Anyone else think calories burned are overestimated?

emmab0902
emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering if the calories burned during exercise on MFP are set too high?

Replies

  • loubulou2209
    loubulou2209 Posts: 62
    I always wonder and try not to eat them back because you aren't ever sure. I was looking at getting a HRM though; they're meant to be a lot more accurate.
  • tiggerfan
    tiggerfan Posts: 71
    I use a HRM with cals burnt part, so I only go by that
  • moushtie
    moushtie Posts: 371 Member
    I find some of them to be a bit high for me, compared with what the machines at the gym tell me. I find the ones that have actual speeds on them to be fairly accurate, such as the walking and running speeds. The ones that use words such as "moderate" and "light", I either edit down, or just be aware that the exercise is an approximation.
  • vanessaclarkgbr
    vanessaclarkgbr Posts: 731 Member
    For walking - yes for sure. Pretty confident that they are over on cross trainer and treadmill too. I do eat some exercise cals back (not getting into that debate lol) but I tend to leave myself a deficit of around 100 to make up for any overestimate on the exercise - or you can get an HRM.
  • natboosh69
    natboosh69 Posts: 277 Member
    Personally, I just use it as a rough guide because it's unlikely to be 100% correct!

    I think as long as you're losing weight, those numbers are good motivation to stay on track :)
  • dckim
    dckim Posts: 311 Member
    Yes, it seems about 30% higher compared to some other cal burned calculators. This may hamper weight loss thinking it's ok to eat as much burned. :frown:
  • emmab0902
    emmab0902 Posts: 2,338 Member
    Yes, it seems about 30% higher compared to some other cal burned calculators. This may hamper weight loss thinking it's ok to eat as much burned. :frown:


    Hmm that's why I rarely eat many if any of my exercise calories.

    For those of you who use a HRM, are there certain models that will give you calories burnt, or do they all do this?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Yes, it seems about 30% higher compared to some other cal burned calculators. This may hamper weight loss thinking it's ok to eat as much burned. :frown:


    Hmm that's why I rarely eat many if any of my exercise calories.

    For those of you who use a HRM, are there certain models that will give you calories burnt, or do they all do this?

    Most models now will give you calories burned because its a popular feature. How accurate the estimation of the calories burned is though, depends on the HRM.

    Polar HRM's tend to be the most accurate at estimating calories burned. Timex, imo, is one of the worst at estimating calories burned.
  • katg100
    katg100 Posts: 12
    The MFP calories burned are about 35% higher than the HR sensors on the machines in the gym. I always change them to reflect the gym equiment. I am told by the gym staff though that these are rough estimates based on hight, weight and heart rate and are not 100% accurate. I am considering buying a HRM but not sure if they are accurate either.
  • mrselbow
    mrselbow Posts: 27 Member
    I've never used them - I use a Polar HRM and love it. I'd recommend getting one if you want to actually track exercise calories accurately.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Sometimes they are, and sometimes they are under. Everyone is individual. I change mine to read what the BodyBugg gives me for calories burned.
  • RickinNH
    RickinNH Posts: 73 Member
    For bicycling they have it broken out by hours and mph, and they seem to be on par with other websites' estimates. I assume the people who run this site are using the same publicly available research and information as everyone else.

    I do wish there was a way to measure calories burned for going up and down hills, as that is more work that riding on the flats, but even cycling-specific websites don't have that.
  • HappyLuna
    HappyLuna Posts: 112
    I found mine are under estimated. Now I have my HRM working again and I work out calories burned by my Average HR MFP was under estimating what I was burning! No wonder I have been so hungry! Anyway, I have felt much better this week knowing how much I am burning so I can eat back the correct amount. Still lost weight too :smile:
  • editara13
    editara13 Posts: 384 Member
    I don't worry that much if they are exact or not, all that matters to me is working out everyday and my body feels great :-) :-)

    3574379.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • jaygirl3
    jaygirl3 Posts: 320 Member
    For me, MFP gives me values that are 3 times what my hrm tells me. Infact i realised i was off course before i got the HRM using MFPs calculation
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    When things look a little high to me, I lower my minutes. :/
    For example, it tells me for competitive volleyball I burn over 800 for 90 minutes of playing (which I actually play 2hours) so even then I lower the minutes. It's a lot of movement but I can't imagine it's THAT much.
  • sweetiebelle
    sweetiebelle Posts: 332 Member
    Yes they are! I go by my pedometer. Hrm would be nice. Can't afford one of them
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
    I know they are for some people. For the first month I was using a combination of MFP estimates and my cardio machine estimates. Those estimates were pretty consistent so I figured they were likely accurate. Then I was surprised to learn when I got my HRM that my burn was about half of what I had been estimating. It was a good thing I wasn't eating back all those calories or I wouldn't have been making progress and would have been getting discouraged.

    However, when I posted a topic about this issue many people said their HRM was pretty right on with MFP estimates or even were higher. I think that burn is dependent on so many things that it's hard for an estimate to be accurate.
  • sandhillcrane
    sandhillcrane Posts: 301
    ya can't disagree with that pic ;)) nice going!
  • sandhillcrane
    sandhillcrane Posts: 301
    I completely agree and am so glad I am not the only one to think that! I don't eat back either.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    For me, they're way off. I wasn't losing weight eating them back, so I bought a FitBit and now use it to accurately calculate my burn. I maintain an exact 500 average daily deficit, so I technically eat back my exercise calories, just not what MFP says I burned.
  • NaCheezIt
    NaCheezIt Posts: 11 Member
    I have a hrm and I find that they are all too high except for circuit training, but I am really short, so that could be a factor :P
  • aussie_nic_getting_fit
    aussie_nic_getting_fit Posts: 134 Member
    Yes i am certain the calories burned for exercise are set to high.
    when i use machines at the gym the calories burned are displayed on the machine on completion of the workout.
    They are significantly lower that what MFP says i burned.

    Also It is difficult to guage exact calories burrned, as it depends on the intensity you workout.. IE boot camp, zumba, aerobics, walking ( are you a low pace, but walking UP hill).

    I think its best not to eat all of you calories burned, as i feel they are over estimated.. cheers
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
    I used to have a polar HRM and now I have a bodymedia, on both devices the calories burned ar much lower than those given to me on mfp. But to that extent, I used to use livestrong and the same thing.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    When things look a little high to me, I lower my minutes. :/
    For example, it tells me for competitive volleyball I burn over 800 for 90 minutes of playing (which I actually play 2hours) so even then I lower the minutes. It's a lot of movement but I can't imagine it's THAT much.

    I do this for the sports I play, too.
  • meliturtlee
    meliturtlee Posts: 81
    Honestly I don't like logging exercise calories. Diet is 80% weight loss, those calories are the most important. As far the exercise part, i just make sure I get my workout in and I actually go hard.
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
    I have always been told to take off 15% of the calories burned on machines at gym - maybe the same thing applies to MFP stats?
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    Yup. I use a Bodybugg to know what I burn during a workout as well as all day.

    God bless!
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    I have always been told to take off 15% of the calories burned on machines at gym - maybe the same thing applies to MFP stats?

    This is SOOO true.. during my cardio circuit, if I do it like I should.. the machines say I burn 700 calories. That SAME workout logs 539 on my Bodybugg, which is said to be more than 90% accurate.

    God bless!
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