Treadmill/calories burned

nik1970
nik1970 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 9 in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I was wandering if anyone had any advice on how to figure calories on treadmill without using heart monitor. I hope to get a heart monitor soon. How accurate are the treadmills on figuring calories? I read somewhere that they estimate it based on a person that weighs around 154 pounds. I weigh 150 now and i walk at a pace of 3.5 to 4.0 MPH and an incline of 7 to 10. My heart rate according to the treadmill is getting up as high as 159 but ranges between 120 to 145. For instance today i walked 30 minutes and it said i burned 300 calories, is this a fair estimate or too high? I am sweating quite alot! Appreciate any advice ...Thanks
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Replies

  • Cindym82
    Cindym82 Posts: 1,245 Member
    Most tredmils when you press manual setting you can input your actual weight
  • relledge
    relledge Posts: 31
    300 calories seems a little high for a 30 minute walk but with if you are walking at a 7-10 incline then it is possible to burn that many. But like moodyc82 said if you use the manual mode you can put your weight in...
  • jrusso28
    jrusso28 Posts: 249 Member
    Sounds about right.
    Obviously it depends on how hard your working out.
    A good rule of thumb is 300 calories per 30 minutes.

    I use my heart rate monitor all the time and for me its 300/30
    Higher when I push myself and lower when I'm slacking off...
  • marine0231
    marine0231 Posts: 5 Member
    I live on cardio machines and that sounds about right.
  • taraaababy
    taraaababy Posts: 3 Member
    300calories seems a little high, I run 30mins (5mins/km) and burn 300calories, from what i research when walking its .5calorie every minute give or take - so think it would be around 150calories for the half hour you walked. Just based on my experience with the treadmill
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    If the treadmill doesn't ask for your weight, and ideally your sex too, you might be better off with MFP's estimates, as the calories burned at a given speed for a given time are relatively consistent for a given weight.
  • DC0hen
    DC0hen Posts: 47 Member
    6 of one/ half dozen of another.

    I think that anything that takes more of your individual characteristics is going to be the most accurate.

    It is hard for a treadmill to tell you how much you burned without:

    1. Measuring constant/accurate heart rate
    2. Height and weight
    3. Age

    I think as long as your on there consistently, your going to burn calories.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    I'm m, 37, 249lbs and my usual starter at the gym is 30 mins on the treadmill at 3.5mph and an incline of 3-5. HR goes between 120 and 145. I usually get a reading of about 250 cals burned in 30 mins. Even though you're lighter than me I can imagine that with the speed on 4 and the incline up that high you probably are burning somewhere between 250 and 300 cals per 30 mins.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Walking calories burned per mile by weight and pace is usually pretty accurate, because treadmill tests are the most used in labs.
    So correct the weight, hopefully age can be put in.

    If not, MFP or many sites use the same database figures, and for walking, much more accurate.

    That would not apply if VERY out of shape, and it was much more effort for you than avg person at that weight.
    Or really in shape, and hardly any effort compared to avg person at that weight.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I go by distance. It's approximately 100 calories per mile. You can add a few more for the incline. 50? Maybe. If you did 2 miles in the 30 minutes, then 300 is a good guess. 2 miles would have been an average speed of 4 miles per hour.
  • MountainMia
    MountainMia Posts: 242 Member
    Incline adds resistance and your heartrate is in the right range to burn 300 cals in 30 of walking the incline. I say it's pretty close if not right on.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    The rule of thumb that i have heard is 1 mile equals 100 calories however, my new HRM finally came last night so i'm going to see tonight if i've actually been logging correctly.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The rule of thumb that i have heard is 1 mile equals 100 calories however, my new HRM finally came last night so i'm going to see tonight if i've actually been logging correctly.

    Depends on your fitness level.
    Despite 2 weeks sick and no exercise, went on decent pace walk tonight outside, 3.7 mph, for 3 miles. Polar with all stats correct, not calculated, showed - 233 cal.

    Because I just could barely get HR up to 100, didn't lose much of aerobic base over 2 wks.

    MFP for 3.5 mph setting shows 268, so not to far off for walking, but I'm probably more fit than avg the formula was based on.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    bump
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    What do you all think about this treadmill calculator http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/ ?
    You can enter your weight but not your age nor your gender.
    For me, it gives the same number as my treadmill's data. On my treadmill, I can't enter any stats (weight,age, gender) and my HRM is crap. So, it's confusing. I guess I'm burning about 40%-50% less than what it says.
  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
    Aprox 100 calories per mile
  • nik1970
    nik1970 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks for all the comments! :) It's really hard to know for sure, guess i will just keep working out and eating right and we will see eventually if I'm doing right! I am trying to up the intensity and endurance.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    OMG, I wish 100 calories per mile or 300 calories per 30 minutes

    Takes me 75 minutes to burn 300 calories.

