cycling for a couple of hours. There are some differences depending on what method I use to estimate calories, but all are over 1000 per hour. But I'm taller than most and weigh 259, so my wind resistance is significant. A smaller person would need to put in more time to achieve the same thing.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Generally, if I'm hitting it hard (usually am), I'm about 300 for 30-35 minutes.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    According to my polar I burn between 300-500. If I stick to 45 minutes I'm closer to 300; if I push through an hour it's 500. That's with running.

    With the 30 day shred I burn under 200 according to my polar.

    The elliptical for 30 minutes is a little under 300 as well.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I sometimes see people on MFP claiming 2000+ calorie burns in a day and would love to know what they are doing.

    Most of those people just have their heads buried in the sand or straight up lying to themselves. For many, it's innocent enough...just wishful thinking and far too trusting of apps and whatnot...most of which substantially inflate calorie burn...most of them include calories you would have burned during that time just sitting around and people don't take that into account, let alone all the other estimation error that happens.

    The only people I know who have regular burns like that are actual athletes. I might approach that on a metric century ride...but it's not like I'm doing those every day.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited November 2014
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.
    Just be super cautious with the calorie burn from lifting. I add it to my garmin connect,but I make SURE I underestimate the calorie burn
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    indianwin2001 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.
    Just be super cautious with the calorie burn from lifting. I add it to my garmin connect,but I make SURE I underestimate the calorie burn

    I actually don't log it or eat back any lifting calories.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    150-400
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.

    It's not the method that should make you nervous...it's the tendency for people to over-estimate their activity level. You may be doing 5 days per week but are you doing 5 days strenuous as most TDEE calculators state. You have to account for all of the variables. If all you are doing is lifting 5 days per week I would do moderate at most....and make adjustments as per your real world results.

    Real world results trump everything...these calculators are great starting points...but they aren't gospel. It seem like people forget that actual experience trumps everything.

  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    indianwin2001 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.
    Just be super cautious with the calorie burn from lifting. I add it to my garmin connect,but I make SURE I underestimate the calorie burn

    I actually don't log it or eat back any lifting calories.
    Good--That works
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.

    It's not the method that should make you nervous...it's the tendency for people to over-estimate their activity level. You may be doing 5 days per week but are you doing 5 days strenuous as most TDEE calculators state. You have to account for all of the variables. If all you are doing is lifting 5 days per week I would do moderate at most....and make adjustments as per your real world results.

    Real world results trump everything...these calculators are great starting points...but they aren't gospel. It seem like people forget that actual experience trumps everything.

    Yeah...the calculator on IIFYM only lets you put in how many DAYS you work out. And yeah, I work out 5 days a week at least, but I only do probably about 2 hours of cardio in that time. So I feel I shouldn't really say I work out 5 days a week because I assume most people are burning more than I am?
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    edited November 2014
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    I barely burn any calories because I only do cardio a few times a week. Mostly lift. It's kind of why TDEE method makes me nervous because I wonder if I'm not working enough to calculate my "exercise" as 5 days a week.

    It's not the method that should make you nervous...it's the tendency for people to over-estimate their activity level. You may be doing 5 days per week but are you doing 5 days strenuous as most TDEE calculators state. You have to account for all of the variables. If all you are doing is lifting 5 days per week I would do moderate at most....and make adjustments as per your real world results.

    Real world results trump everything...these calculators are great starting points...but they aren't gospel. It seem like people forget that actual experience trumps everything.

    very true-but if you use an activity tracker and a HRM for your cardio the accuracy can improve. For lifting,I think all the apps over-estimate the caloric burn
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