Are the calories burned wrong?

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midpath
midpath Posts: 246 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
It says I'm burning 800 calories by doing 60 minutes of circuit training but idk if I believe that. I'm 5'10" and 229 lbs,
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  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited March 2015
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    What says that? This website?

    And, yes, probably. The problem with entries like circuit training (assuming it is MFP's estimation) is that there are so many variables to account for. It doesn't even indicate intensity.
    800 is an extremely high number.
  • eviexxx247
    eviexxx247 Posts: 8 Member
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    Yeah I've seen that and thought that's not normal too lol I'll keep an eye on this post as ur on to something
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
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    Yeah I've been doing Jillian Michaels videos and I looked it up and it said it was supposed to fall under circuit training. I will say that I'm pretty dead by the end of the hour but idk how to gauge the calories burned vs how I feel.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Unless you are extremely fit, cut that in half.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Cut in half what MFP tells you.
  • acearchie123
    acearchie123 Posts: 6
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    In my gym you can enter your weight and height into certain machines and it will calculate the calories based off the intensity.

    Quite a good way to stay on top of what sort of level of exertion feels like.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    I usually disregard half of whatever MFP tells me I've burned. Because it overestimates.
  • Adiemus200
    Adiemus200 Posts: 63 Member
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    I think that's a bit high. I recommend using a heart rate monitor for calculating calorie burns. I only got a cheap one but it really opend my eyes to how many calories I was really burning. MFP often overestimates.
  • cb2bslim
    cb2bslim Posts: 153 Member
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    I type over the MFP calories. I use a formula using: age, gender, weight, heart rate, duration.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
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    Adiemus200 wrote: »
    I think that's a bit high. I recommend using a heart rate monitor for calculating calorie burns. I only got a cheap one but it really opend my eyes to how many calories I was really burning. MFP often overestimates.

    Where did you get yours? The cheapest I've found was $50!

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited March 2015
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    HRMs are not designed to guess at calorie burn for something like circuit training. They will be off - often by a lot.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Yes, they're wrong.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
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    Well it's like cardio circuit not like circuit as in at the gym moving from machine to machine. I literally don't stop moving.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
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    Doe it matter to know how much I've burned as long as my calories are in check?
  • bio_fit
    bio_fit Posts: 307 Member
    edited March 2015
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    midpath wrote: »
    Doe it matter to know how much I've burned as long as my calories are in check?

    Well, in order to eat the right number of calories, you need to know an approximate burn. So, let's say you burned 400-500 calories in your hour of circuit training - you will need to add those calories onto your 'allowance' for the day. Some people only eat half of the exercise calories back, but it's up to you. Personally, I estimate on the low side and eat them all...but that's because I don't have much weight left to lose, I'm not trying to lose weight quickly, and I love my food...
  • kimberlydgarcia
    kimberlydgarcia Posts: 78 Member
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    I have a Fitbit connected to mfp. Mfp always says a big number for calories burned or earned, today was 1,500. I don't think it's near that much! I eat back some but not a whole day of food worth!
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
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    Oh yeah, MFP way over estimates exercise burns. Today it has allotted me an extra 1833 calories! Yes, I did a lot of exercise today, but there is no way on earth I burned that many.
    I'll eat back a couple hundred because all the exercise makes me more hungry.
  • TeriSueWest
    TeriSueWest Posts: 3 Member
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    The program is probably based on the body needing 15 -13 calories per pound of body weight just to maintain weight. My number is more like 6 or 7, so half is probably about right.
  • mom2ava07
    mom2ava07 Posts: 186 Member
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    I understand that many say MFP over estimates, and that could be true. However, since starting to use a Fitbit Charge HR, I have found the MFP burns to be slightly lower for me. As in MFP may say I burned 474 jogging 45 min on the treadmill, fitbit says 507. Close, but still higher. I tend to personally believe MFP is pretty accurate with cardio type exercises, but in the case neither mfp or a heart rate montior are accurate, I still only eat back half.

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