Hi all! I'm nervous to trust the calorie input calculations.

TerraRoberts24
TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
edited November 15 in Getting Started
Hi everyone! I had an account a few years back after I had successfully lost 50 lbs. Then I gained it all back and haven't been on here since. Until about 3 days ago. I've decided to give My Fitness Pal a try again, but I'm cautious to trust it's calculations for me.

I ride an at home exercise bike for 30 minutes a day at 13-14 mph at a moderate gear. I sweat A LOT and it says I burn about 400 calories. I'm so nervous to trust that number, so I was curious about your guys input.

I also put in my current weight, 210 lbs and height, 5'4" with the goal to lose 1.5 lbs a week. It says I should be eating a little over 1800 calories a day and will lose the weight I want to.

It's not that I don't trust My Fitness Pal, I'm just so nervous to overeat, lol. I got to this weight by not counting calories at all and just eating whatever I want. And when I have lost weight in the past it was by eating 1200 calories a day firm and walking an hour a day. But I was told that's too low to be eating. And obviously I wasn't able to maintain on it because I eventually I fell off track and binged and never got back on track until now.

Anyways, I'm rambling a lot, sorry about that! I guess I'm wondering about those who have successfully lost weight using My Fitness Pal. Do you think these numbers are accurate for me? Am I really burning 400 calories a day with my exercise? And can I really eat 1800 and lose? So far I'm giving it a try, but just thought I'd put my question out there as well.

Thanks in advance for your answers and time! :)
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Replies

  • sbrandt37
    sbrandt37 Posts: 403 Member
    edited February 2017
    Most people believe that MFP overestimates calorie burns from exercise and recommend eating back 50-75% of what it estimates for exercise. Otherwise, it seems to be pretty accurate. I'm guessing if you do what it says, except for not eating back all of the exercise calories it says, you will lose weight.
  • TerraRoberts24
    TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
    Ok, thank you! That's what I figured. I was thinking it's probably mostly accurate, but to be safe my plan is to eat a little less than it says to each day of those exercise calories.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    My advice is to experiment. Record 50% to start out. If you lose more than 1.5 pounds per week then up it to 75% or 100%. I've found I have to experiment a bit with the numbers to hit the sweet spot for me.
  • RunningMom1038
    RunningMom1038 Posts: 144 Member
    My running calories seem accurate to me. I've compared it to several other calorie-burn calculators and they all come very close. (within 20 calories) I trust it.
  • Jakiracki
    Jakiracki Posts: 62 Member
    This is why I also have a fit bit with a heart monitor! I feel it's more accurate
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    edited February 2017
    Hmmmm, I ride the stationary bike at the gym for about 10 minutes (13 mph and possibly a higher level) before weight lifting and I only burn about 60 calories in that amount of time. I'm taller and almost at maintenance but still I think that 400 calories is rather high for 30 minutes. I would only eat back about half that amount.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    Hmmmm, I ride the stationary bike at the gym for about 10 minutes (13 mph and possibly a higher level) before weight lifting and I only burn about 60 calories in that amount of time. I'm taller and almost at maintenance but still I think that 400 calories is rather high for 30 minutes. I would only eat back about half that amount.

    I'd agree with this. 400 seems generous for a 1/2 hour. Use the 50% rule of thumb and eat back 200.

    I put your stats into here. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ I used 30 for age but please don't get mad if I got that wrong, I just needed to put in a number.

    Gives a BMR of ~1730. You don't mention your normal activity level, so I'll assume sedentary and multiply that number by 1.2. Remember this ignores your exercise time.

    Gives a NEAT of 2076. Less 750 to lose 1.5 lb per week and I get to 1326. Add back 200 cals and I get you eating ~1526.

    So something is wrong. Either in what I entered or in what you put into MFP.

  • TerraRoberts24
    TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks, guys! I figured it was a little too generous with telling me I burned 400. I sweat a lot, but that number is too good to be true, lol. I'll definitely stick with eating half of it back for now and seeing how that goes.

    Thanks, Tacklewasher for taking the time to do that for me! I appreciate it. I'm 27, but no worries about the guess, lol. And yes, I am pretty sedentary right now. Stay at home mom and it's winter. I clean and try and move around as much as I can, but there is still a lot of sitting around. I am getting out for more walks now though the warmer it gets.

