Calories Burned on the Elliptical VS what MFP says? Help Ple

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scorpiorlr
scorpiorlr Posts: 341 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok I am having an issue with this. I think both are wrong and right now I can't afford a heart monitor or nifty device to actually figure it out. The problem is the machines at the gym say practically nothing. I know I am at a low setting and am out of shape but after 45 minutes of sweating and breathing hard it says I may have burned off 150 calories? So when I plug it in and use the MFP stuff it says high 400 low 500 which I know is also not correct. So I have been averaging and taking the split just for my sake. My heart rate sits at 135 to 150 (sometimes higher) and I am 5 foot 10 and way 187. So its kind of discouraging to step off the machine after 2 or 3 miles and 30 to 45 minutes drenched in sweat, nearly out of breath and sore for it to say 150 calories burned. Is this real? its been on multiple machines so I cant blame the equipment. It may be that I am just that pathetic right now lol and I am willing to accept that but hey silver linings right? Any input would be great.
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Replies

  • monicaroozo
    monicaroozo Posts: 200
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    Does the machine have a Heart Rate Monitor? If you take several HR measurements throughout your workout, you can google for some conversions where you enter your resting rate vs your elevated rate with you age & weight to determine a more accurate burn.

    I did this a while back and have been using that conversion (which was close but just below MFP's number) for my workouts. Sorry - i don't remember which site i used exactly though... maybe some other users will be able to help with that?
  • _Elemenopee_
    _Elemenopee_ Posts: 2,665 Member
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    I have this SAME problem and it baffles me!
  • rlberg55
    rlberg55 Posts: 7 Member
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    I use a HR monitor almost every time I work out, and I do a lot of elliptical, the number on the machine is always depressingly low, 30-40% low, for me too. My fitness pal's number is just about 10% too high, so I just subtract 5 minutes from how long I did, and use the number in MFP.

    Here is an example: If I do 45 minutes, the machine might say 245, MFP says nearly 500, so I enter 40 minutes, so then it adds it as about 430, which is close to what my HR monitor says

    Hope this helps!
  • LindseyDD
    LindseyDD Posts: 160 Member
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    I am 5'11'' and weigh between 190-195 pounds and I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out.

    I do the arc trainer (like an elliptical) for 45 minutes 5 days a week and average between a 450-600 calorie burn depending on how high I have my resistance set.

    The machine usually shows a 900+ calorie burn - so I think MPF's 450-500 calorie burn sounds like it should be pretty close to accurate for you but I also usually find that MPF data is really high also.
  • robynj88
    robynj88 Posts: 104 Member
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    I used to hit about 300 calories burnt when I was doing 7 miles at a time in a 30 minute session, so I think it really depends on the machine. You can get cheap HRM's on amazon (uk) for about a tenner a go.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    A good rule of thumb is 100 calories burned for each mile (if you machine shows mileage)
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I can't tell you what you burn, but I can give you a reference point at least. I weigh about 170 and I'm 5'6", when I wear my heart rate monitor on the elliptical, my heart rate is usually between 160-180, but averaging closer to the 160/170 over all. I usually burn at least 10 calories/minute when working at that intensity. Since you keep your heart rate lower, you might burn less but since you are taller and heavier (and also male) you could easily burn what I burn or more at your intensity.
  • stroken96
    stroken96 Posts: 436 Member
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    like to know the answer
  • superstarcassie
    superstarcassie Posts: 296 Member
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    Its really hard to guess what the actual burn is because a workout at mostly 135 will have a much lower burn than a heart rate of 150 for the 30-45 mins. I would keep averaging the numbers because I think that 150 does sound a bit low. I know from personal experience that MFP and the machines always overestimate my calorie burns based on my polar FT7 heart rate monitor.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I use a HR monitor almost every time I work out, and I do a lot of elliptical, the number on the machine is always depressingly low, 30-40% low, for me too. My fitness pal's number is just about 10% too high, so I just subtract 5 minutes from how long I did, and use the number in MFP.

