Accurate # of Cals Burned on Elliptical?

Opera_Bound
Opera_Bound Posts: 291 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
If I'm using an elliptical machine that has me enter my age and weight, as well as monitoring my heart rate at periodic moments, how accurate is the number of calories burned? Should I trust what the machine says or what the MFP Exercise log says? The machine has usually been a higher amount of calories burned than what MFP says. Could this be due to the levels of intensity / resistance / and speed? Just curious so I can get an accurate picture of what I'm burning.

Do they make some sort of calorie counter that monitors how much you burn as an individual? Like something I could strap on to my arm while at the gym? :huh:

Replies

  • Opera_Bound
    Opera_Bound Posts: 291 Member
    If I'm using an elliptical machine that has me enter my age and weight, as well as monitoring my heart rate at periodic moments, how accurate is the number of calories burned? Should I trust what the machine says or what the MFP Exercise log says? The machine has usually been a higher amount of calories burned than what MFP says. Could this be due to the levels of intensity / resistance / and speed? Just curious so I can get an accurate picture of what I'm burning.

    Do they make some sort of calorie counter that monitors how much you burn as an individual? Like something I could strap on to my arm while at the gym? :huh:
  • ONAMISSION
    ONAMISSION Posts: 105
    If it makes you enter your weight and stuff, i would go with the number on your machine. That will probably be more accurate!
  • jelee18
    jelee18 Posts: 46
    A heart rate monitor (HRM) is great for determining your calories. Check out Polar for one. There is also the Bugg which is used on the Biggest Loser to track calories, etc. I tend to go by what the elliptical at the gym says since it is factoring in resistance, age, etc.
  • meg0112
    meg0112 Posts: 344
    I'd trust the gym machine over MFP because it monitors your heart rate, but yes you can get a personal heart rate monitor, I have one and I'm addicted to it. Its a watch that has a strap around your chest that monitors heart rate, the watch picks up the monitor and tells you calories burned and all that. Mines a polar- but get on amazon or the community message boards and search HRM
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    An HRM is great if you can afford one. I have a Solar F6 and I can't imagine working out without it. But in the absence of such equipment, go with what the machine says. Or, you could average the difference between the two machines... :tongue:
  • naner
    naner Posts: 110
    An HRM is great if you can afford one. I have a Solar F6 and I can't imagine working out without it. But in the absence of such equipment, go with what the machine says. Or, you could average the difference between the two machines... :tongue:




    what is a solar F6????
  • rheston
    rheston Posts: 638
    You should know that on-line calculators, MFP included, and individual exercise machines all have general rules of coding and none should be considered accurate to the point of accepting one over the other. So it's really up to you as to which number you want to enter into your diary.

    I have a commercial elliptical machine as well as a stationary, recumbent bike neither of them scores the calories burned the same way that MFP does. So, I just use the calories burned based on the MFP calculator simply because I'm just trying not to eat more than I should so that I lose or maintain my weight balance.

    I don't eat to my exercise earned calories because of another anomaly in the MFP program and on the internet regarding calculations and accountability.

    Bob
  • 1Corinthians13
    1Corinthians13 Posts: 5,296 Member

    I don't eat to my exercise earned calories because of another anomaly in the MFP program and on the internet regarding calculations and accountability.

    Bob

    What anomaly?
  • iamjeffb
    iamjeffb Posts: 22 Member
    An HRM is great if you can afford one. I have a Solar F6 and I can't imagine working out without it. But in the absence of such equipment, go with what the machine says. Or, you could average the difference between the two machines... :tongue:




    what is a solar F6????

    I think that is supposed to be Polar F6.
  • rheston
    rheston Posts: 638
    The anomaly comes from when you first enter your details or even update your details on MFP. For example, I entered that I work out heavily and I also accurately entered the type of work I do. I was given a daily calorie consumption based on both of those data points along with everything else.

    When I work out I select "add checked items to my log" expecting that they will not show up as "calories earned" over and above my daily consumption. In the beginning I ate to the calorie level MFP gave me including those exercise calories and I gained weight instead of losing it.

    It didn't make sense to me so I decided to stop eating to the bonus calorie level and just eat to my base level but still keeping track of my exercise in MFP.

    I expected that if I selected "enter into my log" that the program would do just that and not enter it again into my food diary. The reason I expected that was simply due to the fact that my calories were based on my activity level and if that activity level doesn't change then no new calories should be earned.

    I had expected that the calories would show up if I exceeded my workout routine by some amount each day and then they would show up in the "your earned calories from exercise" computation.

    Did you follow that?
  • nevertellen34
    nevertellen34 Posts: 99
    There are websites I dont think I am allowed to list them here, but they have what your looking for.If you like type in Gazzle I been adding that to the exercise list, its considered eliptical. If you set up resistance just use vigerous for the type of workout hope that helps.
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