MFP over estimates calories burned?

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SoySalva
SoySalva Posts: 138
in Fitness and Exercise
Hoping this post finds you all meeting your goals:happy:

I have read time and time again that mfp does not give accurate calories burned for exercise. This said, I was wondering if anyone can give me a more realistic number on calories burned brisk walking for 90 minutes a day. I weigh 154lbs and sadly do not own any gadget that would read out calories burned during exercise.

Thank you for sharing your input.....have a great day:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • barndog1347
    barndog1347 Posts: 1 Member
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    I usually google it if I don't beleive what mfp uses.
  • Wrappedinbacon
    Wrappedinbacon Posts: 49 Member
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    I downloaded an app on my phone called Endomondo and it tracks your speed and distance. And most importantly its free. But I would say you probably burn about 100 or so calories per mile so maybe use the distance you walked to calculate your calories burned
  • beccarockslife
    beccarockslife Posts: 816 Member
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    There isn't a way to estimate it accurately which is why MFP can't do it either. HRM is the way to go buddy, £20 in the supermarkets in the UK I'm sure that people have posted from other countries too,

    For me, MFP frequently can estimate up to 500 calories extra than my HRM.
  • uberrach
    uberrach Posts: 67 Member
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    Would you be able to afford a simple heart rate monitor? I purchased one for $24 online from Best Buy. It tells me the duration of the workout and my average heart rate. With that information, I'm able to input into a formula to figure out my calories burned.
  • busymom11
    busymom11 Posts: 15
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    Try this site: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
  • AlayshaJ
    AlayshaJ Posts: 703 Member
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    You should jsut go and buy a Heart Rate Monitor that tracks calories burned. No one can really say how many calories YOU burn.
  • Littlemama76
    Littlemama76 Posts: 20
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    I think it's really hard to gauge without having a hrm (which I do not either). I reduce the amount that MFP tells me by 30%. Accurate??...I'm sure it's not...but that's what I'm doing until I get a gadget.
  • vipergts223
    vipergts223 Posts: 114 Member
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    Yeah I know what you mean, the equipment at the gym gives a figure for calories that is usually way under what MFP gives.
  • Justacoffeenut
    Justacoffeenut Posts: 3,808 Member
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    google calorie calculator's
  • ECELonghorn
    ECELonghorn Posts: 3
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    My doctor told me most people burn about 200 calories/hour walking. He also said walking is better gauged by the distance than the time. . I walk very fast, especially when doing it just for exercise, and walk about 3.5 miles an hour, and count that as about 300 calories an hour. That seems to be fairly accurate to how much weight I lose. Also, granted, I only walk 30 minutes to an hour each day, so even if I'm off by 50 calories it's really hard to gauge how precise it truly is.
  • ECELonghorn
    ECELonghorn Posts: 3
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    I downloaded an app on my phone called Endomondo and it tracks your speed and distance. And most importantly its free. But I would say you probably burn about 100 or so calories per mile so maybe use the distance you walked to calculate your calories burned

    +1. As I said in my other post though, the more you deviate from 2.0 miles/hour your results might need a little tweaking.
  • kskostamikel
    kskostamikel Posts: 31
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    There isn't a way to estimate it accurately which is why MFP can't do it either. HRM is the way to go buddy, £20 in the supermarkets in the UK I'm sure that people have posted from other countries too,

    For me, MFP frequently can estimate up to 500 calories extra than my HRM.

    Yep, I've found the same thing. Started my weight loss journey using the MFP numbers and hit a wall pretty quickly. Then I got an HRM and realized why! You can get them for a decent price on Amazon and some of them calculate the calories burned for you once you enter your weight, etc.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    I've found their number to be a bit high too, but I weigh close to the same as you, and today I burned just about 200 walking briskly for about 35 minutes. Based on that, I'd say you could safely assume like 515, without going over. What does MFP say you've burned?

    Unless you're eating every exercise calorie, I wouldn't worry too much.
  • SoySalva
    SoySalva Posts: 138
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    Thank you! If I walk for 45 min the pedometer says if walked 2.5 mi I walk twice a day so it would be 5 mi total. If it would be 100 cals per mile then 500 cals burned for 5 mi would be my number I guess.

    I will try to purchase a heart rate monitor so I can get a more accurate reading....

    thank you all for taking time to reply...God Bless!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I don't have a smartphone, but I log my walks and runs on Runkeeper.com or Mapmyrun.com. I keep track of the time it takes, and it calculates the calories for me. And the calories are usually very close to both what MFP or gym machines would give for the same time and distance. I've never used a HRM because my progress was always what I expected.

    Trial and error. I can't say it enough. If you're logging your exercise and eating your exercise calories, and getting the results you want, it's close enough to accurate. If you're not, then tweak it until it does.

    The 100 calorie per mile guideline isn't the best to use. It's close for a lot of people if they're running... I burn about 90 calories per mile running. But walking, it's closer to 60 calories per mile for me.
  • SoySalva
    SoySalva Posts: 138
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    Mfp gives me 200 cals for 45 min brisk walking.
  • ljnftw
    ljnftw Posts: 81 Member
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    I have a pedometer that I use through the day. It is a bit over the basic model in that it allows me to input my weight and stride. I live 4 miles from work and have walked that in the past in 60 minutes, it is pretty accurate. I frequently walk in the buildings where I work. There are two building with a sky bridge between. I walk to the other building and down two flights of stairs to get water. Then make the same walk to the bathroom (funny the more trips for water the more trips for that other purpose too.)

    I find that the Pedometer agrees neatly exactly with MFP at 3 mph but is about 10% lower at 4 MPH. Since I am still just starting out, I have not tested against other activity.
  • terri0527
    terri0527 Posts: 678 Member
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    Between MFP, a HRM and the calorie monitor on my elliptical,,,I have three diff #'s every time. :huh: :grumble:
  • SoySalva
    SoySalva Posts: 138
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    Well I really need to get a HRM...mfp has me on 1200 cals and if I'm going to est exercise cals I don't want to overear because on inaccurate number!

    Thanks again guys and btw...you are all doing great...congrats!
  • SoySalva
    SoySalva Posts: 138
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    sorry I meant to write EAT exercise cals and do not want to OVEREAT because of inaccurate number.

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