calories burnt running...

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emtess123
emtess123 Posts: 26
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a strong suspicion that MFP severley over estimates the amount of calories you burn during exercise...

For example tonight i took the dog out through the countryside (woods, farmers fields etc) i was out for 55 mins and did a mixture of walking and jogging. I'm a new runner and find it very hard so i basically walked for 10 mins to warm up, ran as much as i could and walked when i felt like i couldnt go any further then walked the last few minutes home :laugh: i made sure i ran up the hills and on steep hills i ran as fast as i could, it did get easier as i went on and found that i only had to walk for 30 seconds - 1 minute before i continued jogging.

I dont think i ran particulaly fast but at points felt like i couldnt breathe... unfortunatly i dont own any equipment to test my heart rate or tell the amount of calories i burned so it is purely estimations, as i did 55 mins of walking and jogging and if i had to take a wild guess id say about 25-30 mins was spent walking (some power walking) and the rest running (but that really is a stab in the dark) so i logged in here that i did 30 minutes of 5mph jogging, it says i burned about 370 cals...

What im asking is do you think this sounds about right? Im 22, female and weigh about 170lbs obviously i know there are so many things to factor like the ratio of running to walking, hills, what the ground was like, what my fitness level is etc but what MFP have given me seems awfully high!

How much do you guys burn when out jogging and how fast do you run? :smile:

ETS - sorry, i tell a lie, it was 317 calories! :laugh:

Replies

  • brbetha01
    brbetha01 Posts: 179 Member
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    If anything, that sounds extremely low for calories burned if you went for almost an hour and was breathless a majority of the time. Plus it sounds like you did interval training which helps burn more. With some of the exercise/calories burned option on MFP - they are close to dead-on and with others either extremely high or low. It might be worthwhile for you to invest in a HRM so you can really know. Good luck and keep up the hardwork.
  • audram420
    audram420 Posts: 838 Member
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    get a HRM...it's so worth it!! I run/jog at 4.2mph pace for 30 mins and according to my HRM I burn about 350-450 cals pretty consistantly!! I find that for me, MFP underestimates the cals I burn.
  • jessbennett1986
    jessbennett1986 Posts: 243
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    That sounds accurate. Think of it this way, every 10 min you jog, you burn approx. 100 calories. If you have a smart phone there are applications you can use that are free that use gps to help you determine your calories burned. I have jogstats that I use and it tells me that I actually burn more calories than what MFP says, so I go by that since gps is a little more accurate. I usually run 6 mph for 40 min and burn around 450 calories and I am 142 lbs. Add me as a friend if you want :)


    Also, about every mile you run you burn 100-125 cals.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    5mph is a 12min mile, I've found that I really don't run that fast MOST of the time.

    The more variable type of exercise you do the more important the HRM is. Otherwise it's a ballpark estimate and I never eat back more than half my exercise calories because of that. Some exercises here under estimate and some over estimate. It's so hard to know it's just a place to start until you can get a HRM.
  • MrsH06
    MrsH06 Posts: 159
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    This is why I try really hard not to eat back my exercise calories. I also do not have a HRM and I put in for the same running and time as you and got the same. I think it is high.
  • sarahtroupe
    sarahtroupe Posts: 164
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    WELL I AM A RUNNER AND I NOW WEIGH 157 I RUN FOR 60 MIN STRAIGHT EVEN IF IT IS 5.0 I BURN ALMOST 1000 CAL...WHEN I WAS 170 I BURNED MORE...SO IT SOUNDS RITE TO ME HOPE THIS HELPS:)
  • inspiration345
    inspiration345 Posts: 218 Member
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    It seems correct for 50 minutes of heart-panting workout.
  • mikioi
    mikioi Posts: 86 Member
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    I bought a HRM and when logging in to MFP the calories burnt was actually less than what i actually burned so i changed it. I love my heart rate monitor. It def worth the buy
  • nalia08
    nalia08 Posts: 252
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    I think that sounds about right. Going up hills your body has to work twice as hard and the length of time walking plays a role.
  • maniv01
    maniv01 Posts: 12
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    Most of the time you can safely say that 100 per mile doesn't matter how fast or slow you. I Also recommend getting some kind of heart rate monitor with calorie counter. It's more accurate...
  • queenmegan
    queenmegan Posts: 73
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    I run on my treadmill and it will tell me how many calories that I have burned... when I go to log it in, I always have to change the calories burned that automatically shows up. The calories provided by MFP are almost always higher than my actual burn.
  • emtess123
    emtess123 Posts: 26
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    Wow thanks for the replies! I'll keep it at what it is then for now! I'd rather under estimate my calories burned anyway so im not sneaking over without realising,but good to know some ball part figures for running as i dont have a clue :laugh:

    I think its definitely worth purchasing a heart rate monitor after reading all your replies!

    And yes it was rather like interval training in that i'd run untill my heart was pounding then walk until it slowed down slightly and i'd caught my breath, then start running again, my heart rate stayed high for the whole time anyway which is what i wanted! Some of the hills i ran up were fairly steep as well and i ran as fast as i could and made sure i got to the top!

    Going to keep doing this until eventually i can go the whole time running without stopping :smile:
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
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    When I run I usually do anywhere from a 6-7mph pace, and the MFP is about the same as what my bodybugg says, it's usualy 12 calories per minute, and I weigh 162 currently.
  • Ebbykins
    Ebbykins Posts: 420 Member
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    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html You learn something new everyday! Theres a neat formula on the bottom to help you calculate calories burned during running/walking.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I see a few number here that look a little high.

    At ~ 175 lbs, I burn ~ 125 per mile. Pretty much the same whether I run 9 minute miles or 6:30 miles.

    I can burn 1,000 per hour (8 miles @ 7:30 pace), but you need to be fairly fast to pull it off.
  • emtess123
    emtess123 Posts: 26
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    Thanks for the replies everyone! Been very helpful! :smile:
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    MFP does over estimate on some exercise, but I find it fairly accurate for running these days, if I put in a slower speed than I actually went. So I log all my runs as 6mph, even though I do more like 7mph, and the calorie count comes out within 30 cals one way or the other of my HRM.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    WELL I AM A RUNNER AND I NOW WEIGH 157 I RUN FOR 60 MIN STRAIGHT EVEN IF IT IS 5.0 I BURN ALMOST 1000 CAL...WHEN I WAS 170 I BURNED MORE...SO IT SOUNDS RITE TO ME HOPE THIS HELPS:)

    Sorry-at your weight, running @5 mph for an hour will burn about 550 to 650 calories. If you are using an HRM, either you have it set up wrong (most likely max HR too low), or your HRM is inaccurate.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    WELL I AM A RUNNER AND I NOW WEIGH 157 I RUN FOR 60 MIN STRAIGHT EVEN IF IT IS 5.0 I BURN ALMOST 1000 CAL...WHEN I WAS 170 I BURNED MORE...SO IT SOUNDS RITE TO ME HOPE THIS HELPS:)

    Sorry-at your weight, running @5 mph for an hour will burn about 550 to 650 calories. If you are using an HRM, either you have it set up wrong (most likely max HR too low), or your HRM is inaccurate.

    I agree. I'm 230 and at a 9 minute mile, I burn just over 1000 calories in an hour.

    MFP or any calculator is nothing more than an estimate which is better than taking a wild guess. If using a good HRM, make sure that your age, sex, height, weight are set up correctly. Also if the option exists do a fitness test or whatever the HRM uses to calculate your max and training heart rate zones.

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