Help with MFP cardio

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kbritt41
kbritt41 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, I've noticed when I run on the cross trainer at the gym, the calories I burned on the machine say I've burned less (usually half) what MFP says I've burned. For example, I ran 60 minutes on the cross trainer with ten incline and 14 resistance, and the machine said I burned 715 calories. However, when I input this into the MFP cardio section under elliptical (I read they're pretty much the same, with the cross trainer also working out your arms) it says per 60 mins I burned 1,506 calories. Does it take into account your weight, therefore more would be burned? What number should I go with? Any help is much appreciated.

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  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    MFP exercise values are high

    I have Map My Ride and it estimates high and feeds MFP.

    I just eat back less than half the calories it gives me and call it good
  • kbritt41
    kbritt41 Posts: 6 Member
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    So do you think I should just go with what the machine says? And could more calories actually be burned the more you weigh? Sorry I'm new to this stuff
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    MFP calorie burns are very generous. Many machines can over state calorie burns also.

    How much info did you input into the machine....height, weight, age, gender? The machine won't be able to measure your exertion level (how hard the workout was for you)....so this may still be over stated.

    Many MFP users typically eat back 50-75% of exercise calories because calorie burns are hard to pin down.
  • Mr_Stabbems
    Mr_Stabbems Posts: 4,771 Member
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    Always take the lower value in my opinion.

    If im cutting i dont even measure my expenditure, i just let it be. I know what works for me and how much energy ineed.
  • kbritt41
    kbritt41 Posts: 6 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    MFP calorie burns are very generous. Many machines can over state calorie burns also.

    How much info did you input into the machine....height, weight, age, gender? The machine won't be able to measure your exertion level (how hard the workout was for you)....so this may still be over stated.

    Many MFP users typically eat back 50-75% of exercise calories because calorie burns are hard to pin down.

    It didn't ask me to input any of that information, but I definitely feel like the bigger you are, the more calories you would burn during this cardio session.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited July 2015
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    kbritt41 wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »
    MFP calorie burns are very generous. Many machines can over state calorie burns also.

    How much info did you input into the machine....height, weight, age, gender? The machine won't be able to measure your exertion level (how hard the workout was for you)....so this may still be over stated.

    Many MFP users typically eat back 50-75% of exercise calories because calorie burns are hard to pin down.

    It didn't ask me to input any of that information, but I definitely feel like the bigger you are, the more calories you would burn during this cardio session.

    I would still go with the lowest number. Eat those calories back, and continue for a few weeks. If you are losing weight as expected.....carry on. If weight loss slows more than expected, then you know you are eating back too many calories. If you are feeling tired and run down, eat back more calories.

    Calorie burns will not be "accurate" unless you are in a lab. They will measure lean muscle mass, test lung function...so many things.

    FYI - a heart rate monitor is designed for steady state cardio. Cross trainers fit that category. So that would help here. But it's use is limited.

    The problem isn't just with exercise calorie burns. Sometimes people don't measure food accurately either. So one person may adjust by 50% and the other adjusts by 25%....there is no 1 correct adjustment.

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