Exercise/Calories Burned

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jljack2
jljack2 Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
My only issue with MFP is that when entering exercise, there is not an option to manually enter calories burned. I have the Polar FT4 heart rate monitor/watch - FAR more accurate than the calories burned calculator on here. Not to mention that when entering strength training, MFP always seems to say that I've burned zero calories, many lifts are unrecognized by MFP and can't even be entered. The design is lacking.

I would love to be able to manually enter the ACCURATE amount of calories burned each day for tracking purposes.

I guess for now I'll just enter random cardio exercises until they add up to my real amount burned. :neutral_face:

Replies

  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    Yeah, there is. That box that calculates calories is editable.
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
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    ^ Yes, calories burned are editable.

    Strength training doesn't show burned calories unless you enter it under the cardiovascular section of exercise. In the strength training section, if you don't find your lift, there's an option at the bottom to "add an exercise to the database".
  • K3atie
    K3atie Posts: 10 Member
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    The time and calories burned box is editable.
    However if on Ipad it can be a little flakey.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Oh, and your FT4 is not nearly as "accurate" as you think it is. What you are calling "design lacking" is actually just normal physiology, so you'll need to take that up with a different Designer.
  • jljack2
    jljack2 Posts: 3
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    I'm talking about the design of the website itself, Azdak, so there's no need to be rude and preachy.

    Yes, you can edit calories burned for an exercise you've put in. What I'm saying I would like to see is just a button to manually enter them without inputing an exercise first. For this reason, the site is clunky to me. Without this option, the design is lacking to me. Gosh.

    As for the Polar not being accurate, I've found nothing in all of my research prior to purchasing that agrees with that statement.
  • marcolbmp
    marcolbmp Posts: 92 Member
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    I use the same polar and while it's accurate for cardio, it's not accurate for strength training.
    cardiovascular caloric burn is measured by heart rate and uses that number, along with your BMR to calculate the estimated VO2 consumed, which is usually pretty accurate if you have your stats entered accurately. Strength training puts the muscles in a state of demanding blood flow, so the increased heart rate is actually your heart trying to 'suck' the blood back to your heart to meet the rest of your metabolic needs.
    For example, I lifted for 58 minutes yesterday and my HRM said I burned 768 calories, in the app I used circuit training to record it and adjusted the time to reflect 254 calories burned.
    At 215lbs, I will burn roughly 280-300 calories an hour lifting.

    I know its not exact, and if you're anything like me, you want accuracy, but it's better to be conservative in you calories for lifting than overstate it.
    And if you're going to exceed your calorie goal after lifting, do it with protein, like a really good protein like IsoPure Zero Carb, 55 grams of protein with 210 calories...cant beat that without eating crickets! (<---true story, best source of protein on the planet)
  • jljack2
    jljack2 Posts: 3
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    Thank you for being helpful and providing information rather than just being rude, Marcolbmp.

    All I want is a dang one-click button to manually enter my calories burned and these dingbats are treating me like I just personally offended them.

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