    Here is an example: If I do 45 minutes, the machine might say 245, MFP says nearly 500, so I enter 40 minutes, so then it adds it as about 430, which is close to what my HR monitor says

    Hope this helps!
    You can change the calorie burn manually so it's exactly what your heart rate monitor says!
  • tinamina78
    tinamina78 Posts: 241 Member
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    Try a site like this where you can input specific data. It will get you close to accurate info, in my humble opinion. Best of luck!!

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/
  • slparsaca
    slparsaca Posts: 59 Member
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    I've been wondering the same thing! I don't have a HRM right now and figured that the MFP cal for the Elliptical was high. I usually leave a couple hundred cals uneaten just in case.
  • jfrog123
    jfrog123 Posts: 432 Member
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    Of course everyone is different - but just as an example: I used my elliptical for 30 minutes last night. The machine showed a calorie burn of 167 calories. My HRM showed 219. I checked mfp just to see what it said, and it showed 449 calories. Mfp is really high for some people but not others.
  • ambernicholewms
    ambernicholewms Posts: 37
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    I enter in my weight, height and age on the machines and it says I burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes I don't know how accurate it is but I just log what the machine says.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    Of course everyone is different - but just as an example: I used my elliptical for 30 minutes last night. The machine showed a calorie burn of 167 calories. My HRM showed 219. I checked mfp just to see what it said, and it showed 449 calories. Mfp is really high for some people but not others.
    I think this is especially true for ellipticals because it can vary so much depending on the resistance level and how fast you go. I aim to get about 10cals a minute, but on slower days I can easily do less and on higher energy days I've been able to burn a bit more!
  • plzlbsbegone
    plzlbsbegone Posts: 233
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    I recently purchased a body media link, and when i use my elliptical, it often gives me a very close estimate to what MFP does, maybe off by 20-50 cals. Before I got this, just to be safe, I would only eat back say 400 of these 500 cals. Also, if you look online for calories burned calculators, you can take an average of what these say ( they should ask you for your height, weight, age and sex.
  • strawns
    strawns Posts: 1
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    It's hard without a heart rate monitor...everyone is different. It's weird, though, that the machines are giving such low numbers...generally they are 20-30% higher than an accurate calorie burn. You should probably assume ~100 cals burned/10 minutes of strenuous exercise. That's what I've always heard.
  • alcon79
    alcon79 Posts: 193 Member
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    I used a HRM for the first time on the elliptical last night and my fears were realized. I'm 5'4" and weigh 131 and used the elliptical on a hill setting for 45 minutes. The machine (which lets you input data) said 450 cals burned, HRM said 280 - sigh.
  • kandy221
    kandy221 Posts: 79
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    I think MFP is high for the elliptical. It gives no place for resistance, miles, or speed. So someone doing the elliptical for 30 minutes @ 3.5mph is going to show the same calories burned as someone doing it @ 6.0mph, not to mention both could be doing it at a different resistance level. HRM would be the best, but I don't have one right now either. Sometimes I look @ the walking @ 4mph for the time I did the elliptical, just as a reference for the calories burned, if I did the elliptical @ 4mph. Good luck.
  • Precious75134
    Precious75134 Posts: 85 Member
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    I need to get a heart rate monitor but just haven't done that yet...I agree about the differences that MFP gives for the amount of calories burned for any type of exercise I do...That is why I never eat back all my exercise calories because I can't trust the numbers...When use the elliptical at the gym, I set the level of difficulty on 8 and up to 10 in the next 10 minutes...the machine says my heart rate is at about 180 or more at times...I weigh 185 lbs.....Exercising for 20 minutes burns about 250 calories...I am generally moving at a fast pace but at times I have to slow down to catch my breath....

    I think it is determined by how fast you are moving, how much you weigh, what level of difficulty are you using on the machine, and how high you heart rates goes up...I am not trying to give out false information..I am not an expert, this is just my opinion...

    I have often wondered though why mfp seems to log exercises at a higher calorie loss than it probably is...Does anyone have an idea about that one....

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