Machine vs MFP Calories burned??

m16shane
m16shane Posts: 393 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
On different machine at the gym they give you the option of putting in your age, weight, and time, and it track it for you. For example on the Elliptical trainer at the gym If I work out for 30 minutes pretty hard it says I've burned roughly 400 calories. When I type in 30 minutes on MFP it says 481 calories. What one should I trust? Not that I truly ever get close to eating them I just don't know what one to type in. I've been going by the machine.

Replies

  • student94
    student94 Posts: 120 Member
    The machine is probably more accurate here. Both the machine & mfp consider your physical stats, but mfp has no idea at what intensity you worked.
  • JBurger2066
    JBurger2066 Posts: 161 Member
    The machine is probably more accurate, like student94 said, because it knows your intensity levels. I've got a heart rate monitor that I wear when working out, and it works with the cardio machines (when I use them). That way I don't have to keep looking at my watch to monitor my heart rate during the workout, and I can see my calories burned on the screen as well (plus you don't have to hold onto the handles the whole time to let it read your heart rate). If you can swing it, look into a heart rate monitor. Once I picked mine up, I was able to keep track of my calories a whole lot easier.
  • ashreynolds09
    ashreynolds09 Posts: 257 Member
    Honestly, I have noticed when I log the right intensity with MFP -- its dead on with what my HRM is and the machine at the gym is waaay of!!
  • SanyamKaushik
    SanyamKaushik Posts: 215 Member
    I tell you one little secret. Take the lowest count if you wanna loose weight.
    I read different readings on machines/ MFP and HRM. and I normally take the lowest in account :) It never hurts but eating the exercise calories (overestimated one) would.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    I go with the lowest number. And MFP notoriously overestimates cardio calories burned.
  • k8lyn_235
    k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
    Honestly, I have noticed when I log the right intensity with MFP -- its dead on with what my HRM is and the machine at the gym is waaay of!!

    same here! MFP can be slightly higher/lower, but the machine is always obscenely too high!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Both machines and MFP tend to overestimate, even with a few stats. The machines don't know how tall you are or what your gender is and MFP has no idea how hard you're working or what other conditions of health might be different from the other guy who's the same age, height and weight as you. For instance, my gym buddy is about the same weight and age as me and only a couple inches shorter yet she gets about 1/3rd less calories doing the same, if not more intense exercises than I do because she's on blood pressure meds so her heart rate won't get as high as mine.

    Go with the lower number and just remember if you're weight loss slows, maybe try eating only 50-75% of your earned calories instead of all of them.
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