Machine Readings vs MFP

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caitden15
caitden15 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I joined my fitness pal awhile back and am just now starting to stick with it. I know, I know, but better late than never right? I wanted to know what is the most accurate way to get my calories burned amount. Sometimes the elliptical or treadmill say one thing but when I enter my exercise MFP will give me a different #. Which one is more accurate?

If the machine lets me put in my age and weight I do but the numbers still don't always match up. I want to be sure I'm not cheating myself or, on the other hand, think I am burning way more than I really am. Please Help!!!

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  • MrCook49
    MrCook49 Posts: 17 Member
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    Great question! I've been wondering the same thing. I've been entering the calories burned that show on my monitor, rather than what MFP says. The monitor I have calculated calories burned by the heart rate. MFP is always lower in my case. Like you, I don't want to cheat myself or record falsely. I would think the machine reading would be more accurate, but it would be nice to know for sure.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    i had the same problem when i first started and until i got a hrm to know what i actually was burning. for me i wasn't able to put in my info into the treadmill and the treadmill showed i was burning double what i really was. With mfp i was still burning too much for what i was but less then what my treadmill was showing. so if you are really unsure, i would cut mfp's by 1/4 to a 1/2 of what it says...
  • meg0013
    meg0013 Posts: 102
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    buy a HRM if you really want to know accurate calorie burn. the machine is always higher than what i burn. MFP can be close for some things, and way off for other things.
  • belliott08
    belliott08 Posts: 31
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    I totally know what you mean! MFP says one thing & the machine will say another. I recently started seeing an exercise therapist & he recommended I get a heart rate monitor with a calorie counter to better track these things. I was able to find one "like new" on amazon for $13 & it has been working great!!! I typically burn more then MFP says but less (or close to the same) as the machine says. Look into one, they are really nice to have!!! Good luck!

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