Do You Have a Formula?

Cindy01Louisiana
Cindy01Louisiana Posts: 302 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering how many people calculate the calories burned in exercise -- specifically, do you have a formula that you go by when for any given activity and duration, especially cardio machines,

1. The machine gives you "x" numbers of calories burned - let's say 500; and
2. MFP gives you "x" number of calories burned for exactly the same exercise and duration - let's say 700.

When the machine tells you 500, and MFP tells you 700, what do you actually log and what is your formula for arriving at that number?

I typically log about 20-25% LOWER than the machine number, which turns out sometimes to be about 1/2 of what MFP says to log and am wondering if I am on the right track or way off base.

Replies

  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
    and how is that working for you? If you are losing weight with your method then keep going!
  • holly_roman
    holly_roman Posts: 116 Member
    I log what the machine tells me as it goes off my height/weight and heart rate. then if I eat half those back and I am off by some I still have wiggle room for extra cals burned
  • Cindy01Louisiana
    Cindy01Louisiana Posts: 302 Member
    Meritage, it's hard to tell this early in the journey. Do you have a formula?
  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 550 Member
    I use the formula from Runner's World for my walks: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning
  • WRLemmon
    WRLemmon Posts: 49 Member
    I have a simple solution I take what ever the machine gives me divide by 100 and use that number.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    i either go by what endomondo communicates to MFP - and you can use endomondo with a heart rate monitor - or just log the activity in MFP and only eat back the calories if i'm hungry.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    Fursian wrote: »
    I use the formula from Runner's World for my walks: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    This!

    I use the formulas in there for walks and runs, which are based on a research paper and study.

    I used to use MFP numbers for walks and my Heart Rate Monitor for runs, but I find both overestimate enough that I was getting discouraged. The numbers have been pretty darn close since I started using the above formulas instead.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    I've compared MFP scores with various apps like map-my-fitness / map-my-run / map-my-ride / endemondo, as well as my Polar chest strap HRM and my Fitbit Blaze.

    My most accurate burn comes from my Polar, very closely followed by my Fitbit Blaze. MFP and some of the above apps vastly overestimate burn in articular from activities like ellipticals.

    Then there is the whole "net burn" issue. Let's say I burn 300 calories on a half hour run, I would have burned some of those calories anyway, even if I had sat on the sofa watching TV. The net burn is nearer 260 calories.

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.shtml

  • Cindy01Louisiana
    Cindy01Louisiana Posts: 302 Member
    blues4miles wrote: »
    Fursian wrote: »
    I use the formula from Runner's World for my walks: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    This!

    I use the formulas in there for walks and runs, which are based on a research paper and study.

    I used to use MFP numbers for walks and my Heart Rate Monitor for runs, but I find both overestimate enough that I was getting discouraged. The numbers have been pretty darn close since I started using the above formulas instead.

    Thank you, all!!! I will check this out!!!
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    And when it comes to cardio machines, it also depends what some people do on them.

    The treadmill won't magically know that someone is holding onto the rails for dear life while leaning back, attempting to walk on the steepest incline, but by doing so that person reduces their burn by something like 30% and completely negates the point of the incline.

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