    Anways, thanks again everyone! I'll try eating 1500-ish for now and see how that goes.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I had an account a few years back after I had successfully lost 50 lbs. Then I gained it all back and haven't been on here since. Until about 3 days ago. I've decided to give My Fitness Pal a try again, but I'm cautious to trust it's calculations for me.

    I ride an at home exercise bike for 30 minutes a day at 13-14 mph at a moderate gear. I sweat A LOT and it says I burn about 400 calories. I'm so nervous to trust that number, so I was curious about your guys input.

    I also put in my current weight, 210 lbs and height, 5'4" with the goal to lose 1.5 lbs a week. It says I should be eating a little over 1800 calories a day and will lose the weight I want to.

    It's not that I don't trust My Fitness Pal, I'm just so nervous to overeat, lol. I got to this weight by not counting calories at all and just eating whatever I want. And when I have lost weight in the past it was by eating 1200 calories a day firm and walking an hour a day. But I was told that's too low to be eating. And obviously I wasn't able to maintain on it because I eventually I fell off track and binged and never got back on track until now.

    Anyways, I'm rambling a lot, sorry about that! I guess I'm wondering about those who have successfully lost weight using My Fitness Pal. Do you think these numbers are accurate for me? Am I really burning 400 calories a day with my exercise? And can I really eat 1800 and lose? So far I'm giving it a try, but just thought I'd put my question out there as well.

    Thanks in advance for your answers and time! :)

    What did you put in as your activity level? Are you sure your other inputs are accurate? 1800 seems high for 1.5 Lbs per week. Also, you are right to be nervous about your calorie burn...400 for 30 minutes likely isn't happening...
  • TerraRoberts24
    TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
    cwolfman13, I put in sedentary activity level and that I cycle 30-35 minutes a day at 13-14mph on a moderate gear as well as I sometimes go for walks too. It starts me at 1360 to lose 1.5 lbs, but bumps it up to around 1800 because it says I burn around 400 calories. I feel like it's high too, so I'm definitely going to shoot for eating less than it a day to be safe for now.
  • Bekah7482
    Bekah7482 Posts: 246 Member
    I use a fitbit to track my workouts and have noticed that MFP can be right on for some of my exercises and way off on other. For my walk last night, it underestimated my burn by 300+ calories and for my elliptical workout it can overestimate by a few hundred calories. Calculates spot on for my Zumba classes though. But, I also don't eat back my calories.

    MFP is just a mathematical algorithm that calculates a generic number based on your settings. There are many other factors that contribute to your calorie burn that it does not take into account. I agree with others that say if you are going to eat back your calories, start at 50% and see what that does for you and adjust accordingly.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    cwolfman13, I put in sedentary activity level and that I cycle 30-35 minutes a day at 13-14mph on a moderate gear as well as I sometimes go for walks too. It starts me at 1360 to lose 1.5 lbs, but bumps it up to around 1800 because it says I burn around 400 calories. I feel like it's high too, so I'm definitely going to shoot for eating less than it a day to be safe for now.

    1360 makes sense...but yeah, I'd probably make some kind of allowance for error with that energy expenditure. I burn somewhere between 500-600 calories in an hour depending on my terrain, effort, distance, etc...
  • TerraRoberts24
    TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
    Also, I just googled some different sites to see what they say I burn for cycling and a bunch of them say for my weight I am burning 300-400. Does anyone knows of a site I can accurately find how much I burn in those 30 minutes? Or should I just guess for now? For how much I sweat I feel like at the very least I burn 200 in 30 minutes. Thanks again for all the help!
  • BootBabe13
    BootBabe13 Posts: 25 Member
    To get a true calculation of what you are burning you should invest in a heart rate monitor. Not only will it tell you how many calories you are burning it will tell you what zone you are working in which can be very helpful to determine fat burn vs cardio etc. As for the calculated calories it also depends on what kind of foods you are eating. I determined my food type and I use the set out calories as a guide but focus more on the types of food I am eating. Focus on small changes right now and being more aware of what you eat the rest will fall into place just don't put too much stress on yourself about it. Be proud of yourself for being committed to reach your goals! All the best!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    Also, I just googled some different sites to see what they say I burn for cycling and a bunch of them say for my weight I am burning 300-400. Does anyone knows of a site I can accurately find how much I burn in those 30 minutes? Or should I just guess for now? For how much I sweat I feel like at the very least I burn 200 in 30 minutes. Thanks again for all the help!

