The bigger you are the bigger the burn?

samanthaclifford93
samanthaclifford93 Posts: 6 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,

I'm a bit confused about the calorie burn on here, last night I went swimming for an hour (breaststroke, slow) and MFP says I burned 1164 calories. I am incredibly overweight (currently 30 stone and 5,10) but surely that can't be right?

I have lost almost a stone in 12 days, but even then that must be crazy? Any fitnessy science people able to help me out?

Thanks :)
Samantha

Replies

  • Gimsteinn
    Gimsteinn Posts: 7,678 Member
    I'm no expert but I do believe that the bigger you are the more you burn but MFP has been known to over estimate the calorie burn.

    I'm a fairly fit person and a small one as well. When I go swimming my tracker claims I burn around 450-500 cal per hour, MFP says it's more like 750 cal. I usually just trust my tacker.

    But like I said, I am no expert.

    And by the way, great job Samantha! A stone in 12 days is amazingly impressive. When you've lost a bit more the weightloss will slow down. Don't let it discourage you. You've got this if you want it bad enough and damn girl, you're off to a good start :D
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    how many calories are you eating? A large proportion of that stone will be water

    MFP does tend to overestimate, especially for heavier people, i would suggest halving what MFP gives you to eat back.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,631 Member
    I find that MFP appears most accurate when I choose the slow/light/low options for exercise ... even if I feel like I've put in a good effort.

    And then, when I was losing weight, I ate between 50% and 75% of my exercise calories back.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    Generally with exercise/activities, the heavier you are the greater the calorific burn. You are simply doing more work by moving from one place to the next than someone who is lighter.

    I would expect that this effect to be less for swimming (where the water is bearing much of the load/weight) but still a significant factor.

    That said, I find that the calories that MFP provides for exercise to be on the high side. But, if you're losing weight (and you are - well done) stick with what is working.
  • samanthaclifford93
    samanthaclifford93 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone, MFP says to lose 2lbs per week I need to eat 2470, but not including exercise I'm taking in between 1600-2000 per day. Smallest net has been 750 (according to MFP) and highest has been 1850. I logged it under "swimming, leisurely, general" which confuses me even more.

    Thanks for your time :smile:
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    Hi

    I use this site to calculate swimming calories and make my own exercise in MFP for those workouts
    http://www.swimmingcalculator.com/swim_calories_calculator.php

    don't know if it is better/worse, but feels better as I can put exactly how many lengths swam and the time taken.
  • Nappingcat97
    Nappingcat97 Posts: 21 Member
    Absolutely. And as you lose weight, the weight loss gets slower, which confounds and disappoints people. But stay with it! Swimming is a great way to get well!
  • helengetshealthy
    helengetshealthy Posts: 171 Member
    Dude swimming burns so many calories, log it as leisurely and it'll still be lots of calories ^_^ nice work!
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,520 Member
    Swimming does rule! B)
  • heylance
    heylance Posts: 32 Member
    When I log exercise into MFP i usually just estimate it to be around half of what MFP says, then eat 50% back from that. So I eat around 25% back from what MFP tells me. I find that this helps me not go crazy just because I exercised. Swimming definitely take your appetite to another level though haha so it can be harder
  • Unknown
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  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    edited January 2017
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    MFP DOES NOT OVERESTIMATE AND I GET SICK OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT. HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?
    Anyway, I have used the standard MFP setting for years, and it's pretty right on. But, yes, the bigger you are, the more energy it takes to move. So, yes. The heavier you are, the bigger the burns. This really sucks as you lose weight, and you get to eat less and less. LOL. And your burns get smaller.

    With my target set to lose 1lb per week:
    • I logged all my food, I logged all my exercise, I ate the cals that MFP gave me, I gained weight.
    • I logged all my food, I performed zero exercise (due to injury) logged zero exercise, I ate the cals that MFP gave me, I lost weight.

    Conclusion - MFP allocated me too many calories for the exercise I was doing (running 5 days per week - Recorded mileage and pace).

    Yeah, n=1 but the anecdotal evidence from other MFP supports this.

    Incidentally, I was a member of another site, similar to MFP and that site also (in my opinion) overestimated exercise cals.
  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
    I've compared MFP to my Garmin and MFP overestimates. I use my Garmin for swimming, running, and biking.
  • andrea4736
    andrea4736 Posts: 211 Member
    You definitely burn more the more weight you have on...given you put in the same effort. I had exercises saved from the last time I was on MFP and just realized I'm burning way more than I thought. I was 20 lbs lighter last time I was tracking and the extra 20 lbs pushed my calorie burn up over 200 cals for the same workout. That's using a HRM so it's more accurate but still a very measurable difference.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Yes, a bigger body uses more energy for the same task/exertion level than a smaller body.

    One 'issue' I have with swimming, and this won't apply to everyone, is when I swim I'm not constantly working/in motion. If that is similar for you, perhaps log half the time?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Think about how many pounds overweigh you are and then consider what it would be like if you carried an equal number of pounds of weights around with you all day. You would expect to burn more calories. You don't notice the extra weight from fat so much because you added it gradually and because it is evenly distributed, but your muscles are pushing that stuff around all day everyday.

    A good indication of calorie burn is how much air you need. If you find yourself out of breath when you climb stairs or go for a walk, that should tell you that you are burning more than a lighter person who doesn't get out of breath doing those things.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    A good indication of calorie burn is how much air you need. If you find yourself out of breath when you climb stairs or go for a walk, that should tell you that you are burning more than a lighter person who doesn't get out of breath doing those things.

    Eh...this has more to do with cardiorespiratory fitness.
    There are skinny people who are out of shape and get winded on the stairs and there are overweight people who are more accustomed to cardio who don't get winded nearly as easily.
    The bigger person still burns more calories.
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