Friends exaggerating their workouts?

Myles_D23
Myles_D23 Posts: 51 Member
So not to sound snobby or a know it all, but was wondering if anyone else has noticed this on their friends list's. My girlfriend and I have seen a few friends realllllly going overboard on the types of exercises. "Burned 3200 calories doing xxx minutes of small activity" Whoa now, 3200??!! Now I'm all about working hard, but this seems a little extreme. Worse part is their friends are congratulating them on working that many calories. AGAIN I know there are some who truly work out and really bust it, but to me these friends seems like they are lying to themselves.

So should I say something to these friends when they post a ridiculous burning of calories,or wait till they complain they aren't getting the results?
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Replies

  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    Why would you care if others are lying to themselves?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Wait. If they have found something that works for them, then that's fine.
    If they start complaining about not losing weight, that's when I would ask about their activity level settings vs added activity.
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
    Yeah I saw a 3000 odd calorie burn on someones diary earlier, thought maybe they decided to stay up all night exercising or something lol.
    Assuming they are lieing though it doesn't really matter they are only lieing to themselves, in putting high calorie burn isn't going to make you thinner or fitter if you didn't do it LOL. Don't get why they do it though, if I was going to lie I just wouldn't be wasting my time doing this.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,393 Member
    And this affects me, how? I could not care less how many calories anyone else eats or burns. . . unless they ask for input, or start complaining, I pay no attention.
  • Boshnivay
    Boshnivay Posts: 74 Member
    i think that this website really overestimates calories burned... when i use the workout machines in the gym it tells me i burned XX number of calories, and i come back and enter the time i spent on a certain machine and it's like you burned LOTS of calories!!! and it's a lie so i just enter the calories that the gym thing tells me i burned :) also the activities you can enter are kind of subjective. for example, i can tell the website i did the stair climbing machine, but it doesn't know how hard or not hard i worked, but the machine i was on does, so i choose to follow that instead.
  • sunkisses
    sunkisses Posts: 2,365 Member
    This thread took a strange turn when I looked and saw you only have 7 friends. I think whoever you're talking about might catch on.
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
    I burned 3700 calories not caring about friends exaggerated workouts.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Why would you care if others are lying to themselves?

    ya...nosy nate! lol
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
    This thread took a strange turn when I looked and saw you only have 7 friends. I think whoever you're talking about might catch on.
    yeah his girlfriend is pissed!
  • jmulldome
    jmulldome Posts: 69
    I might call the person on their exaggeration, but I wouldn't worry about it.
    Exaggerating their workout is the same as neglecting to log in food they ate.....they are just lying to themselves, and in the end, they aren't doing themselves any favors.

    If they feel good about deceiving themselves, then far be it for you to dispute them.
    In the end, you might just want to delete them from your friends list.
    If they can't take this seriously, then you don't need them as part of your circle.
  • Rachiepie6
    Rachiepie6 Posts: 423 Member
    Some high burn are over a long period of time... i.e. a day at the zoo or whatever...
  • Cold_Steel
    Cold_Steel Posts: 897 Member
    Haha I see exaggerations all the time... I see medically impossible exaggerations... I had a friend on here that was 450ish lbs and they logged like 2 hours of hardcore swimming... All the time ...went for weeks doing that always 2 hours in whatever this person did and I never saw a lb lost post....

    Do I really care ? No ... Delete and move on. You can ask me anything, I really don't care. Lying to yourself only hurts you not the person on the friends list. Move on...

    If my math is right for my weight, height and age MFP exaggerates between 30ish% of most work outs. Last night treadmill machine said 140 calories, mfp said like 240, elliptical said 360 while mfp was at 500 so I usually just eat half the calories back or just reduce it by about 30%
  • kennethmgreen
    kennethmgreen Posts: 1,759 Member
    Kind of a tough one. What's your friend's goal hole?
  • JanieJack
    JanieJack Posts: 3,831 Member
    The site sometimes GREATLY overestimates how much you've burned. And I now people who are probably exaggerating. But they didn't ask me and it's not my place to correct them. Now... if they ask me, it's on!
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    If it's the friend I think it is, the person is under by thousands of calories on the days with the huge burns. So even if they're exaggerating the exercise, it has no impact.
  • ShellyShuey
    ShellyShuey Posts: 162
    I wouldn't say anything... but I never add when I'm doing housework, that one kind of makes me laugh.
  • 412HeavyLifter
    412HeavyLifter Posts: 170 Member
    Who gives a bleep. Just make sure you're keeping it real with yourself.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    This thread took a strange turn when I looked and saw you only have 7 friends. I think whoever you're talking about might catch on.

    exactly. lol
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    Haha I was on another fitness tracker where there was an option to log "sexual activity" as a workout (hilariously awesome bee tee dubs).

    One guy logged 15 minutes every day for that category.......awkward
  • Bridget28152723
    Bridget28152723 Posts: 372 Member
    I burned 3700 calories not caring about friends exaggerated workouts.
    ^^^^^^ love it...live and let live
  • Myles_D23
    Myles_D23 Posts: 51 Member
    I thought we were here to help others with the similar goal. Should I put that I burned xx amount of calories because I walked to and from car when I got to work? No. I really don't care how you choose to burn it off but in the long run honesty will win.

    Yes I have 7 friends because I'm not going out of my way to get more friends. My gf and the whoever is my friend on here is all I need. Anyone else who chooses so is just bonus. Hmm didn't think that was an issue in this topic...
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    Why would you care if others are lying to themselves?

    ^^^That!!

    Their lying isn't affecting your weight loss/muscle gain is it?
  • AlbionLass
    AlbionLass Posts: 136
    I can easily burn 2000 calories in a 2 and a half hour cycle ride. (Guaged through gps cycling app and MFP) There is no way I'd eat back that many though, maybe 30 percent.

    I always use a couple of means of tracking workout calories, take the lowest estimate and then subtract a bit more just to be safe.

    Obviously a 260lb person will burn more calories doing a given activity than a 140lb person.

    It's important to keep whatever means you use to calculate calories burnt up to date with your current weight and to take the readings with a pinch of salt.
  • mcathyr
    mcathyr Posts: 1
    45 minutes of dog walking burns 200 and some calories, 10 minutes on the stair stepper burns 80, so to burn over 3000 calories, you would have to exercise for 8-10 hours... HUUUUM????
  • _HeathBar_
    _HeathBar_ Posts: 902 Member
    Ya... sometimes it happens. But I'm not the workout police so who am I to judge?
  • QueenJayJay
    QueenJayJay Posts: 1,079 Member
    :noway:
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    I guess a different viewpoint is that, perhaps they aren't lying, but are just mistaken. They might appreciate the knowledge as they might be wondering why they aren't losing weight when as far as they can see, all their numbers stack up.

    Personally I would mention it, tactfully, once, then leave it at that.

    If they are lying then they will continue, if they believe you they might ask for more info, or just straight out take your advice, if they don't believe you they won't, but you've done your bit.

    And for those who say why care, well because we're on here to help each other. What's the point in adding someone as a friend if you don't care about what they do or have to say.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Those are the people who will be REALLY disappointed in their progress on weigh-in day.
  • reztib
    reztib Posts: 151 Member
    It's definitely an eyebrow raiser. I ordered a heart rate monitor to get better readings so I hope I can input that information soon.

    But as other said, it's really none of our concern if they lie to themselves. If they wonder why they aren't getting results, then you may want to gently point it out to them.
  • Just stop moaning and delete them! :)