Calories burned walking -- looks a little high

NathanJ79
NathanJ79 Posts: 36
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I walk a lot at my job -- in fact, I'm going up and down a lot of stairs, so I'm actually burning more calories than somebody who just walks as much as I'm putting down. But I don't think it's calculating correctly.

454 calories an hour? This is for "Walking, 2.5 miles per hour, leisurely pace". I really do not know how fast I'm walking, but "leisurely pace" sounds better than the descriptions for other speeds.

Real world example: I work in private security. A patrol takes about an hour and a half, it's through an industrial facility, but about 30 minutes of that is rest, I stop at strategic times on the patrol and rest. In addition to my weight, I have asthma. Can't get out of work (and I don't want to, it's a great opportunity to exercise), but I have my employer's blessing to take breaks. As long as it gets done. And it does. Anyway, I did three Saturday night, and I claimed that in the exercise journal, and it came out to 1,362 calories, effectively rolling back almost everything I ate that day.

That can't be right, can it? So I started claiming 45 minutes per patrol. That's 330 calories burned. That still sounds high, but I'll take it for now. I suppose I'll see one way or another if I lose the weight the site/app says I will -- I log everything.

Replies

  • happystars82
    happystars82 Posts: 225 Member
    Best thing i ever bought was a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and i know what i'm burning....

    hope this helps.x
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
    MFP is usually high in estimating calories burned. So logging it as less is probably a good idea especially if you eat your calories back.
  • tabi26
    tabi26 Posts: 535 Member
    Best thing i ever bought was a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and i know what i'm burning....

    hope this helps.x

    And this, this is a good idea. :)
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    Try a pedometer or counting steps. To try and gauge how far you are actually walking.

    I do find that MFP's calculations when using MPH is very accurate. I would think though, that as a security guard you might be walking slower than that.
  • Laura_amie
    Laura_amie Posts: 30 Member
    I use my HRM like today i walked 44 mins and burned 170. but other days i can walk longer and burn less. They are really worth buying!
  • twinmama1987
    twinmama1987 Posts: 566 Member
    Unfortunately HRM's sometimes are really inaccurate! Mine used to say i burned 600-700 cals for my workout, & I bought a body media fit which is +95% accurate and I was only actually burned 250-350.
  • StrongGwen
    StrongGwen Posts: 378 Member
    If I walk fast but not really pushing into a race-walking speed, I burn about a calorie a minute so 60 min=600 cals. Another poster on MFP uses the general rule that 1 mile = 100 calories, more or less. You use the same number of calories in one mile, whether you walk or run, it's just that running gets you there faster.
    EDITED to correct my pre-coffe math! make that 10 calories a minute=600 cal per hour,

    When I push myself, I burn more. Fro example, I'm lucky to live in very hilly terraine-who needs a StairMaster when you have slopes from 30-45 degrees and even steeper? will try to post a photo, maybe I will get it right this time

    NoStairMasterNoProblem.jpg
  • AlixClockHeart
    AlixClockHeart Posts: 30 Member
    If this is something you're doing regularly you could consider changing your life style setting to Lightly active maybe and then not have to worry about logging the walking - if you don't Have a custom set goal. And you have to remember weight makes a big difference is calculations. MFP has me burning 124 calories for the same amount of work.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    As it's walking carried out while working, I'd change your activity level in your diet profile/goals to "Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)" and not record the exercise calories except for workouts you do outside of your work.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Best thing i ever bought was a heart rate monitor with a chest strap and i know what i'm burning....
    HRMs are great for cardio workouts but are inaccurate for through-day calorie burns and resistance training.
  • qkidney
    qkidney Posts: 258
    .
  • NathanJ79
    NathanJ79 Posts: 36
    Wow, that's a lot of replies in under 10 minutes.

    I actually think I walk faster than 2.5 miles per hour sometimes, when my asthma is not acting up and I'm feeling good. Other times I'm slower.

    I will have to look into a heart rate monitor. My wife already wants one, no reason we can't share it, I suppose.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    If I walk fast but not really pushing into a race-walking speed, I burn about a calorie a minute so 60 min=600 cals.

    1 calorie a minute would be 60 calories an hour?


    I find the calories for cardio stuff to be mildly high also.
  • o_delaisse
    o_delaisse Posts: 193 Member
    When you logged your goals, did you say you were "lightly active" (or whatever the option was!)? I think perhaps if you did that you wouldn't need to log walking. I know what you mean - I don't log walks - when I walk, I basically stroll. I don't do it as exercise, usually just for the fresh air! :)
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    Honestly, I wouldn't rely on the MFP exercise database for calorie outputs. They are based on averages and there's a lot of variability. A HRM will give you a better idea of what your body is burning. I burn about 40% more calories walking than MFP indicates according to my HRM. Likely due to the fact I walk with a slight limp and therefore walking isn't as fluid and natural for me as it is for most people.
  • rebhenke
    rebhenke Posts: 1
    I invested in a heart rate monitor. I am able to obtain an accurate account of calories burned when walking my 2 dogs.
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    Depending on your weight, you'd be surprise how fast you're actually going and how much you're burning. I thought my calories burnt walking were high but then I got a HRM and found out I'm actually burning more than what I was actually logging it as.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories