Calories on the machine vs. calories on here....

Samuel022212
Samuel022212 Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there, I just entered my exercise for the day. It was elliptical trainer for 30 minutes. MFP calculated 459 calories for that amount of time. But.... my elliptical said 210 kcalories. Which is more accurate??? Of course I'd love the extra calories burned, but want to be as accurate as possible. Anyone else have this happen?

Replies

  • ammejubilee
    ammejubilee Posts: 5
    I do think that MFP over estimates. I never use the calories as 'extras' for food intake, I just add a record of what I've done to make sure I exercise 3-4 times per week and keep a good variation going.
  • RipperSB
    RipperSB Posts: 315 Member
    I record what the machine says. I use the Precor elliptical and input age and weight and then use the heart rate sensors on the machine. After a 35 min Gluteal workout plus a 5 min cool down i usually burn 290-310 cal. If you want most accurate get a heart rate monitor.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    the only valid burn count is a HRM with a chest strap (I used to work with Polar)
  • jealous_loser
    jealous_loser Posts: 395
    I have had the opposite happen to me. I will have a machine that says 400 calories burnt and then here it will say 320 or something. I usually up it if I feel like "cheating"
  • chiera88
    chiera88 Posts: 155
    mfp is very accurate since it uses your height/weight/age/gender. the machines do not. i wasted money on a heart rate monitor for $119 and got very similar numbers. as long as you're working hard and not just standing around, this website has great estimates.

    additional note: if you're doing something like a jillian michaels video, input it as circuit training general, very good estimate
  • brewface811
    brewface811 Posts: 106
    That's odd usually the machine tells me I burned more calories than MFP says. I need to invest in HRM so I can know the true number. I usually go by the machine though because I enter my age, height and weight.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    I think mfp over estimates calorie burns too. Pretty much I only enter in half the time I exercise to compensate!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    MFP is giving you a REALLY high estimate. If you really want to know, buy a HRM. I'd trust the elliptical over MFP though, especially if it can see your heart rate.
  • emmaonamission
    emmaonamission Posts: 117
    I record what the machine says. My elliptical and exercise bike has a pulse sensor so I figure its figures are more accurate because of that
  • snw_
    snw_ Posts: 237 Member
    get an HRM.


    a good rule of thumb though ... getting more than 10calories/minute while working out is usually an overestimate unless you are working out so hard you are almost dying.

    (of course there are exceptions, but it's a good generalization point)

    when i run (and i run hard and run hills and i can't talk and i'm sweating like mad and my heart is about to burst), i get MAYBE 12cal/min. so when you see over 300cal/30mins - yeah, it's most likely a huge overestimation.
  • MMAGZ16
    MMAGZ16 Posts: 9 Member
    I always go by the machines. After all you did use the machine to excercise and not MFP. I think they do over estimate which is why they give you the chance to edit the number. I also never eat the extra calories. I still struggle with understanding the whole net vs this vs that. All I know is the closer I stay to 1200 calories the quicker I lose weight. In 7 mons Im 92 lbs down... started at 290 and am 198. My goal is 155. I try to burn at least 700 calories a day with excercise 5 days a week. Some days its more, some days its less. But God knows I try... :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    MFP overstates calories burned, so MFP users either eat a portion of their calories back OR purchase a heart rate monitor (HRM).

    The reason MFP cannot be accurate (machines too) .... a HRM asks you to imput your height, weight, age, gender, AND then compares your resting heart rate to your exertion heart rate (to guage fitness level). Chest strap HRMs are more accurate than wrist type pulse monitors ... the wrist models do not measure pulse continuously.

    MFP cannot know your fitness level. People who are very fit ... burn fewer calories.
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    Neither. Get an HRM
  • carleyjean2772
    carleyjean2772 Posts: 13 Member
    I was wondering this just today. MFP says that I burn 274 cal. for 30 min on the elliptical. My elliptical says 135. Huge difference!
  • veganpoler
    veganpoler Posts: 50 Member
    Did you enter your weight on the elliptical machine? It could be that it was estimating based on factory settings rather than your specific weight, which MFP takes into account.

    I bet it was somewhere in between. I typically burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes on the elliptical - but that's just me. 200 sounds low, but MFP's estimate sounds really high.
  • tango645
    tango645 Posts: 11 Member
    I feel like my elliptical OVER estimates my cals burned. Usually, the MFP number is 100-150 cals lower than what the machine says. Unfortunately, my machine does not take height/weight/age, so it's probably not as precise.
  • Samuel022212
    Samuel022212 Posts: 4
    Thanks for all the feedback. I think the main message is to get an HRM. My elliptical asks for age, weight, etc. so probably better to trust it and not the wonderful two times as much calories on MFP. Ok, back to the drawing board tomorrow! Thanks again everyone!
  • michaelsgirl1210
    michaelsgirl1210 Posts: 37 Member
    I think one difference between MFP and the machines are that MFP does not take into account things like speed and resistance on ellipticals/bikes/stair climbers. If my resistance is set at 4 and I average 130 reps/minute on the elliptical, I have a much higher calorie burn than when I used to have my resistance at 1 and only 115 reps/minute.
  • gemini0007
    gemini0007 Posts: 27 Member
    I have had the opposite happen to me. I will have a machine that says 400 calories burnt and then here it will say 320 or something. I usually up it if I feel like "cheating"

    I have the same thing happen - new exercycle says I burnt 400 - MFP says 342 - old exercycle used to say 312?? Thinking of investing in an HRM unless I can borrow someones for about two weeks just to check calories burnt...

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