How accurate is the Calorie counter in the exercise thing?

ChelbiLong
ChelbiLong Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I worked out for an hour total. The elliptical machine I was using estimated I burned about 280 calories, but if I type my time into the Exercise recorder here it tells me I've burned 900. There is a huge difference between those two numbers. How accurate is this? How do I know how many calories I'm burning?

Replies

  • dg09
    dg09 Posts: 754 Member
    The best way to know is to buy a heart rate monitor.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,900 Member
    The Elliptical doesn't know your weight, age, height, or gender. All these play a role in the calories-burned.

    Take the average of the two and call it 500ish. That will work. But, you could buy a heart rate monitor and get lots closer.
  • taramaureen
    taramaureen Posts: 569 Member
    I'd go by what the machine says especially if the machine you're using has a heart rate component to it.
  • khagador
    khagador Posts: 175 Member
    My experience has been that the elliptical machines at the gym are way too high and the MFP calculations are too low. But as dh09 said, best bet is a heart rate monitor.
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 626 Member
    i use the machine number, especially if it knows my weight.
  • Temple_Fit
    Temple_Fit Posts: 299 Member
    bump
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    The only accurate way is getting a decent/good heart rate monitor.
  • ChelbiLong
    ChelbiLong Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks, any suggestions on a good heart rate monitor? (Also the machine knows my age, but not my weight or heart rate)
  • Tourney3p0
    Tourney3p0 Posts: 290 Member
    If the machine has a heart rate monitor, I would trust the machine. I've found that MFP's numbers were maybe 20% less than the machine for me, but I go at about 80% resistance alternating between vigorous and very vigorous.

    I picked up a heart rate monitor and confirmed the machine was much closer. Ordinarily I would say "Go with whichever is less just to be safe", but a difference of 700 would be enough to completely wreck your metabolism if the higher number ended up being correct.

    Edit: Just saw your post saying the machine doesn't take into account your weight or heart rate. I wouldn't trust either number. I use the Polar FT7 HRM. It's great for me, but I haven't tried others to say how it compares.
  • hbm616
    hbm616 Posts: 377 Member
    At the planet fitness I go to all of the cardio machines have you enter in your weight and they monitor your speed and heart rate so I definitely go by what it says. MFP always over-estimates my elliptical workouts by at least 100 calories (depending on the length of the workout).
    Now if I put in something random like walking I will generally use MFP but maybe decrease the time I enter by a few minutes to compensate. I suppose I should get a HRM but I have neither the funds nor the inclination:tongue:
  • muzmacol
    muzmacol Posts: 358 Member
    HRM or knock off 20% from MFP calcs and around 15% from gym equipment.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    Thanks, any suggestions on a good heart rate monitor? (Also the machine knows my age, but not my weight or heart rate)

    go on amazon.com and look at reviews (just type in heart rate monitor)
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