How accurate is MFP ??

azzledazzle
azzledazzle Posts: 79
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there, I just want to know how you feel about the accuracy of the MFP logs.

When you input a meal, for example a homemade meal, Or when you track exercise how accurate are they ?

I do 15 mins on the exercise bike as a warm up, They bike tells me i have burned off 70 calories (approx) where MFP will say i have burned off 100 + calories (approx)

How do i know which is best ? should i always log the least amount to save me going over my limit ?

What are the Heart Rate Monitors like ? im thinking of investing in one, just to get an accurate reading instead of estimates. It could be having an impact on the amount of weight i am losing.

sorry for so many questions !

Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Honestly, the meals are as accurate as you put them in. I frequently add my own recipes, so I am careful to add only ingredients from the lists here on MFP that are accurate according to the labels on the foods I am eating. If you take the time to read your labels and research fresh foods and meats, the meals are very accurate.

    I don't use the exercise log on here. I don't count calories burned...my program that I am personally on just isn't like that. I count calories and do my workout and that's all. Perhaps someone else can comment on the exercise calories.
  • Tiffanydepiano
    Tiffanydepiano Posts: 169 Member
    I would count the calories burned that MFP gives you. It already knows your BMI and the bike most likely is a generalization. I am very obese and burn more calories than most people when exercising because it requires more effort. As your BMI changes so will your calories burned for any given exercise.
  • Angelabec
    Angelabec Posts: 505 Member
    I trust MFP, although I do double check the info with the food labels where I can. Everything is a bit of an estimate or generalization but I have been steadily losing accepting the values that MFP gives me.
  • fitnhealthyccthatsme
    fitnhealthyccthatsme Posts: 359 Member
    Hey there! We learn by asking questions :-)

    I agree with what's already been posted about the foods. You'll want to read labels for accuracy. If you dine out, try looking at a nutritional guide before going to any restaurant or fast food joint. If there isn't one available, pay close attention to what you eat so that it can be logged. (warning about eating out ~ high cal, high sodium). The accuracy of foods entered depends on how well the person was reading a label. I check my labels against what's been entered on MFP and if I find an error, I'll use the correction feature when asked if it's correct.

    When I use machines (i.e., treadmill, elliptical) during an exercise routine, I will enter my weight on the machine and use the calories it tells me I've burned. I read somewhere the machines are typically preset to a weight of 150 when showing calories burned if the user doesn't enter a weight.

    I've heard good things about HRMs. If you do a message board search for HRM or heart rate monitor. There's lots of comments and suggestions.

    Last thing, when I'm in doubt about a variance in calories burned or consumed, I typically take the more on food and less on exercise, just to stay within my limitations.

    Hope this helps.
  • RodgerBuckley
    RodgerBuckley Posts: 48 Member
    I don't think the exercise part of MFP is very accurate - it seems to over-estimate calories burned compared to other websites. For example, If I walk over the hill where I live, which is an average 3.4% gradient, my actual walking pace averages 4mph. In MFP I input say 32 minutes walking uphill at 3.5mph (the closest match I can find). However, if I map my route using MapMyRun, it gives me a far lower calorie figure. Using MFP it says I burn 254 calories, but MapMyRun says 161 calories. That's enough of a discrepancy to prove that at least one of them isn't that accurate.

    I've been under the impression that I'm eating my allowance and the extra calories from exercise, so my weight has barely moved and I still look and feel like a little fat old man. Now that I've started mapping my exercise in MapMyRun, I'm going to use the calories taken from there to see what difference it makes to my weight/size by the end of the coming week. In theory my weight should reduce by at least a few pounds because I'll be eating less of my exercise calories as there won't be as many. We'll see.

    For now, I'd say take everything you see on MFP and any other website as a 'guide' and adjust accordingly. I firmly believe that if you use a method and it works, stick with it. I'm still trying to find that method that works :(
  • Adrenaline_Queen
    Adrenaline_Queen Posts: 626 Member
    Hi,

    With the exercise, no, I always lower mine.

    I eat my cals 1,200 always, when I train I half my cals add that to my 1,200 then eat that.. I find if I do, I do loose weight and I feel good and dont think about food.

    HRM, yes get one, I have had one for over 2 years only just started using it, I know where to keep my self, people who dont use them dont like them..

