Doesn't feel like exercise?

Saaski · January 2017

I work partially from home as a writer, so I'm at my desk for hours at a time. I have a mini-elliptical that I use underneath my desk (this one here), just pedaling away while I work. I don't have an increased heart rate when I pedal, even for long periods; it's very light effort and not at all strenuous, but I am still doing it for hours at a time (two to three hours is fairly typical for me at a stretch).

I log this as "Stationary bike, light effort (bicycling, cycling, biking)" then halve my exercise calories. For instance, yesterday I biked for a total of 285 minutes during my work day. MFP said I burned 1300 calories for all that, which I then halved to 650 to eat back, in the event I want to/I'm hungry. But even allowing myself the option to eat that much back still feels like cheating? I feel like halving the caloric expenditure is too much, what with how I... don't really feel like I've exercised. I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't third the caloric expenditure for this particular activity instead.

For reference to my other activity, I also stretch daily, strength train every other day, and go to capoeira once a week, where I am always breathing hard with an elevated heart rate after a session. I do log those activities and eat back half my MFP calories.

I don't know, I just feel like in comparison the biking doesn't seem like all that much, even if I'm doing a lot of it. And I don't want to overeat or undereat by mistake. Thoughts?

TR0berts · January 2017

Pick an option - eat 100%, 50%, 33%, some other % back - and monitor what your weight does. If, in a month, your rate of loss is quite a bit different than expected, adjust. If not, then keep on keeping on.

StaciMarie1974 · January 2017

I can't really tell you how much it burns, but doing the cycling burns more than if you were just sitting there, feet firmly planted on the floor. TR0berts is right, that you can judge by results over the next 4-6 weeks and decide if you should eat more or less or keep it the same.

But to put it in perspective, look up your BMR and divide by 24. That is how much energy your body uses in an hour just to keep you alive. 650 divided by 285 = about 2.28 cals per minute. If this still seems like a lot to add for the level of work you feel you've put in, reduce it by your BMR per hour. As that is already counted in MFP's goal for you.

lightenup2016 · January 2017

Does the elliptical machine not have a calorie counter? Or does the company have a website with a calorie calculator for time using the elliptical? I have a Desk Cycle, and their website has a calculator.

Saaski · February 2017

lightenup2016, it has a calorie counter, but the general consensus is that machines (adn even MFP) tend to overestimate actual burns. If I was to believe the machine, I burned over 1200 calories for 3.5 hours or light pedaling!

I'm on the bike right now for example. In total I've biked 102 minutes so far. And the machine is telling me I've burned over 800 calories, while MFP, for "Stationary bike, light effort (bicycling, cycling, biking)" says I've burned 600 calories. That just seems very off to me.

StaciMarie1974, I looked up my BMR (used MFP) and it says my BMR is 1,391 a day. So dividing by 24, that means I burn 58 calories just to exist. So you're recommending that if MFP says I've burned 200 in an hour, to subtract 58, if I burned 400 in two hours to subtract 116, etc?

KatyBell164 · February 2017

Do you have a Fitbit or heart rate monitor - I would suggest getting one and basing calories burned on that

suzesvelte · February 2017

I would certainly not "eat back" all the calories MFP suggests for this exercise.

I reduce the cals I log for everything sporty I do compared to MFP suggested calories and dont eat back all of the ones I enter. I log my food pretty carefully and am losing at a steady rate of 2lb a week.

Yes, you can do a test few weeks, as others suggested - but without even doing that I am pretty sure you wont lose much weight if you credit sitting lightly turning your legs with such high calorie values!

rileysowner · February 2017

KatyBell164 wrote: »

Do you have a Fitbit or heart rate monitor - I would suggest getting one and basing calories burned on that

Fitbit would not register, or very likely not register these calories since the OP is sitting while doing this. As stated earlier, pick a percent, log your food carefully, and see how you are progressing in 4 weeks, then modify things based on actual results. Repeat.

Machka9 · February 2017

Personally, I use "Stationary bike, light effort (bicycling, cycling, biking)" when I do commercial intervals on my trainer (bicycle on device that holds my bicycle stationary so I can ride it inside).

