Accuracy of Calories Burned

Options
2»

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Options
    I ordered a HRM last week and I'm anxious for it to arrive so I can test the calorie burn against what MFP says I'm burning. After a month, my weight loss has slowed even though I'm still doing the same things. I also am a heavy exerciser and eat every calorie I burn. So......maybe if the calculator for MFP is incorrect, I am over-eating. We shall see!

    This is the great thing (another one) - the HRM measures your exertion level. The more fit you become ..... the fewer calories you burn. You will not burn the same calories all the time.

    I used to see a calorie burn of 300 for a 2 mile Leslie Sansone video - now it's more like 225.
  • richardmbunn
    richardmbunn Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    The only way to accurately calculate how many calories you've burned is by using a HRM during workout. I can't afford a Polar or Bodybugg but they are the best. Mine's a cheap one from Lidl's but it does the job just fine. You just need to input your age, height, and weight and it does the rest. Ignore all the crap about training zones as according to Jillian Michaels they're antiquated and a load of crap. Because of what she said the only thing I look at mine for is the cals burned at the end of a session. Oh and the total time too if I can ever figure out how to record both things at once. (not read instructions).
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Options
    I AGREE. I LOVE my HRM too! sometimes I can burn more calories doing the same exact exercise for the same amount of time (maybe I had more energy due to coffee?) so it is important to me to use the HRM and get a more accurate number of calories burned. I also weigh everything I eat. HAHA my scale & HRM are my best friends! I think it's great that you want to share this with everyone! THx ♥

    You just hit on the major weakness of a heart rate monitor. See, heart rate is not really a good indication of calories burned on it's own, but that's what HRM's use to estimate calories burned. You have a cup of coffee, the caffeine elevates your heart rate, and now the HRM thinks you're burning more calories than you actually are. I never rely on just one source for a calorie burn, I'll compare the HRM, the machine if I'm doing cardio, and MFP, and generally use an average of the numbers.

    Unless you're hooked up to a calorimeter, it's impossible to know exactly what you burn, the closest you can get is an estimate. Just like it's impossible to know exactly how many calories you eat, you know the numbers on nutrition labels? They are estimates and averages, as it's impossible to nail down an exact number. That's why I never sweat variances of one or two hundred calories either way.

    Just like you can use 4 different websites to calculate body fat percentage and get 4 different numbers, or even go to 2 different fitness professionals to measure it and still get 2 different numbers. Exact is impossible in the real world.
  • spookiewon
    spookiewon Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    I use a bodybugg - and see the same thing. My calories burned for doing certain exercises are WAY over what MFP has, because I might have done a fast pace and hills. And some days it's way under, because I was a slug and walked my miles at a slow pace and had no elevation.

    I think anyone looking for an accurate burn should do either an HRM or a BodyBugg (BodyMedia FIT, same thing) to get the best data that will take your personal 'configuration' into consideration!

    I used a BodyMedia FIT for a time, but it's uncomfortable and shows through my clothes. I bought a Fitbit, compared the results to my BM FIT, and found them virtually identical. Fitbit syncs wirelessly every time I'm close to my computer--it never needs a manual sync and needs just 15 minutes charging every week. It displays my current calories burned, steps walked, miles walked and general activity level right on the device without an additional display. I LOVE Fitbit's site for tracking as well, and unlike BodyBugg and BM FIT, Fitbit's site is FREE! Fitbit's food database isn't the greatest, which is why I have this account here. I track my calories here, then transfer totals to the Fitbit site. I track everything else--exercise, sleep, and weight, there.

    Fitbit is just $99, as opposed to the $240 I paid for my BM FIT and the additional display. No monthly fee as opposed to $6 ~ $12 monthly fee. I can't recommend it highly enough.

    I do agree that MFP's calorie burn numbers are almost comically high. But the normal things you do ARE exercise and should be counted as such. In fact, one recent study showed that the best way to lose weight is to increase what they call NonExercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). Monitoring non-exercise calorie output really does call for a device of some kind.
  • RangerSteve
    RangerSteve Posts: 437
    Options

    You just hit on the major weakness of a heart rate monitor. See, heart rate is not really a good indication of calories burned on it's own, but that's what HRM's use to estimate calories burned. You have a cup of coffee, the caffeine elevates your heart rate, and now the HRM thinks you're burning more calories than you actually are. I never rely on just one source for a calorie burn, I'll compare the HRM, the machine if I'm doing cardio, and MFP, and generally use an average of the numbers.

    Unless you're hooked up to a calorimeter, it's impossible to know exactly what you burn, the closest you can get is an estimate. Just like it's impossible to know exactly how many calories you eat, you know the numbers on nutrition labels? They are estimates and averages, as it's impossible to nail down an exact number. That's why I never sweat variances of one or two hundred calories either way.

    Just like you can use 4 different websites to calculate body fat percentage and get 4 different numbers, or even go to 2 different fitness professionals to measure it and still get 2 different numbers. Exact is impossible in the real world.

    Good post. Everyone should read what you just wrote.


    Just as it's easy to earn extra calories by using over-estimations with MFP, it's easy to earn extra calories by taking a diet pill or drinking a cup of coffee before using a heart rate monitor to measure your exercise. Heart rate monitors also don't take muscle activation into account. This is especially important when lifting weights. The best thing anyone can do is to give and take a little bit with their estimations until they find that point where they're losing/gaining a little depending on their goals.
  • BMcGuiness
    BMcGuiness Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    The amount of calories you burn doing anything is completely subjective. I do think MFP is high but it is comparable to the equipment at the gym that measures your heart rate. Too me it's like a scale. step on 3 and you will get different results. find what you are comfortable with and stick with it.
  • MindyLynn77
    MindyLynn77 Posts: 126
    Options
    My HRM always says i burned WAY more than MFP does... lol.. so mine is the opposite of you... I just log half of what I burn on my diary..id rather under eat than over eat

Categories