    I'd say 300 would be on the high end of reasonable as an estimate.
  • Bekah7482
    Bekah7482 Posts: 246 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    Also, I just googled some different sites to see what they say I burn for cycling and a bunch of them say for my weight I am burning 300-400. Does anyone knows of a site I can accurately find how much I burn in those 30 minutes? Or should I just guess for now? For how much I sweat I feel like at the very least I burn 200 in 30 minutes. Thanks again for all the help!

    The only real accurate way is to use a heart rate monitor. Everything else is just an estimate based on very generic information.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Your exercise bike which tells you that you've burned 400 calories in 30 minutes at that speed is likely to be programmed to calculate the calories as if you weighed 150 lb. If instead you input your weight each time it will calculate your burn more accurately. As @Bekah7482 says, best accuracy is a chest-strap HRM, and even among those there is variable accuracy.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited February 2017
    Does the bike give the number of avg watts expended for that time?
    Can figure it from there.
    But if it does, likely it's doing it already.
    Weight isn't a factor when you have watts, which is literally a measurement of energy expended, same as calories - merely need to convert.

    Also - you are not sedentary if you are a mom - winter or not.
    Sedentary is usually found by those who have activity trackers to be less than 4000 steps - which is really bump on a log all day long and the weekend.
    I doubt that's you.

    As others have mentioned, the bike could be right if it's converting watts it's expending on the motor to provide resistance.

    MFP database entry for that type of thing has no intensity to it - unlike the running or walking where you can get the pace decently close.

    Also be aware that most sites on cycling are doing outside calcs, with wind resistance and road resistance based on the speed or distance and time you gave.
    But the distance on inside bike has none of that - so invalid formula's for outside riding.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    [*] Consistency and the common sense to adjust calorie levels based on results over time is far more important than absolute accuracy.

    This. Stick with ~1550 for a few weeks (including exercise) and see what happens with your weight. Be patient. If losing too fast, eat more. If losing too slow, eat less.

    :)
  • TerraRoberts24
    TerraRoberts24 Posts: 34 Member
    edited February 2017
    Wow, thanks so much for all the feedback! I really do appreciate it. I have so much to learn about all of this, lol. Like I didn't know that it didn't matter whether you sweat or not. That's good to know. Everyone around me keeps telling me "You have to sweat to burn calories! If you aren't sweating then your work out doesn't count." I sometimes go for hour walks when I can swing them in the day, and I am always getting told those don't matter because I am not sweating when I walk.

    Anyways, thanks again everyone! I have decided to stick with the 1500 range and see where that gets me. And when it says I burn 400 biking, I am just going to automatically assume its in the 200 range for now as well.
  • hookandy
    hookandy Posts: 278 Member
    I started on MFP back in Jan (Strange that) and have logged food and exercise (via fitbit and manually adding)

    So actual weight loss in the 6 weeks I have been playing this game = 15lb

    Looking at the daily average for Net Calories (In-Out) and taking this away from my MFP maintenance figure gives me my average daily deficit for each week. A quick bit of excel I can multiply by 7 and divide by 3500 and add up for each week.

    The MFP figures suggest I should have lost 12.75lb

    I have adjusted my goal a couple of times, and it has dropped 20 cal each time, I tend to eat some of my exercise calories back, but not all. I weigh food where I can and guestimate the rest.

    My loss is slightly quick at about 2.5lb per week, but it is not as if I do not have plenty to lose.

    Conclusion: For me the figures work and I am going to eat back more of my exercise calories to slow the rate. I have also distrusted the figures, but working it out has given a huge tick in the MFP accuracy box.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 653 Member
    My best example was a hike I took -- it was 10+ miles, took us 5 hours, through the mountains and I had a 7 pounds pack. MFP estimated I burned 2500+ calories. I use an apple watch, which I know is also not perfectly accurate, but it estimated I burned 980. That is one hell of a difference.