By commercial intervals, I mean that I watch a TV station that has commercials. During the show, I ride at a moderate pace ... during the commercial, I ride flat out as hard as I can for the full duration of the commercial break. Then I "rest" by riding at a moderate pace during the show again ... and repeat for anywhere from 30 to 75 minutes.

And then, when I was losing weight, I ate half those calories back.

That worked for me.

If I had one of those under-desk things, I'd probably go with "Stationary bike, very light effort (bicycling, cycling, biking)" ... and then do as suggested above, try eating half your calories back for 3-4 weeks and see how things go.

pinksparklefairy · February 2017

The key is the length of time you are doing this. If you spend the day strolling around some large estate looking at flowers, it will not seem like exercise but the calories are very slowly adding up.

I would log this as very slow walking, which is probably about the equivalent effort to your under-desk pedaling. See what calories you get for that. Maybe 150 per hour is more accurate?

mactaffy428 · February 2017

I don't think it is burning much, to be honest. Biking requires you to use your core to keep balance, etc. I highly doubt that there is a lot of calorie burning going on here, sitting in a chair and moving your legs in this. Some, to be sure, and certainly more than just sitting, but not a lot if your heart rate doesn't go up.

callsitlikeiseeit · February 2017

personally, if your heart rate isnt going up at all, i wouldnt count it.

kind of like tapping your foot all day. sure, you might burn a few calories but its not enough to make a difference...

tkmcc85 · December 2018

Does anyone have an update on how they're counting calories on the InMotion Striders? I just got one today. I figure with the hardest standing workout (can talk in short sentences) I'll count 60% of the machine's calorie count, or use the MFP brisk walk cardio numbers for the minutes. For a standing, lesser workout while at my desk I'll use either 50% the machine's calories, MFP regular walking or most likely just use the Pedometer++ count to feed into MFP. If I ever use it sitting, I won't add any calories. Does anyone with more experience on these machines have any other suggestions?

mackfoo · December 2018

I have one at work which I pedal quite frequently. I don't count the calories though since my heart rate isn't really elevated. It's good for NEAT, but I don't think it's significant enough to count as exercise..

OHFlamingo · December 2018

I have the exact same elliptical! I can't use it under my desk, so I use it for dedicated workouts when watching TV, or when I'm on the phone. I get my heart rate up, and get nearly out of breath! I advance the tension one click every week. I do about an hour or at least 20 miles aday. I use the calorie and distance counter on the display for my exercise entries. I cannot use it standing, as I have balance issues and am a fall risk due to other issues. I try to eat back only around 25% of the calories burned. I also do half the time going in reverse to give all my leg muscles a workout. My weight loss rate has increased since I started using it, so I think I am correctly crediting my exercise calories. I had not been able to exercise at all for the last six years, spending the last one in a wheelchair. After a few surgeries and much therapy, I am now mobile with a cane or walker! This may not be the perfect machine for everyone, but I feel it can be a great addition to most people's exercise routine.

tkmcc85 · December 2018

Hope things continue to improve for you, OHFlamingo! I think I'm getting a good calorie count using the InMotion Strider while standing and using the Pedometer ++ step count to generate calories in MFP. I've been working from home over the past week and get several hours of standing time on the Strider. It's definitely a trick typing while exercising, but on the plus side it seems I'm having to work a lot of muscles all over to maintain balance. The motion is a bit jerky so it's an extra leg muscle workout to keep from pounding my knees on the bottom of the strokes. So far my weight seems to be matching the expected extra calories although it'll take a few weeks of this to get definitive results. I can't wait to bring this thing into work. I get enough ribbing from co-workers while actually using a stand-up desk (few use theirs once the novelty wore off). I can only imagine what they'll say when they seem me furiously pedaling, typing and conducting a conference call...

OHFlamingo · December 2018

Thanks, @tkmcc85! I do wish I could balance well enough to use it standing, as I used to love using the elliptical at the gym long ago.

Doesn't feel like exercise?

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