Calorie discrepancy for exercise....

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marmo888
marmo888 Posts: 1 Member
edited March 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi folks, I'm wondering how accurate the calories I'm logging are in here. When I work out on a treadmill or other equipment, it seems to be lot fewer calories according to the machine than what MyFitnessPal estimates. I usually adjust it according to the machine but I'm wondering what to do when I'm not using a machine, like walking/jogging outside, yoga or other activities... Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

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  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    General consensus on the board is that the MFP calorie burn is overly generous. Some machine give more accurate burn info than other, e.g. treadmill is pretty good, elliptical not so good.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    For a treadmill when walking or running, they should be pretty accurate, and pretty close to what MFP has (my treadmill is over MFP, which is over reality according to a HRM, but not significantly over). The elliptical on the other hand, both the machine and MFP seem to overestimate that one quite a bit more.
  • clang74
    clang74 Posts: 17 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I use a fitness tracker (Garmin Vivosmart). I find that it UNDERestimates my exercise...at least according to the treadmill readout. It doesn't take into account incline, so I trust that it's under-estimating the calorie expendature. I tend to NOT adjust it. I figure, if I work hard to do that incline, that's my choice.
  • erimethia_fekre
    erimethia_fekre Posts: 317 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I list myself as active and forget logging exercise calories. It's always worked out to my benefit
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    For running use .63 x weight (in lbs) x distance (in miles) to estimate your net calories expended (ie additional calories attributable to the exercise) Walking - same formula but the factor is .30

    Sorry, can't help with the other stuff....
  • DanSTL82
    DanSTL82 Posts: 156 Member
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    lmaharidge wrote: »
    I list myself as active and forget logging exercise calories. It's always worked out to my benefit

    This is true. If you're simply trying to lose weight, there's really no point in logging exercise, because it will just lead to you eating back those calories anyway. Take the calories burned as a surplus deficit for the day.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2016
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    DanSTL82 wrote: »
    lmaharidge wrote: »
    I list myself as active and forget logging exercise calories. It's always worked out to my benefit

    This is true. If you're simply trying to lose weight, there's really no point in logging exercise, because it will just lead to you eating back those calories anyway. Take the calories burned as a surplus deficit for the day.

    This is NOT how MFP works..............

    If you are simply trying to lose weight, then the point of logging exercise (and earning calories) is to eat those back (at least a portion to account for margin of error). Because the program as designed assumed ZERO exercise.

    Not eating any calories back INCREASES your deficit. If you are obese, not to worry. But as you get closer to goal a larger deficit (than intended) makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass.

    There is a trade-off for fast(er) weight loss. You get a smaller version of the current you. Google skinny-fat
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    DanSTL82 wrote: »
    lmaharidge wrote: »
    I list myself as active and forget logging exercise calories. It's always worked out to my benefit

    This is true. If you're simply trying to lose weight, there's really no point in logging exercise, because it will just lead to you eating back those calories anyway. Take the calories burned as a surplus deficit for the day.

    That is really poor advice.

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