Gauging actual calorie burn

anjukins
anjukins Posts: 103 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
So...

I've been logging some very quick (20-60 min) exercises here for two days, and it seems like the amount of calories I'm supposedly burning (according to mfp) couldn't possibly be accurate. For instance, it gave me the same amount of calories burned for bowling as it did for jogging- no way. And I rode a stationary bike today for just over an hour- the machine said I'd burned about 410 cals, which the trainers at the gym say is a very, very generous number- but mfp credited it with over 650. So what am i supposed to believe? and how am i supposed to accurately gauge what I'm doing? Also, I'm really struggling with this "eat back your calories" thing-- there's no way in heck that I'm adding 650 calories to my regular dinner... anyway, just looking for guidance...

thanks! xo

Replies

  • quitmakingexcuses
    quitmakingexcuses Posts: 906 Member
    Your best bet would to just buy a heart rate monitor. It will tell you exactly how many calories you burn without and question.
  • amyschaefer
    amyschaefer Posts: 80
    I never eat back all my calories. I know mfp is overestimating my calories especially since I have to enter that I run a 12 minute mile when I actually run about a 15 minute mile. I eat closer to 1200 calories when I don't exercise and 1500 when I do which is most days. I ignore what it says about my exercise calories.
  • SamMorBelsmom
    SamMorBelsmom Posts: 164 Member
    Just from personal experience, you need to eat the calories it tells you to. I lost ten lbs awhile ago and then I couldn't lose anymore for the life of me. I got my diet looked at by a nurtritionist and she told me that I wasn't eating enough calories and my body had gone into starvation mode. She told me to eat all of my exercize except for 100 calories of it. So on days that I burned two hundred calories I would add one hundred. That week that I did that, I lost 3 lbs. Seriously, you have to feed your body to make it work correctly.
  • MadeOfMagic
    MadeOfMagic Posts: 525 Member
    Your best bet would to just buy a heart rate monitor. It will tell you exactly how many calories you burn without and question.
    [/quote
    That's what I had to do ^^^
    On amazon you can get one with awesome comfortable sensor that goes around your chest for $37, and you get free 5-8 day shipping, if you need link I can give it to you otherwise find one suitable for you, make sure it can calculate your average heart rate during exercise, message me if you need the link.

    Once you have average heart rate- go to this site's calculator (just scrawl down past the big add and there is perfect accurate calculator (it's calculates based on the formula that you can find on the web, but use calculator it's easy!): http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/
  • cynthinco
    cynthinco Posts: 3 Member
    I think the only way you can get an accurate total of calories burned is to use a heart rate moniter that shows calories burned.As far as eating calories burned-I am trying to lose weight so I would not eat those calories,the calories burned is what causes me to lose weight.:noway:
  • anjukins
    anjukins Posts: 103 Member
    Thanks, guys. I'll get a hrm, that's a great idea, and I didn't know about it before.
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