Tracking the calories you burned

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brittneynathan0579
brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,
What apps are you using to figure out how many calories you burn? I weight train and do cardio and have been adding up every
single exercise by Google and it's frustrating!!
Thank you!

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Everything is estimates anyway. Weight training is especially difficult. If you logged 45 minutes of strength training (under cardiovascular in MFP) that too would give you an estimate.
  • Run4fitness12
    Run4fitness12 Posts: 34 Member
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    Can't you just enter your exercise into MFP itself? It will calculate it for you (although I have read it is usually too high)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I have a Fitbit synced to my MFP account, it does all the adjustments for me automatically.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    It's all an estimate. Weight training in particular is basically a shot in the dark as their are so many variables in regards to how you lift, rest times, etc.

    For cycling I just use my Garmin 500 bike computer and HRM and have found it to be accurate enough.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I use a power meter, which is a measurement not an estimate. But it only works on a bike, and it's expensive.
  • Gsidhu1304
    Gsidhu1304 Posts: 8 Member
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    I use BodySpace
  • mranlett
    mranlett Posts: 56 Member
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    Cardio is way easier to measure with a heart rate monitor than weight lifting is, but a heart rate monitor is your friend. By monitoring your heart, you get a *fair* idea of calories burned. Not exact, but directionally correct.

    You'll want to pick one and be consistent with it though because there is a WIDE swing of estimated calorie burn between different HRMs. For example, I work out at OrangeTheory. An hour workout using their official HRM and I've burned 970 calories. My Fitbit tells me the same workout burned 880 calories. My Samsung smart watch tells me the same workout burned 440 calories. I use the OrangeTheory number b/c it's higher and that makes me feel better about the effort I put in.

    For me personally, I don't care what the calorie burn is because I have an MFP premium subscription and I've turned off the "eat your exercise calories" function. I use exercise tracking to hold myself accountable and to see if I've slacked off compared to my previous workout. It doesn't add to what I can eat in a day.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,442 Member
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    I would not log weight training at all as the calorie burn is fairly low in my experience. Cardio might also be less than you think. if you run or walk outside or on a threadmill then use
    0.68*weight in lbs*distance in miles for running
    0.3*weight in lbs*distance in miles for walking

    A crosstrainer will be quite a lot less than running.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Strength training - I just use the estimate on here as its as good as anything.

    "Cardio" doesn't really give any clues!
    What exercise you are doing will determine the best (or most convenient) way to come up with a reasonable estimate.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    In the past, I used a fitbit for general walking and a Polar FT4 (older model - there are newer ones now) for any intense activity such as cycling, boxing fitness, circuits, elliptical machine etc. I found that those worked for me best. I just used the mfp calculator for weight training.
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
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    Thank you guys! This has been very helpful
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,982 Member
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    I do not use MFP for exercise cal estimates because those estimates generally seem too high.

    I use 120 cal/hr (minus rest periods) for weight lifting which is very low.

    For cardio rowing and on the stairmaster, which are the only things I do for cardio, I use what's on the monitor which is almost always 150 cal/15 mins which is accurate enough for me.

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