Are the calories burned wrong?

midpath
midpath Posts: 246 Member
edited November 14 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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Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited March 2015
    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
    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
    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
    Unless you are extremely fit, cut that in half.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    Cut in half what MFP tells you.
  • acearchie123
    acearchie123 Posts: 6
    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.
  • Unknown
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  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    I usually disregard half of whatever MFP tells me I've burned. Because it overestimates.
  • Adiemus200
    Adiemus200 Posts: 63 Member
    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
    I type over the MFP calories. I use a formula using: age, gender, weight, heart rate, duration.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
    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
    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: 15,151 Member
    Yes, they're wrong.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    What I believe is that most people are just guessing and when they see a large calorie burn they assume it is wrong. I have yet to see anyone who has compared the calorie burns on MFP to the results from indirect calorimeter results.
  • TheEats
    TheEats Posts: 49 Member
    I find that compared with exercise equipment, MFP typically overestimates by a third. The same goes for fairly high intensity aerobic exercises, when I use a HRM. Everything else, like pilates, it is at least double what it should be. I adjust the number before I log it, since I do not want inflated deficits when I look at my weekly numbers.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,965 Member
    I use a HRM for steady state cardio. For a typical workout of 65 minutes on the elliptical targeting a heart rate of 130-140, the HRM says I burn around 500. The machine (which knows my weight) says around 750. MFP database says 926.
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    I'll be the lone dissenter on this topic, yet again.

    I find the estimates spot on for both running and cycling. They tie up with my HRM calculated cals, and I've lost 11lbs in 8 weeks with a goal of 1lb per week loss and eating back ALL of my exercise cals.

    I don't believe that ALL exercise cals are overstated and it irritates me when people claim that none of them are reliable.

    What I always say is that exercise MUST be measured as accurately as food. You weigh your food to the nearest gram. You need to know exactly how many minutes you did cardio for, and at what speed. I use GPS apps that record my runs and bike rides, so I accurately know my average speed. I do think there's an element of some people over-estimating the exercise they do, just as some people under-estimate what they're eating.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    pinkteapot3 wrote: »
    I'll be the lone dissenter on this topic, yet again.

    I find the estimates spot on for both running and cycling. They tie up with my HRM calculated cals, and I've lost 11lbs in 8 weeks with a goal of 1lb per week loss and eating back ALL of my exercise cals.

    I don't believe that ALL exercise cals are overstated and it irritates me when people claim that none of them are reliable.

    What I always say is that exercise MUST be measured as accurately as food. You weigh your food to the nearest gram. You need to know exactly how many minutes you did cardio for, and at what speed. I use GPS apps that record my runs and bike rides, so I accurately know my average speed. I do think there's an element of some people over-estimating the exercise they do, just as some people under-estimate what they're eating.

    you must be the average person then .. because in any bell curve there's a group that are spot on .. although your stats say otherwise to be honest - you've roughly undereaten by about 180 calories a day over those 8 weeks as you're losing at a greater weight.. although then again water weight has to be accounted for

    on MFP many people find the burns ridiculous .. I'm one of those .. I always just ruled of thumb it that if I'm using MFP I'll generally eat back 50-75% ... I do trust my fitbit / HRM give or take about 100 calories per day.

    it's all just estimates .. we yearn for a mathematical accuracy but it doesn't work like that

    always best to judge over time by actual weight lost and adjust from there
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    midpath wrote: »
    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,

    I've seen some extremely high numbers for things posted on MFP before for what seems like relatively moderate exercise. I'd not take that as being accurate at all. Half of that would seem more realistic. If you're eating back exercise calories, start on the lower end of the calorie range and see how it affects your weight. No negative, eat a bit more next time and so on. Trial and error this.
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
    I know that everyone's different - I do appreciate that. But newbies see these threads and assume they should start off by only eating half their exercise cals back. They need to know that's not necessarily correct. If I only ate half my exercise cals, I'd feel very hungry and would probably give up with the programme.

    Personally, if people are comfortable that they're logging food accurately, I think they should start by eating back their exercise cals and then eat fewer if they don't lose weight.

    Or, at least, people who post to say "It's always wrong - eat back 50%" should at least caveat their comments by saying that some people find them wrong for them.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    pinkteapot3 wrote: »
    I'll be the lone dissenter on this topic, yet again.

    I find the estimates spot on for both running and cycling. They tie up with my HRM calculated cals, and I've lost 11lbs in 8 weeks with a goal of 1lb per week loss and eating back ALL of my exercise cals.

    I don't believe that ALL exercise cals are overstated and it irritates me when people claim that none of them are reliable.

    What I always say is that exercise MUST be measured as accurately as food. You weigh your food to the nearest gram. You need to know exactly how many minutes you did cardio for, and at what speed. I use GPS apps that record my runs and bike rides, so I accurately know my average speed. I do think there's an element of some people over-estimating the exercise they do, just as some people under-estimate what they're eating.

    Correct!
    But this is MFP where people tend to make blanket statements and talk in absolutes! :smile:

    Walking and running estimates should be pretty accurate.
    Quite a few others are based on very standard and tested formulas.
    For cycling I actually found some too low, some reasonable, some too high to be credible depending on speed selected when compared with my own numbers.

    On the other hand of the entries are fanciful and people can also over estimate their exercise intensity. A bit of common sense can go a long way.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    pinkteapot3 wrote: »
    I know that everyone's different - I do appreciate that. But newbies see these threads and assume they should start off by only eating half their exercise cals back. They need to know that's not necessarily correct. If I only ate half my exercise cals, I'd feel very hungry and would probably give up with the programme.

    Personally, if people are comfortable that they're logging food accurately, I think they should start by eating back their exercise cals and then eat fewer if they don't lose weight.

    Or, at least, people who post to say "It's always wrong - eat back 50%" should at least caveat their comments by saying that some people find them wrong for them.

    Yep fair enough

    But it's good starting advice as a rule of thumb .. and as people get more used to their new lifestyle and the impact on their own weight I would assume that they would make the decision for themselves as to eat back more .. if I'm losing more than I target to lose I get to eat more unless I'm comfortable with my rate of loss
  • DeadsAndDoritos
    DeadsAndDoritos Posts: 267 Member
    I don't find it to be that far off. For example, yesterday I did a 55 minute step aerobics class. MFP estimate: 545, HRM: 499. On Saturday I did 25 mins jogging at 5mph. MFP estimate: 233, HRM: 254.
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