Do you count calories burned during weight lifting?

jessilynmelendez
jessilynmelendez Posts: 11 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I've found calculators for my weight and the amount of weight lifted over a period of time for calories burned, but I don't log them. I do hand weights on a balance ball for 30-40 minutes. What does everyone log, only cardio or weights as well?

Replies

  • silverfiend
    silverfiend Posts: 329 Member
    I've never found a good lifting calorie burn model, so I never try to add them.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    I give myself 100-150 cals for lifting.
    (I am small so those cals really count)

    I have maintained for years so know my intake well. When I started a slow drop in weight and fatigue a few weeks after I started lifting I bumped on the extra calories, felt better and my weight stabilized.

    Just watch your energy levels and weight, add calories if you feel you need them.

    Cheers, h.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    As I let my fitbit handle all exercise and sync, yes I do count lifting. If I didn't, I would be losing quicker than my plan. And I know that from experience. Lifting usually only gets me about 100-180 per session depending on the workout that day (Strong Curves).
  • Return2Fit
    Return2Fit Posts: 226 Member
    edited September 2016
    I've found calculators for my weight and the amount of weight lifted over a period of time for calories burned, but I don't log them. I do hand weights on a balance ball for 30-40 minutes. What does everyone log, only cardio or weights as well?
    I do, but I had to make up some numbers for calorie burn that seemed close, and after some minor tweaking, I got in the zone.
    Now, I always use my own numbers for exercise calorie burn with both cardio and strength.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    These numbers work for me.

    Less than 1 hr: 0
    1-2 hrs: 125
    2-4+ hrs: 250

    May actually over estimate the calorie "burn" on some days but I've consistently lost weight using them, despite often eating the cals back.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    I usually add mine, but then I don't eat back the calories gained from lifting either.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I don't count for weightlifting but I do for cardio
  • Unknown
    edited September 2016
    This content has been removed.
  • LessthanKris
    LessthanKris Posts: 607 Member
    You may mean heavy lifting but I am doing P90X right now and Beachbody has a calculator. So for someone who is 137 on the Chest and Back workout that is around 60 minutes they say 385 calories are burned. So I log 300. I am only 5'1 and MFP only gives me 1200 calories so I always eat my exercise calories back.

  • mommamia30189
    mommamia30189 Posts: 82 Member
    i count them under aerobics because when i take an aerobics class it is mainly lifting hand weights, squats, sit ups, etc. I think for a 30 minute session i burn about 150 calories.
  • thatboyjosh73
    thatboyjosh73 Posts: 15 Member
    I don't..between a hour of lifting and a hour on the treadmill it comes out to be like 1500 cals burned in 1 day ...plus I walk and stand up to 8 hours a day at work so it tells me I burn like 3k a day or something...I keep my Cal intake below 2200 a day so there is no way this is accurate or I would be losing close to a pounds or 2 a DAY...
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    The calories burned during 45 min to 1 hour of lifting are not enough to sway me on either side of the fence. If I need to eat more I just do.
  • BabyLovesToRun
    BabyLovesToRun Posts: 120 Member
    I wear my polar watch with chest strap during any workout, so, yes, I count mine. I go hard when I'm there and can have a 600 calorie burn for an hour to 75 minutes. I earned those, so it counts to me!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    600 for weight lifting? That's way too high. Hrms were not designed for strength training at all just steady state cardio
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
    I wear my polar watch with chest strap during any workout, so, yes, I count mine. I go hard when I'm there and can have a 600 calorie burn for an hour to 75 minutes. I earned those, so it counts to me!

    Your polar tells you that you burn 600 calories in 1 1/4 hours of lifting? This is not correct in any way. HRM'S cannot possibly gauge calories burned during lifting.

    maybe this will explain..

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698
  • Jezreel12
    Jezreel12 Posts: 246 Member
    I never back eat my working out calories. I pretend they are not there for me to use.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I've found calculators for my weight and the amount of weight lifted over a period of time for calories burned, but I don't log them. I do hand weights on a balance ball for 30-40 minutes. What does everyone log, only cardio or weights as well?

    I log weight lifting but put in zero. I count it as part of my activity level.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    I log strength training. It doesn't give me many extra calories, but I often don't eat them back anyway, just depends on how hungry I feel. I mostly log them because it generates a notification that my friends see, and knowing that my friends might possibly notice that I skipped a day helps me to stick to my routine.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    I wear my polar watch with chest strap during any workout, so, yes, I count mine. I go hard when I'm there and can have a 600 calorie burn for an hour to 75 minutes. I earned those, so it counts to me!

    Your polar tells you that you burn 600 calories in 1 1/4 hours of lifting? This is not correct in any way. HRM'S cannot possibly gauge calories burned during lifting.

    maybe this will explain..

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

    I agree 100%.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
    I log it but don't count it. If I do a lot of cardio I'll count half. I lift because I want my body to retain muscle and look great when I drop off the fat. It makes me feel great but it's not gonna give me much to log and I lift heavy...
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I figure the weightlifting is part of my activity level so i don't count it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I figure the weightlifting is part of my activity level so i don't count it.

    MFP's "Activity level" is about how you spend the majority of your day, i.e., your job:

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I've found calculators for my weight and the amount of weight lifted over a period of time for calories burned, but I don't log them. I do hand weights on a balance ball for 30-40 minutes. What does everyone log, only cardio or weights as well?

    I log weights. I do this in the cardio section of my exercise diary and use the entry "Weight training, free weights." I don't eat back 100% of the exercise calories I get from MFP.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited September 2016
    I do from my Body pump class. My Polar watch usually gives me 350-450 for a one hour class. It''s probably a little off, but Bodypump is more cardio and lighter weight driven anyway, without the frequent breaks.
    If I were lifting heavy again on a regular program, I'd probably eat a protein bar afterward and consider that most of my calories burned.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Never have, never will. I spend hours and hours lifting weight per week.
  • Eleanor_82
    Eleanor_82 Posts: 57 Member
    No, only cardio.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    I don't count the calories from lifting weights but I personally wouldn't count "hand weights on a balance ball for 30-40 minutes" as weight lifting either (even though technically it is lifting weights, it is probably more of a cardiovascular activity).
This discussion has been closed.