Calories Burned Discrepancy

bmcclain2015
bmcclain2015 Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just had a question about the calories burned when you look at the exercise log for my fitness pal. I went to the gym yesterday and did about an hour all-told between biking (~20 minutes), walking (~10), rowing (~10), and elliptical (~30). I am incredibly out of shape but when I logged it this morning My fitness pal said I burned 1074 calories doing that. I do not believe that is in any way possible. The elliptical I did the last 15 minutes on said I burned 100 calories, MFP says ~330. What do you trust more if anything? How do I deal with such a significant disparity? I know it doesn't really matter because regardless I'm still getting the exercise and that's still healthy, but I've always liked being able to attribute numbers.

Replies

  • mordant57
    mordant57 Posts: 58 Member
    I use a heart rate monitor for this reason. I find mfp grossly overestimated exercise calories.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    It's really hard to tell without knowing how intensely you exercised, how much you weigh, and how old you are. Exercise burns are all estimates unless explicit measurements such as VO2 consumption are made.

    Since you said you are out of shape I'm guessing you weren't able to do a really high intensity on any of these. However, it also appears that you have a lot of weight to lose, and higher body weights equate to higher caloric burns for the same intensity.

    For me, at my typical intensity levels, I would estimate:
    150 (biking) + 50 (walking) + 100 (rowing) + 250 (elliptical) = 550
    Your reading is about double that which likely about matches the difference in weights. But I'm in fairly good shape and can work at a fairly high intensity.

    I'm also suspicious about the elliptical reading. Ellipticals are notorious for giving high calorie burns, so 100 calories for 15 minutes seems like a really light intensity. Also, since you are doing a lot of starting and stopping, you are likely not working at full intensity the whole time which will further reduce your burn.

    So I would agree with your suspicion. I second the recommendation to get a heart rate monitor. Although these have their problems too, they tend to be more accurate than the machines or the database.
  • MrDisk
    MrDisk Posts: 9 Member
    This is exactly why I eat back only 25% of my calories max. Most days I don't eat any back at all.
    Never from weight lifting or rowing. Only when I go on an extended cycling. I figure if I consistently have the energy to workout 6 days a week. Then nutritionally, I'm doing just fine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    when you think about it, given the number of variables involved, how could a database calculator be very accurate? just think about it for half a second....

    also, you just want to be as conservative as possible...it's all estimation...you're never going to be able to accurately determine your calorie burn..it may be more or less accurate...but not accurate.
  • bmcclain2015
    bmcclain2015 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks for responses, I understand the monumental task of either the exercise machines or MFP to try to approximate those things so I wasn't really expecting one to be perfect, but I guess even knowing a decent way of approximating from those outputs seems unrealistic as well. The machines did have heart rate monitors in some cases on which I was between 155 and 165 bpm, though they all have the disclaimer that it can be inaccurate. If this gives any thoughts to anyone I'd be interested in hearing them.

    In terms of the elliptical, the first run on the machine was 15 minutes for about a mile and a half (only 40-50 steps/minute). The second run was on an elliptical doing interval with changing elevation (100-115 steps per minute moving between 1 and 8 resistance. The bike was between 10 and 15 miles an hour (admittedly low intensity). Rowing I was doing about 8 miles an hour, but I know that kind of a linear measurement likely doesn't translate as well, but I've always liked rowing and I'm real out of practice. I guess a way to get a better barometer would be to know what a higher intensity work out could be, though with my heart rate being up there it'd be something I have to move up to over an extended period of time.

    Thanks for all input though.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    For the rower then you cna use concepts adjustment calculator.
    http://www.concept2.co.uk/indoor-rowers/training/calculators/calorie-calculator

    For a very rough rule of thumb id use either the more coservative reading or failing that id eat between 25-50% of the claories mfp gave me and adjust based on that. 12k is fine btw, keep at it.

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