    As I have been working out for 2 years without one, some people said I did not need one, but I am glad I use mine as I have found the point I need to keep to get the best out of my workout... Just read that and it makes no sense.. Sorry xx

    With the food, I go online and try and find out what everything is.. Then when I find several sites that have the same answer, I stick with that... OK, takes time, but worth it! xx After all, once you have it, you have it! xx

    Hope this helps xx
  • azzledazzle
    azzledazzle Posts: 79
    Thanks for all the replies people :D

    I will be sure to log my meals more carefully now, And i am definitely going to buy a HRM this week,

    Also i will put my weight in the machines at the gym for extra accuracy, I have been logging the lowest estimate with exercise and logging the highest calorie amount too. like mentioned above, This should avoid me going over my daily limit.

    Thanks again !! I love this place !
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    It is amazing how off the exercise is on here, but then again, it is all just a common logging system, and we all know everyone burns calories at a different rate.

    I use my HRM, and it is weird, some days it is bang on with the machines, others it is much higher. It all depends on the heart rate. I LOVE it.

    I am also at the point where 90% of the time I do not eat my exercise calories, and still seem to be losing fine. I am aware that this will change and I will need to change it up, but I have a lot of weight to lose, so for now I am doing what works.

    As for the foods. It is not so much that other people do not put them in accurately, it is that there is SOOOO much food out there in this world, that there are 100 variations to one food. I know for my pita bread alone, there are 6 options with 6 different nutritional values! I love that you can put your own recipes in and your own foods, I sometimes do that then name it alicia's whatever... Makes it easier! Good luck!
  • ElleC
    ElleC Posts: 37
    I use a HRM for the gym. I dont use the calorie guidelines for exercise on MFP because everybody is so different when it comes to what they burn.

    I eat my calories from exercise, because I am on my feet all day (and for 13 hour shifts ) and I get grumpy and fatigued if I dont eat. I think when I lose more, I wont be eating all of my calories back. I'll make that judgment call in the future.

    Everyone is different when it comes to eating back exercise calories. You'll see many debates about that on this board.

    Food - be as accurate as possible. I use MFP on my phone, and scan barcodes of foods on packaged products and then do some research to determine how much other items are, and input them as best I can.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    For the Food Logs I check MFPs listing against the actual food label for accuracy~ it's right about 60% of the time.
    If the food is something with multiple ingredients, I look up each one (like a salad) and enter it that way.

    Today I found something that was WAY off (by like 300 calories) and entered the item with the actual ingredients that I used and corrected it.

    Exercise Log~ I used to use MFPs before I got a HRM~ it WAY high on ALL of my exercises.
    Get a HRM~ you will NOT regret it! I just got a Polar FT7 from Amazon for $78. It is VERY easy to use~ you wear a stretchy strap around your rib cage at the bra line that has the sensor in it and a watch that receives the data.
    By using a HRM you will get the ACTUAL calories that YOUR BODY burns!!!

    Yesterday, I did the treadmill for just a few minutes to warm up and the machine and my HRM were 3 calories off~ that's the first time I used my HRM on a machine though. Someone here said that wearing your HRM on a machine causes BOTH of them to be inaccurate because they "Interfere" with each other~ not sure about that one.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    Regarding the exercise calories, I also agree that MFP seems to estimate towards the high side. I don't have a HRM yet, but the elliptical machine I use allows me to enter in my weight and age and to get the same number of calories burned in 45 minutes on the machine I have to enter closer to 34 minutes for elliptical on MFP. If you use equipment that estimates calories I would continue to use its numbers over MFP until you can get a HRM.
  • 500daysofshelby
    500daysofshelby Posts: 41
    I've found MFP actually UNDER-estimates the calories I burn when I work-out, and the machine OVER-estimates it. I actually looked for "calories burned calculator" in Google and clicked on the first result. It allows you to enter your current weight, and scroll down to whatever exercise you just did and put in how long you did the exercise for. I use a HRM in my gym classes for school, and if I walk briskly for 35 minutes it usually says I burned about 176 calories, and if I do the same thing on the treadmill and enter it into the calculator it usually says the exact same thing. So it does give a very accurate result.

    As for the food logging, I usually look at the label beforehand and make sure I log the exact same thing, unless it's a recipe not listed.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    I've found MFP actually UNDER-estimates the calories I burn when I work-out, and the machine OVER-estimates it. I actually looked for "calories burned calculator" in Google and clicked on the first result. It allows you to enter your current weight, and scroll down to whatever exercise you just did and put in how long you did the exercise for. I use a HRM in my gym classes for school, and if I walk briskly for 35 minutes it usually says I burned about 176 calories, and if I do the same thing on the treadmill and enter it into the calculator it usually says the exact same thing. So it does give a very accurate result.

