How accurate is MFP at calorie burn??

mjhart2011
mjhart2011 Posts: 6
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just wondering how accurate MFP is for calorie burn? I have a stationary bike, and it says that I am burning around 80 calories while MFP says 200. On the stationary bike there is no way to input your weight or height or any of that. Which number should I go by? I am definitely working up a sweat but 200 seems like such a huge number!

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    In this case, I would go with MFP over the bike, since MFP has your stats on weight, height, etc and the bike does not. A heart rate monitor is most accurate, but if you don't have one, I would choose whichever device has the most info on you and go with that.

    I do use a HRM, and I find it interesting to see the differences in what it says I burn compared to MFP and my running app - they are all different, sometimes by over 100 calories over or under.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I had the same problem! Stationary bike with a wayyy lower reading than MFP!
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Most folks find MFP to be consistently way over in it's estimations.

    If you want a reliable number, you may want to look into purchasing a heart rate monitor (one with a chest strap)
  • angelaclassact
    angelaclassact Posts: 66 Member
    The MFP 'estimates' are not accurate in my opinion. I think they are on the high side. I use a HRM and I know that is not 100% accurate, but I feel it is more accurate than MFP. When I plug in an activity here it is much higher of a burn than what my HRM says.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I would suggest investing in a HRM with a Chest Strap.... I have a Polar FT60 but any of the Polar brand are great... I don't trust reading on equipment or MFP but I trust my HRM to be atleast 85-90% accurate which has served me well.... Best of Luck.......
  • sweetness48
    sweetness48 Posts: 61
    I find MFP way over estimates calories burned. It wasn't until I bought a HRM (Polar F7) that I started getting accurate readings. Same goes for treadmills/ellipticals at the gym. Even if you enter your weight, it still over estimates. Hope this helped :)
  • ShifuYaku
    ShifuYaku Posts: 504 Member
    If the machine records your weight and age, then go with the machine. Although MFP knows your info, it doesn't know how hard you worked (or didn't work) on the machine. Say, you do the treadmill for 10 minutes, but you only run for like 5 of them. And then you put running down in your exercise book. You should write what the treadmill says because the exercise book isn't going to know that you did that. :)
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