walking speed and calories burned

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chandraminick
chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
edited June 2018 in Fitness and Exercise
I walk every day and think I am logging my calories burned accurately, but wondering what others think. I am using the "2.0 mph slow pace and 2.5 mph leisurely pace" settings on MFP. Just for reference, 3.0 mph comes up as moderate pace, 3.5 mph comes up as a brisk pace and 4.5 mph as a very brisk pace. Usually I walk to music by myself not dawdling, but not speed walking. Usually to the beat of music, so pretty paced. Not slowing to look at things, and usually passing people walking and holding hands or pushing strollers. A pretty good pace, I think, but not short of breath or breaking a sweat. Without seeing me, I know this is hard to judge, but am I PROBABLY choosing the right one if I choose 2.5 miles an hour the leisurely pace?

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    The best way to know if you're choosing the right speed is to know how long and how far you're walking. Are you tracking the distance?
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
    edited June 2018
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    The best way to know if you're choosing the right speed is to know how long and how far you're walking. Are you tracking the distance?

    Yes, I know both, but just enter the minutes I walk as opposed to the distance since its already there when I choose one. It has been so long since I have been on a treadmill that I can't remember how many calories I burn in two hours at any speed which is how long I usually walk every night, and that is between four and five miles in that two hours. Like tonight it said I burned 441 calories when I walked two hours and ten minutes straight at a continuous pace. I chose the 2.0 mph to get that entered into my exercise. Could I really have burned that many calories walking in that amount of time if I weigh 180 lbs?
  • lolly2414
    lolly2414 Posts: 186 Member
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    If you walk 4 miles in 2 hours then you are walking 2 miles per hour. Therefore, the slow pace would be appropriate. If you walk 5 miles in 2 hours then you are walking 2.5 miles per hour and the leisurely pace would be the correct entry. If you walk 6 miles in 2 hours then you are walking 3 miles per hour (6 divided by 2).

    MFP sometimes overestimates calories burned, so eating half to two-thirds of your calories back is often recommended by those who have been here a long time. I usually assume if I walk at leisurely pace and it says I burned 300 calories, I probably really burned more like 150 to 200.
  • swimmchick87
    swimmchick87 Posts: 458 Member
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    I would go with 2.5. I walk on the treadmill sometimes and 3.0 is faster than most people would naturally walk outside, even when walking for exercise, IMO.

    I think mfp does tend to overestimate for calories burned, so I wouldn't suggest eating all of them back. You can see if you're losing at an appropriate pace and adjust from there.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph
  • TheMrWobbly
    TheMrWobbly Posts: 2,531 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Use the Map my walk app, it is another UA app so links directly with MFP, you put your weight in and it works out the calories based on distance and pace. Personally I think it is too generous on calories however it is a good indicator and allows you to track your walking history. I walk at 4.0-4.5 mph depending on the day / weather and I measure the walk using a different app to double check this and it was correct.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph

    This. Pace isn't really a factor for walking.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
    edited June 2018
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    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph

    This. Pace isn't really a factor for walking.

  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
    edited June 2018
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph

    This certainly is good to know because at 180 lbs, the equation says I should burn 223 calories in four miles. MFP doubled that at 440, and several online sources also said I should have burned 100 calories each mile. I thought 100 calories in a mile was over estimated, but then of course MFP could have been figuring that for a much heavier person. I don't know how the online references could have been off so much considering they used a weight chart.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
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    I think I will also go to the gym this week, and see what the treadmill says about my pace and what I burn in a mile.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    The difference between net calories and gross calories makes a big difference for long duration but low intensity exercise such as slow speed walking. That's not just a problem with the MFP database it also seems to apply to phone apps and the inflated estimates they give.

    Personally I would use a GPS phone app to measure your distance and then apply the formula given above which is for net calories and on level terrain.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    chandraminick wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph

    This certainly is good to know because at 180 lbs, the equation says I should burn 223 calories in four miles. MFP doubled that at 440, and several online sources also said I should have burned 100 calories each mile. I thought 100 calories in a mile was over estimated, but then of course MFP could have been figuring that for a much heavier person. I don't know how the online references could have been off so much considering they used a weight chart.

    100 calories a mile is generally a good estimate for a 150-180 lb person for running. not walking.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
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    Yes the last two comments make great sense. I do walk on flat terrain, and I think the distance is correct because it is a path made for recreation and is marked. I just solved this database issue by going in and creating an exercise for myself since it takes me 25 minutes to walk that one mile and burn 55 calories according to the equation. I'll just choose that exercise and adjust my entry according to it instead of trying to go by using a pace MFP gives.
  • Roobyzooby
    Roobyzooby Posts: 189 Member
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    I also use map my walk, the calorie burn is a bit on the high side. But it opened my eyes to how fast I actually walk.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
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    So, what I am certain of is that my green belt's walking path is a mile because it took me roughly the same amount of time to do it as a mile on the tread mill at the gym today. It did feel like my normal pace when I walked 2.1 mph according to the machine, but the machine also doubled the amount of calories I burned if he formula above is correct. So, I guess, I'll use the formula since exact isn't the mist mpotant thing here since I am eating at a defecit anyway.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,402 Member
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    If you want to know the distance then you could create a path in google maps. It's not completely accurate, but not completely off either.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
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    yirara wrote: »
    If you want to know the distance then you could create a path in google maps. It's not completely accurate, but not completely off either.

    I know the distance is right, but the amount of calories in MFP data base is incorrect which is what spawned all this.
  • chandraminick
    chandraminick Posts: 452 Member
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    lorrpb wrote: »
    The standard formula for walking calorie burn is bodyweight x .31 x miles.
    Not sure what pace is used, but I assume about 3mph

    I've found other equations online too. Where did you find this one?

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