Exercise accuracy

Danni1x
Danni1x Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm just wondering if the excercise count I see at the gym is accurate? I use pure gym, run around 5km, use the stairmills, rower and sometimes do classes etc. Do you reckon the calories burned amount on machines is accurate? I always put this into MFP afterwards, but at reluctant to eat extra "calories burned" as trying to lose weight...thoughts?

Replies

  • Derf_Smeggle
    Derf_Smeggle Posts: 610 Member
    It is commonly accepted that the machine readouts, MFP, and most exercise calculators over estimate the number of calories burned.

    Heart rate monitors are in most instances the best measure we are going to get outside of a medical/lab setting.

    The typically advise when using machine readouts and MFP is to log the calories and begin by eating back half of those calories. If after a few weeks your weight loss trend is too steep, increase the number of those calories you're eating back.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    I know that the machines I use can be off by 30% or more when compared to my smart watch with HR monitor. I think they over count calories burned by the exercise and include the amount of calories that you would have burned anyway.

    I did an moderate hour on the elliptical on Saturday. The machine told me that I burned 710 calories, my watch told me that burned 460.

    Be safe, eat back 50% of your assumed exercise calories and adjust from there.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,573 Member
    Danni1x wrote: »
    Hi, I'm just wondering if the excercise count I see at the gym is accurate? I use pure gym, run around 5km, use the stairmills, rower and sometimes do classes etc. Do you reckon the calories burned amount on machines is accurate? I always put this into MFP afterwards, but at reluctant to eat extra "calories burned" as trying to lose weight...thoughts?

    No, the machines are always high. The ellipticals are notoriously so. If you ever get readings that say you are burning more than 300 on 30 minutes, be suspicous. Generally, such a rate only happens with high intensity cardio, such as running. Not saying you can't get that on a machine, but for most people, it's not the case.
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