    Its different for everyone, according to how fit you are, your height and weight.
  • c_gilmore
    c_gilmore Posts: 9
    I do intervals on the treadmill and use an HRM for 30 mins- it says I burned 483 calories. My heartrate was at 75- 80% (168-179 bpm) the majority of the time. Is it possible the HRM is incorrect? I know when I'm done, I'm drenched in sweat.
  • Brangeee
    Brangeee Posts: 1
    Yeah that sounds about right, 300 cal in 30 minutes if you're on incline...
    When I have the energy and motivation I walk on incline between 8% and 12% for 85 minutes and I once burned 800 calories.
    Another day I walked 75 minutes only on a low incline and burned 600 cal.
    Needless to say I was pooped, drenched with sweat and the skin on my feet was missing.

    Totally worth it.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I'm 5'4", 142 pounds, and 35 yo. I burn 300 calories running at 6 mph for 30 minutes.
  • danihonline
    danihonline Posts: 26
    You will never get an accurate calorie, but close. You can pick up heart rate monitors anywhere for relatively cheap. I got one the other day for $30 at Walgreens. This is the only way to really know as everyone's fitness level is different no matter what your weight is
  • smcolton
    smcolton Posts: 78
    I found this on Yahoo news yesterday. Not sure how acurate it is?????

    You can also get a rough estimate of how many calories you’re burning per mile of running by multiplying your weight by 0.75. Multiply your weight by 0.53 for an estimate of calories burned per mile of walking.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    I do intervals on the treadmill and use an HRM for 30 mins- it says I burned 483 calories. My heartrate was at 75- 80% (168-179 bpm) the majority of the time. Is it possible the HRM is incorrect? I know when I'm done, I'm drenched in sweat.

    What kind of HRM do you have? Some of them are crap! Mine is (Timex)! it tells me I burn 600 cals when in reality, I burn 100-150 cals.
    If you can't enter all your stats in your HRM (weight, age, gender, VO2 max), then don't trust it.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    You will never get an accurate calorie, but close. You can pick up heart rate monitors anywhere for relatively cheap. I got one the other day for $30 at Walgreens. This is the only way to really know as everyone's fitness level is different no matter what your weight is

    Don't even bother with a cheap HRM. Read my previous post.
  • noexcuses84
    noexcuses84 Posts: 100 Member
    Most tredmils when you press manual setting you can input your actual weight
    agreed. if u have a treadmill that allows this, do it. but 300/30 seems bout right to me, obviously its different for everyone and the more weight u have to lose the more u will burn to start with.
  • HBinOC
    HBinOC Posts: 78 Member
    I am the same weight - I do 30 min ( 3-4 incline ) and go about 6.3 pace fast walking- and get 300 calories as well.
  • ashleylucas21wechanged
    ashleylucas21wechanged Posts: 42
    When I can't make it to the gym I try running at home. My treadmill at home is super old and left on incline because it's bolted. I cannot accurately measure anything so I use this:

    http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/

    Treadmills at the gym should be fairly accurate - like everyone's been saying it depends on how old you are, weight, and level of fitness. There is no rule of thumb.
  • c_gilmore
    c_gilmore Posts: 9
    I do intervals on the treadmill and use an HRM for 30 mins- it says I burned 483 calories. My heartrate was at 75- 80% (168-179 bpm) the majority of the time. Is it possible the HRM is incorrect? I know when I'm done, I'm drenched in sweat.

    What kind of HRM do you have? Some of them are crap! Mine is (Timex)! it tells me I burn 600 cals when in reality, I burn 100-150 cals.
    If you can't enter all your stats in your HRM (weight, age, gender, VO2 max), then don't trust it.

    It is a sportline from Walmart $30--I did input my age and gender but not my weight.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    It is a sportline from Walmart $30--I did input my age and gender but not my weight.

    That's wild. I never heard of one leaving weight out but doing those two stats. Usually the other way around.

    Well, no matter, not a great estimator anyway, but I think leaving out weight would lead to more inaccuracy than age or gender.

    If it gives you an avg HR during the workout, you can take that info here and get a fairly accurate calorie burn, depending if you know your VO2max or not.

    http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm
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