Calories lost on elliptical VS. myfitness pals calorie counter ?

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pinkste78
pinkste78 Posts: 54 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so I workout on the elliptical at least 30 mins a day. My elliptical says I loose like around 200 calories each time I work out on it :/ . I think it's wrong cuz when I get off of that thing I'm like pouring sweat. So I've been going by the myfitness pal's calorie counter which is 424 calories per 30 mins. I know neither are going to be a 100 percent accurate, but which one would be more accurate. I need to know cuz it adds more calories I can consume, I don't want to overeat . thanks !
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Replies

  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Machines, though, are also notorious for over-estimating. The safest play is to eat back 50-75% of your added calories from exercise, and as mitch said, to choose the smaller # when you're adding the exercise to begin with.
  • safully1
    safully1 Posts: 13 Member
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    I would recommend a HR monitor (not a fitbit or watch) to get a better idea of what you're burning. Good luck.
  • Habiteer
    Habiteer Posts: 190 Member
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    does your elliptical account for your bodyweight? because a light person on the elliptical typically burns less calories at the same speed as a heavier person on the elliptical, but some people don't input bodyweight into the elliptical
  • pinkste78
    pinkste78 Posts: 54 Member
    edited September 2016
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    darn, I was hoping you guys wouldn't say that lol. I love food :( oh well...
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
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    I automatically subtract 25% off what the elliptical (and most any other machine) tells me because it is always way off. As someone who is 5'5", 125 pounds and 44 years of age, I have calculated that I burn about 250-300 calories in a half hour session on the elliptical - and this is with HIIT doing higher resistance and incline. I used a heart rate monitor and did calculations and determined overall that when I subtract approximately 25% off what the machine tells me, it is close to the actual calories burned. Keep in mind that this only applies to my situation but it is how I determined the approximate calories burn.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Drawoc wrote: »
    does your elliptical account for your bodyweight? because a light person on the elliptical typically burns less calories at the same speed as a heavier person on the elliptical, but some people don't input bodyweight into the elliptical

    Not to mention short people. I'm 5'2" and have learned the hard way ($150 fitbit way) to NEVER trust the machine. The machine lies.
  • jeffbeckinc
    jeffbeckinc Posts: 7 Member
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    I usually dial down the calorie burn machines or mfp tells me by at least 25% or more depending on the exercise, intensity.
  • mikevfr
    mikevfr Posts: 47 Member
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    Machine calories are normally reasonably accurate for me against HRM. I always input my weight and age if it let's me though.

    5'10. 188 lbs, Male. 37 y/o
  • mikevfr
    mikevfr Posts: 47 Member
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    Also I can burn 150 calories in 30 Mins or 500 calories depending very much on resistance and cadence
  • Kristi26
    Kristi26 Posts: 184 Member
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    I always go with the smaller number and eat less than 50% of the calories it claims I burned.
  • wanzik
    wanzik Posts: 326 Member
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    Both exaggerate. However, I'd lean more towards what the elliptical says because it knows your weight and the resistance you are using. So much depends on your form while using an elliptical machine. Keep form in mind so that you are in command of the machine and not hanging on it. Your body is relatively stationary while your arms and legs are moving. Most people I see (and I am just as guilty) tend to use body weight to push the steps/pedals down. That is cheating. If you maintain form then I think the reading on the elliptical would be fairly accurate.
  • fbref9
    fbref9 Posts: 74 Member
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    When I first bought a fitbit, I compared the calorie burn calculated by the elliptical and treadmill to that calorie burn calculated by my fitbit hrm and a polar cheststrap hrm. I found the fitbit hrm to be within 5% of the polar cheststrap hrm. Since the cheststrap is a pain, I just use my Fitbit Blaze for my calorie burn which I link to MFP.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I'm on the elliptical for 65 minutes. I input my weight and the machine says approximately 500 calories burned (depending on my speed).
    MFP says I burn 562. I use the machine's burn but I only eat back 1/2 the calories unless I'm really hungry that day, then I'll eat back more.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
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    200 calories for 30 minutes on an elliptical doesn't sound unreasonable to me, sounds about right honestly. Of course its going to depend on your weight and your intensity.

    400 for 30 minutes sounds pretty high to me.
  • BarbaraJatmfp
    BarbaraJatmfp Posts: 463 Member
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    I don't eat the calories burned in exercise. I want to lose weight so exercise is part of the diet and exercise I'm doing to lose weight. I have found I can't out-exercise overeating.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    If the machine knows and displays watts expended to push past it's resistance - that is most accurate assessment because watts can be converted to calories - only question is where are you in the range of muscle efficiency to make those watts from 20 to 25%.

    If it has accurate weight to know what the resistance is being put to by the motors, then it should know the watts needed to overcome it.

    The MFP database entry has no idea your intensity level.

    Oh, and level of sweat is meaningless gauge of workout effort.
    HR and breathing rate is better.

    Ditto's to above - 400/hr isn't that unrealistic depending on weight being moved.

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