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited February 2017
    cessi0909 wrote: »
    My best example was a hike I took -- it was 10+ miles, took us 5 hours, through the mountains and I had a 7 pounds pack. MFP estimated I burned 2500+ calories. I use an apple watch, which I know is also not perfectly accurate, but it estimated I burned 980. That is one hell of a difference.

    5 hrs @ 2mph would be a slow level walk. But it was not actually level.

    But that is certainly more than 200 cal / hr - considering your BMR if not moving would probably be about 80 of that already.

    I'd say the Apple Watch is mighty off too.

    Probably got the distance way off. Of course, it doesn't incorporate incline increased calorie burn, nor is it aware of extra weight being carried.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited February 2017
    hookandy wrote: »
    I started on MFP back in Jan (Strange that) and have logged food and exercise (via fitbit and manually adding)

    So actual weight loss in the 6 weeks I have been playing this game = 15lb

    Looking at the daily average for Net Calories (In-Out) and taking this away from my MFP maintenance figure gives me my average daily deficit for each week. A quick bit of excel I can multiply by 7 and divide by 3500 and add up for each week.

    The MFP figures suggest I should have lost 12.75lb

    I have adjusted my goal a couple of times, and it has dropped 20 cal each time, I tend to eat some of my exercise calories back, but not all. I weigh food where I can and guestimate the rest.

    My loss is slightly quick at about 2.5lb per week, but it is not as if I do not have plenty to lose.

    Conclusion: For me the figures work and I am going to eat back more of my exercise calories to slow the rate. I have also distrusted the figures, but working it out has given a huge tick in the MFP accuracy box.

    Also consider you can't do the math including the first week - because you have water weight lost then which of course has no calories.

    That's why the math never works if your weigh-ins have known expected water weight fluctuations.

    You could have one weigh-in the morning after some very low sodium eating days and big cardio workout.
    Then the next weigh-in morning is after couple high sodium eating days, and big lifting workout still sore.

    You could easily have a 5lb weight increase there.

    But does that mean you ate 5 x 3500 / 7 days = 2500 surplus calories daily - and therefore should adjust your eating level based on those results?
    Of course not.

    The math aspect and adjusting _can_ be a good way of doing it - if you understand the limitations of when you don't have figures you should use.

    I'll bet you redo the math with 1st week gone - MFP was right on the mark.

    You were mighty close anyway - but just wanted to point out the example of potential issues for those that don't know.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    I sometimes go for hour walks when I can swing them in the day, and I am always getting told those don't matter because I am not sweating when I walk.

    They matter. Yeah, not as many calories burned as doing the same time at hard cardio, but they matter. If someone tells you this just say "Okay. I'm going to spend the time on the couch watching tv instead".

    People can be really stupid about weight loss. Frikken infuriating some times.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    TerraRoberts24 wrote: »
    Wow, thanks so much for all the feedback! I really do appreciate it. I have so much to learn about all of this, lol. Like I didn't know that it didn't matter whether you sweat or not. That's good to know. Everyone around me keeps telling me "You have to sweat to burn calories! If you aren't sweating then your work out doesn't count." I sometimes go for hour walks when I can swing them in the day, and I am always getting told those don't matter because I am not sweating when I walk.

    Anyways, thanks again everyone! I have decided to stick with the 1500 range and see where that gets me. And when it says I burn 400 biking, I am just going to automatically assume its in the 200 range for now as well.

    sweating just means your body is cooling itself off so it doesnt become overheated. think if you are lounging at the beach,you sweat right? if we lost calories from sweating then I would welcome the hot flashes and sweats perimenopause brings lol
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I still think sweating is somewhat, indirectly related to the activity level. So if you are sweating while working out, it is an indication of how hard you are working. Yeah the act of sweating itself is irrelevant, but if I'm sweating while on the treadmill in the basement, it's because I'm working hard and burning calories. If I'm just walking on it and not sweating, then I'm burning less calories.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I still think sweating is somewhat, indirectly related to the activity level. So if you are sweating while working out, it is an indication of how hard you are working. Yeah the act of sweating itself is irrelevant, but if I'm sweating while on the treadmill in the basement, it's because I'm working hard and burning calories. If I'm just walking on it and not sweating, then I'm burning less calories.

    lol well what about those that dont sweat? or have hyperhidrosis?
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