question on calories burned while exercising....help, please

prettyelf
prettyelf Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
While exercising I have been using a pedometer to compare the calories burned to what MFP lists as calories burned. For example, I do 60 minutes of aerobics (on the wii, but title not listed here) and so I chose general aerobics. For 60 minutes, MFP says that it is almost 430 calories, but the pedometer reads out only 220 calories. Which is the correct one?????

I do not want to starve my body, or slow down the metabolism nor do I want to go over my calorie intake goal. How can I be sure I am recording the right one?

Please help. Thanks!

Replies

  • buffettgirl1
    buffettgirl1 Posts: 6
    I think I read somewhere that it said that if you know your calories burned, then use that number rather than what MFP suggests.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    I have found that MFP and the Wii are very close in the calculation of calories burned - of course they both have the same basic information to work with (age, height, weight and sex). Does your pedometer have the same information to work with? If not I would trust either MFP or the Wii for a close approximation. I track everything using the Wii and change the MFP calories to match. Whether they are right or not I can use them as a guide and I am seeing results.
  • prettyelf
    prettyelf Posts: 6
    ok. so, could the stall in weight loss be because I stopped using the correct calories. by going under the actual amount of calories burned has slowed the process down.

    now, admittedly, i am scared to go back up to the other amount (what wii and MFP show...which are very close in numbers). The pedometer only has the weight to be put in. The darn thing is confusing to me because i am not using it to count steps, even though it is considered step aerobics, but used only to count burned calories.

    ARRGGHHHH!!!!!! lol
  • amoffatt
    amoffatt Posts: 674 Member
    I use my HRM because MFP was giving me either too many calories or sometimes not enough. I finally broke down and used one so I would have a more accurate number.
  • prettyelf
    prettyelf Posts: 6
    ah, stupid question...HRM?
  • lunalulu2
    lunalulu2 Posts: 63 Member
    HRM= heart rate monitor

    A pedometer is only for counting steps walking so would not be accurate for aerobics
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    While exercising I have been using a pedometer to compare the calories burned to what MFP lists as calories burned. For example, I do 60 minutes of aerobics (on the wii, but title not listed here) and so I chose general aerobics. For 60 minutes, MFP says that it is almost 430 calories, but the pedometer reads out only 220 calories. Which is the correct one?????

    I do not want to starve my body, or slow down the metabolism nor do I want to go over my calorie intake goal. How can I be sure I am recording the right one?

    Please help. Thanks!

    The 220 sounds very low. That's about the calorie burn I'd expect from walking less than 3mph for an hour. 430 sounds about what I'd burn if I jogged at a fairly slow 4.5mph for an hour. So... what kind of effort did you put into the workout? Were you giving the kind of effort you'd give walking, or jogging, or somewhere between the two?

    (HRM is Heart Rate Monitor)
  • prettyelf
    prettyelf Posts: 6
    ha, that makes sense!

    Thanks.

    So, can you tell me more about the HRM?
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'd second the HRM idea..i recently got a Polar and I love it..it has a chest strap and watch and accurately sends the data to the watch..
  • SteveHunt113
    SteveHunt113 Posts: 648 Member
    There's a lot to be said for HRM's. Most people (myself included) think it's best to get one with a chest strap. These seem to be more reliable. They usually require you to but in some basic information about yourself. Once it's all setup, the HRM will use your personal information, along with your heart rate, to calculate the approximate number of calories you are burning.

    Something I have not looked into, that is probably worth the investigation, is if you need to subtract calories that you would have normally burned during the same time period you are exercising. It makes sense that you would, but so far, I have not.

    My HRT is a Polar FT7.
  • prettyelf
    prettyelf Posts: 6
    i put a good effort into the aerobics. Not seriously out of breath anymore, and not as sweaty as I was in the beginning, but i am doing this for an hour 6 days a week. The calorie counter for the Wii aerobics that I use, shows that I burn roughly 300 to 340 calories in that hour.
  • diggly
    diggly Posts: 29 Member
    I second the HRM unless your pedometer has your profile.

    I use the elliptical machine which had a reading of 250 without me keying in any profile particulars while MFP says 350. Well, after purchasing the HRM, both were way lower than what I actually burned so I was previously undereating without realizing it.
  • prettyelf
    prettyelf Posts: 6
    The HRM seems to be the way to go here. Sounds like a lot of people feel that it is more accurate. But, the choices are the chest strap or the watch. Is the chest strap comfortable? is the watch just as accurate?

    Where would be the best place to purchase one?

    P.S. Thanks to everyone for your input and help!:bigsmile:
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    It's a chest strap that comes with a watch..the ones with the chest straps are more accurate..I got mine on Amazon :)

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