"calories burned" in the exercise tracker....?

Monklady123
Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I know, I'm probably the millionth person to ask this but I keep getting an error message when I try to use the "search tab. I'm wondering about the calories that MFP gives me after I've logged my exercise.

I put in 25 minutes of walking my dog, at "moderate" pace. I chose moderate because while I'm not meandering along and stopping to smell the flowers, I'm also not race-walking. So, "moderate". My Nike Fuelband tells me I burned 65 calories and MFP says it was 127. Maybe not a huge difference, but that could add up especially if I'm eating those calories.

Recently in another thread I asked about eating those exercise calories and someone said that MFP usually over-estimates the calories burned so they only eat half of what MFP says they earned. 127 is just a bit less than double 65 so I'm thinking that this is the case (that MFP over-estimates). Is there any way to change the calories burned info?

Actually I might just try not to eat the exercise calories at all, unless I'm actually hungry. This has been something I'm learning, to stop eating -- or not start -- when I'm not actually hungry. So I don't want to eat exercise calories simply because they're "leftover" if I'm not actually hungry.

Replies

  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    If you want to use the pre-loaded MFP exercise entries but only log half the calories, log half the minutes. Done!
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    CyberTone wrote: »
    If you want to use the pre-loaded MFP exercise entries but only log half the calories, log half the minutes. Done!

    hahahahahaha so simple. rofl at me. I'm telling you, math is not my strong point. I will do that. Now of course when I do that it will tell me I haven't met my goal for how many minutes I'm exercising. On the other hand, maybe that will make me work harder. :wink:
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    Monklady123 wrote: »
    CyberTone wrote: »
    If you want to use the pre-loaded MFP exercise entries but only log half the calories, log half the minutes. Done!

    hahahahahaha so simple. rofl at me. I'm telling you, math is not my strong point. I will do that. Now of course when I do that it will tell me I haven't met my goal for how many minutes I'm exercising. On the other hand, maybe that will make me work harder. :wink:

    If you want to keep the minutes accurate, you can click in the Calories text box and just edit those.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    As said just enter the actual calories burned rather than accept MFPs number if you dont like it. All the methods are just estimations.
  • CountessKitteh
    CountessKitteh Posts: 1,505 Member
    CyberTone wrote: »
    Monklady123 wrote: »
    CyberTone wrote: »
    If you want to use the pre-loaded MFP exercise entries but only log half the calories, log half the minutes. Done!

    hahahahahaha so simple. rofl at me. I'm telling you, math is not my strong point. I will do that. Now of course when I do that it will tell me I haven't met my goal for how many minutes I'm exercising. On the other hand, maybe that will make me work harder. :wink:

    If you want to keep the minutes accurate, you can click in the Calories text box and just edit those.

    ^ That is exactly what I do. I want my minutes, dangit.
  • Amerielle
    Amerielle Posts: 153 Member
    Is that 25 minutes your "exercise" for the day or do you walk your dog every day? If exercise I would put in the 65, if you do it every day it should be in your activity level.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    There's plenty of walking calories calculators available or just use a phone app.
    It's a very standard activity after all.

    When people make blanket statements that MFP overestimates you need to realise that is just their opinion and perhaps their experience. Doesn't apply to everyone or every activity. And the vast majority of the time the "real" calorie burn is unknown anyway.

    Pick a method, stick to it, adjust based on actual results over time.
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    Amerielle wrote: »
    Is that 25 minutes your "exercise" for the day or do you walk your dog every day? If exercise I would put in the 65, if you do it every day it should be in your activity level.

    I'm not sure I understand this. Yes, it's my exercise every day, because otherwise I don't get much. How is that different from my "activity level"?
  • Amerielle
    Amerielle Posts: 153 Member
    Is your activity level set at sedentary? I don't know anything about you...age, weight, fitness level, what you set your activity level at or what your activity level really is. I just find that so many people around here make this harder than it needs to be.

    Knowing nothing about you I would say log the 65, eat what mfp says to and see what your results are after a few weeks. Results are the best way of knowing if what you are doing is working.

    Good luck!
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