Someone explain to me

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eddyr2007
eddyr2007 Posts: 6 Member
edited March 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
If I burn 573 calories on the treadmill do I want to replace the burnt calories or not?

Example - im on 1900 cal a day hoping to lose 1kg a week. If I burn 500 calories do I aim to get 2400 calories?

Also why does my heart monitor app (wahoo fitness) say I burn more calories than the machine does? Its usually a 200-300 calorie difference. Thing is, the wahoo fitness app has all my details like my weight, height, etc. Whereas the treadmill does not.

What do u guys think of my macros? 45% protein 25% fat 30% carbs. My goal is to lose weight (body fat) but not my muscle.

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  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,217 Member
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    By MFP's model, yes you get credit for exercise calorie burned, assuming you're not taking credit for intentional exercise when you selected your activity level.

    However, both heart rate monitors and exercise equipment numbers can have questionable accuracy. Most users find that eating back a portion of their measured or estimated exercise calories works best for them; YMMV. The best course of action is to pick one method, stick to it for a few weeks, and see what the data says. For example, if you stay with the machine number and you lose weight more quickly than expected, the higher number from your app is likely more accurate, etc.

    Of course, this is all predicated on logging accurately and precisely.

    Good luck!
  • RunnerGrl1982
    RunnerGrl1982 Posts: 412 Member
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    Hi there.

    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories back. So yes, if you burned 500 calories on the treadmill, you would want to eat those calories to keep you fueled properly. With that said, it's probably best to start out by eating a portion of those calories back and track over a month long period to see whether you are losing as expected. Exercise machines can notoriously over estimate calorie burn, which is why some people only eat 50% of those exercise calories, until they have a better idea of how accurate a calorie estimate you are getting.

    I can't answer your question regarding the heart rate monitor, as I don't have any knowledge on the Wahoo fitness app and its accuracy..

    Macros, you can play with and see what combination suits you, but the MFP defaults are generally fine as is. You don't have to track macros unless you wish to for specific reasons. That is a personal preference that only you can decide on based upon your level of exercise/intensity and diet.

    Best of luck!
  • eddyr2007
    eddyr2007 Posts: 6 Member
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    Okay so if the machine says i burnt 200 but my heart rate monitor says i burnt 509 what is the happy medium? I agree about being refuelled especially since I work so hard I begin to crave junk food.
  • confidenceinrain
    confidenceinrain Posts: 104 Member
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    eddyr2007 wrote: »
    Okay so if the machine says i burnt 200 but my heart rate monitor says i burnt 509 what is the happy medium? I agree about being refuelled especially since I work so hard I begin to crave junk food.

    Is the machine calibrated to your weight?

    If not, start by eating back half of the ones from your heart rate monitor and see if you lose as expected over the next several weeks. If you lose faster than expected, eat back a higher % of your exercise calories.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member
    edited March 2019
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    confidenceinrain wrote: »
    eddyr2007 wrote: »
    Okay so if the machine says i burnt 200 but my heart rate monitor says i burnt 509 what is the happy medium? I agree about being refuelled especially since I work so hard I begin to crave junk food.

    Is the machine calibrated to your weight?

    If not, [bold]start by eating back half of the ones from your heart rate monitor[/bold] and see if you lose as expected over the next several weeks. If you lose faster than expected, eat back a higher % of your exercise calories.

    I agree with this. But if at the end of the day you’re truly still hungry, give yourself a 100 calorie snack. It’s hard to keep up a fitness routine at too big a deficit, and it’s also challenging to know exactly how may calories you actually burned during exercise.

    Figuring out a healthy balance shouldn’t feel like a punishment - living like it is isn’t sustainable.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    eddyr2007 wrote: »
    Okay so if the machine says i burnt 200 but my heart rate monitor says i burnt 509 what is the happy medium? I agree about being refuelled especially since I work so hard I begin to crave junk food.

    The happy medium is a happy medium. Try eating that and see how things go.

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