    If you are referring to the "The Most Accurate Calories Burned Calculator" I just tried that with the numbers from my workout yesterday. My elliptical said in 45 minutes I burned 554 calories, MFP said 45 minutes equaled 702 calories and that website said I burned 890 calories. I'll stick with the elliptical's numbers versus risking going over my daily calories and stalling or gaining.
  • azzledazzle
    azzledazzle Posts: 79
    Hmmm ok.

    The barcode scanner is a great thing, I must start using this a lot more, As i use the mobile app a lot more than the website.

    As for HRM's There are some on ebay new for around £10 mark. Is this a cheap nasty one ? I think £60+ is really expensive for such thing.

    EDIT: who would have thought getting fit would be so difficult lol, I have been using the Gym equipment as my guide as this is always lower than MFP.

    And since i joined MFP i have never gone over my calorie limit.. Except that time i drank a bottle of whisky... only to find out there was 2000+ calories in it !!! SHOCKED
  • 500daysofshelby
    500daysofshelby Posts: 41
    I've found MFP actually UNDER-estimates the calories I burn when I work-out, and the machine OVER-estimates it. I actually looked for "calories burned calculator" in Google and clicked on the first result. It allows you to enter your current weight, and scroll down to whatever exercise you just did and put in how long you did the exercise for. I use a HRM in my gym classes for school, and if I walk briskly for 35 minutes it usually says I burned about 176 calories, and if I do the same thing on the treadmill and enter it into the calculator it usually says the exact same thing. So it does give a very accurate result.

    If you are referring to the "The Most Accurate Calories Burned Calculator" I just tried that with the numbers from my workout yesterday. My elliptical said in 45 minutes I burned 554 calories, MFP said 45 minutes equaled 702 calories and that website said I burned 890 calories. I'll stick with the elliptical's numbers versus risking going over my daily calories and stalling or gaining.

    Hmm. I think the calculation of some of the items on there are a little faulty, but I think it depends on which exercise you do. When you calculate walking and running I think it gives a more realistic result, versus when you put in say "chasing kids around". I don't really use it to calculate much other than walking/running and when I do dance classes (which end at 9:30 so even if it says I burned off 600 calories, I'm usually not hungry by the time my head hits the pillow, so I don't really worry about going over in that case.)
  • ltlane
    ltlane Posts: 120
    someone asked me the other day if i really thought i was burning 751 calories doing a hour workout i was logging. i said no not exactly but im sure i burn atleast 500, being my size and my effort. with that being said there is always going to be some issues with accuracy as far as mfp. i have my own personal logging notes i keep to get the big picture i always write according to mfp. so far mfp has been correct for me as far as the food and exercise. and by the way i do not eat back my exercise calories on a regular basis and when i do its less then half.. except for the weekends i tend to eat/drink em all :laugh:
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    MFP is very accurate for the average person. But few people are average. Your mileage may vary. But it's a good tool.
  • anna_b1
    anna_b1 Posts: 588 Member
    Like most others, I use MFP for my food logging (double check the calories/nutrition whenever I can), but I depend on my HRM for my exercise calories.

    I eat back half or all of my exercise calories depending on my day.

    MFP is a great vechicle for losing weight, but it can't stand on its own. I get help from wherever I can and it seems to be working.

    Good luck!
  • azzledazzle
    azzledazzle Posts: 79
    I never really eat back any of my exercise calories. Somedays after the gym when i have burned off 750+ calories, I dont use them, and when i complete entry, i can have anything from 200 - 1200 calories left.

    Is this a bad thing to do ?

    Less calories + more exercise = more fat burned ?? isnt that how it works ?
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
    I's a good starting plac e, but MFP tries to calculate your current weight into the equation. Everyone's pace, stride, HR-max etc are different, but if you start to branch out to other calualtirs and maybe an HRM you'll get a better feel for what you do burn. HRM is the most accurate.
  • azzledazzle
    azzledazzle Posts: 79
    are cheap HRM just as accurate as expensive ones ?

    Ive got my eye set on this one

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/K920D-PULSE-SONIC-HEART-RATE-MONITOR-WATCH-CHEST-STRAP-/180679806595?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Activity_Monitoring_MJ&hash=item2a115b0e83#ht_1067wt_1037

    it looks good, And has a good price too
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Ill speak for the Polar FT4 users.

    It's a decent price, seems very accurate and user friendly. I'd recommend it for anyone looking to get into it.


    As for the MFP exercise, the problems come for me when what you do has so many variables. I cite my Badminton - competitive. Does that mean singles, or double? Does it take downtime between points, between games, into account? When i logged it before it was like 1600 for 2 hours. I got my HRM, and the same thing for 2 hours did around 800.

    Get a HRM! :D
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