Friend me if you don't lie about your exercise cals

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karmcl
karmcl Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it me, or do people give themselves WAY too much calorie credit for exercise on MFP? I'm an avid runner. I run between 8 & 9 minute miles, and average around 30 miles/week. I give myself credit for about -100 calories per mile. It drives me crazy to read about people claiming to burn 300 calories on a 3.5 mph lesiurely walk, or 700 calories during 30 minues on an elliptical. If it were that easy, I wouldn't run so fast. Thanks for letting me rant. Now please friend me and tell me to stop eating crap. My diary is open to my friends. :blush:
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Replies

  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    The MFP database vastly overestimates calories.
    But larger people could burn that much with an HRM for comparison.
    And what difference does it make to you if they're "lying" or not?
    It only affects them and their progress, not you and yours.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    People generally aren't intentionally lying - they are using MFP's (inaccurate) database, without knowing any better.

    And burns depend on a lot of factors. I'd burn more running a mile than you, because I weigh more.

    All calorie burning is estimation.
  • veganbettie
    veganbettie Posts: 701 Member
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    huh. that's sort of distrusting, but I get your point....

    I use my garmin to track my calories....so while it may be an overestimate, I trust it pretty well.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    I have no idea how many calories I am burning. I just type in the minutes. MFP spits out a number. I don't think it is correct because I'm not losing the correct amount of weight for it to be so. This is why I don't eat back my exercise calories.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
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    Unless you’re working out in a bomb calorimeter, it is all an estimate. Obviously, if they’re over-estimating, their fat loss with be slower (if at all). Also, under-estimating can lead to under-eating. I recommend tracking your measurements and weights and seeing how your effort is working. If it is working for you, then keep on keeping on. If not, then tweak things.

    BTW, when I was tracking, I also used 100 calories per mile (but then I was moving over 200 lbs that mile).
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE!!!
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    How do you know that you're burning exactly 100 calories/mile when you run? Or are you LYING?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I don't even do exercise calories - except to log it as 2 calories so I can just have a record of the activity.

    I think most people like to believe they are burning far far far more calories than they actually are. What do you mean my 3 minute walk to the kitchen didn't burn 75 calories? Jerk.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
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    I just use the database, and don't take the number too seriously. I'm logging to have the log.
  • karmcl
    karmcl Posts: 8 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    How do you know that you're burning exactly 100 calories/mile when you run? Or are you LYING?

    I probably burn more. I'm being conservative. I never thought people could get so mad at me over a little MFP post. I guess "lie" was a bad word to choose. But maybe if somone reads this, they'll look at their exercise log and it'll help them out to not overestimate.
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
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    It does not bother me the slightest whether people are over or underestimating their calorie burn. I cheer them for doing something instead of nothing. If they overestimate they will have trouble losing weight and that is not my problem. Being active is superb and for that everyone who posts sports activities should in my humble opinion be cheered.
    Stef.
  • bobafet79
    bobafet79 Posts: 12 Member
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    I always put my runs into RunKeeper who then update MFP, doing a 5k run in just under 30 mins is about 600 calories for me and I'm about 17stone, I don't eat back all my cals anyway as trying to lose weight!
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I like to game the cardio machines to see what kind of ridiculous calorie burns I can get them to claim. o:) My record is 913 kcal in 45 minutes of stationary bike. (For comparison purposes, that is roughly a fourteen mile run for me.)
  • ZebsterBC
    ZebsterBC Posts: 198 Member
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    Many of us know that the calories are incorrect and we simply don't care. I guess we can't send you friend requests. ;)
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I have apps that send the "burns" to MFP. A lot of times they are extremely exaggerated. I don't have the time or the care to go in and fix them so I just leave them.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Ha! People burn a boat-load of calories here. I figure about 100 cals a mile.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    MFP says I burned 261 kcal going 4.5 mph for 20 minutes. I get faster, stronger, and lighter eating back most or all of my exercise calories to maintain my goal deficit. MFP's estimates are usually close for me to HRMs and machines for a walk/run. If you need to ignore a large percentage of your burn to lose weight, consider if you're logging your intake accurately, i.e. w/ a food scale.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    People generally aren't intentionally lying - they are using MFP's (inaccurate) database, without knowing any better.

    Or using an HRM inappropriately, or use a Fitbit (or similar) to measure things that they're not designed to measure.

    Lots of ways to be inaccurate, none to be accurate.
  • briebee7
    briebee7 Posts: 224 Member
    edited February 2015
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    OP what you have to realize is that most people are using their best estimate at the calorie burn. And to be honest most are using their best guess at calories consumed as well. People aren't trying to be deceptive. They either know they are estimates and adjust accordingly or they won't loose weight and thus make the appropriate adjustments down the line.

    I mean even your "100 cal per mile" is en estimate. Runner's world gives a base estimate of .63xbody weight = calorie per mile. For me that would be in the 86 calorie per mile range. MFP gives me closer to 110-120 per mile range. I know this and honestly don't care.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I use the TDEE method but alternate high and low calorie days depending on my workout. At one point I had my MFP set to sedentary so it gave me a goal of 1490 and on my weightlifting days I routinely logged "strength training" as 610 calories for an hour. I might not have actually burned those calories exercising but they are what got me to my calorie goal.

    Bottom line, don't assume you know how every user uses MFP. You very well may be wrong.

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