I am confused about exercise calories burned!

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xmandadollx
xmandadollx Posts: 69 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I bought a new elliptical this week. I work out and it tells me how many calories that I have burned but it doesn't have a way for me to enter my weight. Doesn't that mean that the number it gives me is inaccurate? So, I put in the amount of time that I worked out on MFP and it calculated a much higher number of calories burned, but it didn't take into account how strenuous my workout was, the resistance, etc. So, isn't that prone to error? After that, I decided to use an exercise burn calculator that asked me to enter my weight for calculation and ended up getting an amount that more than doubled the amount that my machine read. But, like MFP, it did not take resistance, speed, etc. into consideration. I am really confused by the discrepancies in the number of calories burned. I ended up putting the number that was on the machine because it was the lowest and I want to err on the safe side but I would really like to know which number is the most accurate. Does anyone know how to determine this?

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    HRM is the only way to go in that situation.
    I guess youll have to guess....i guess....
  • Cameronzmum
    Cameronzmum Posts: 10 Member
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    Those kind of things are inaccurate. Unless you have a way of inputting your weight resistance etc. Because you have to have one that allows you to use your current weight in order to be most helpful
  • Daphnemomof9
    Daphnemomof9 Posts: 130 Member
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    Neither of those can be really accurate. I really appreciate having my heart rate monitor so that I can monitor my calorie burn more accurately. If you ask me, that's the way to go. By using it, I have found that sometimes my workout is harder than what MFP would predict and sometimes it is easier. They can only do a general figure. It is something to go by, but you can't expect any of those options to always be right. :ohwell:
  • xmandadollx
    xmandadollx Posts: 69 Member
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    So, how does the heart rate monitor determine calories that burned? I am very ignorant with this :(
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
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    So, how does the heart rate monitor determine calories that burned? I am very ignorant with this :(

    From what I understand it calculates it based on my age, gender, weight, etc. and then with my heart rate :)
  • SteveTries
    SteveTries Posts: 723 Member
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    So, how does the heart rate monitor determine calories that burned? I am very ignorant with this :(

    From what I understand it calculates it based on my age, gender, weight, etc. and then with my heart rate :)

    This is correct other than the word 'calculate' should be replaced with 'estimate' - that said its likely to be more accurate than other forms of estimate. I always employ a degree of healthy skepticism and for the purposes of eating back exercise calories I only consume 50% of what those estimates suggest.
  • xmandadollx
    xmandadollx Posts: 69 Member
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    So, how does the heart rate monitor determine calories that burned? I am very ignorant with this :(

    From what I understand it calculates it based on my age, gender, weight, etc. and then with my heart rate :)


    So, the heart rate monitor determines calories for any exercise? I am so confused!
  • xmandadollx
    xmandadollx Posts: 69 Member
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    If anyone can help me, please message me. I am so frustrated :( If I need to get a HRM, I will. But, I don't want to buy something that I don't absolutely need and I know nothing about how this is going to estimate calories burned.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    Really, the estimates on here or on your machine are rough estimates and for someone who isn't an athlete, the difference aren't going to make or break you. It's not going to be off by HUNDREDS of calories, you know? IMHO, it's not worth stressing over.

    If you get a HRM, it can more accurately tell you how much you're burning because your heart rate going higher and into different zones is a true indicator of how hard your body is working.

    Probably for you, the calculations you are getting are pretty close, close enough to judge how you should be eating or how much more you need to work out.
  • seaglass2
    seaglass2 Posts: 192
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    I just purchased a Polar FT4 heart rate monitor based on reading threads here.

    You can google it to get a description and how it works. Basically you wear a band around your chest and it transmits your heart rate to a watch where you program in your age, weight, etc and it calculates how many calories you burned during your workout.

    Others are using a fitbit or bodybugg which you may also want to check out.
  • MogwaisGrandma
    MogwaisGrandma Posts: 196 Member
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    I have just ordered a HR monitor. I do not want to sabotage my work by eating back too many calories and I think this will be the most accurate way of telling me what I can safely have.

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