Calories burned are way off on MyFitnessPal?

2

Replies

  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    It depends on the activity.

    For running and walking for example, stats on MFP are as good as any. Those are really well documented in scientific litterature, and directly related to your weight and speed, so it's quite simple.

    But if you are "gardening" or doing "circuit training", then yeah, the estimate is probably off by quite a lot.

    Also, consumer grade HRM are as much as 20-35% off the real Energy Expenditure, so it's FAR from perfect too. MFP uses a formula based on information you provided. HRM does the same, but using heart rate. If your HRM doesn't ask for VO2Max or body fat%, it is honestly not very reliable either, and the error of calculations using MFP is also within that range.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Because I couldn't get myself to buy a HRM, I just started logging half of my workout so a 60 minute swim I put in as 30 minutes. It seems to do a good enough job of fixing the problem. Good luck! I definitely like logging the exercise. More calories to eat!

    *mind boggled*

    Wouldn't it make more sense to accurately record your time, but override the calories-burned amount by half?
  • idratherbethin
    idratherbethin Posts: 1
    Well if you're putting your all in your exercise and are losing weight I don't see a problem.
  • mandydoll
    mandydoll Posts: 25
    i don't take any numbers as gospel on MFP, although i do find that it does give you a estimate and that's closer than just guessing on your own. There is no way MFP can know your level of intensity in each work out, if you're serious about weightloss or fitness, get a hrm,
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    It is nice to be able to track exercise as well. I always track my exercise so I know what I have done and how long.

    It won't throw anything off unless you decide to eat all the exercise calories it shows.

    I have compared calorie read outs from MFP to numerous other sites. They all have read pretty much the same but keep in mind the are general numbers. While I enter mine in, I know my metabolism is a wee bit slower and I do not eat back the calorie burn it shows. If you want greater accuracy on your calorie burns, there are reasonably priced HRMs that can show you what you are burning. I just the weekend bought myself a little MIO HRM at our local sporting goods store.
  • MikeM53082
    MikeM53082 Posts: 1,199 Member
    I've done some comparing between the MFP numbers, the number I enter on the machine (w/ my age/weight), and with my heart rate monitor. They vary a little, but are usually in the same ballpark.

    For one hour on the stationary bike, MFP says 625 cals, bike says 520, HRM varies between 500-550.
  • BigDave1050
    BigDave1050 Posts: 854 Member
    I would log everything. On the days that I exercise, I give myself a 200 cal buffer from my original goal calories. So 1800 + exercise (200) = 2000 for the day. This way I don’t waste all the calories I've tried burning up during my exercise. Most of my workouts burn at least 500 cals as well. Good luck to you on your journey and I hope you figure out what works for you.
  • NickIandolo
    NickIandolo Posts: 11 Member
    I only include the calories burned that my NordicTrack tells me about. Its monitor calculates speed and distance and comes up with calories burned. It does not take into account the resistance setting or my heart rate. And that's fine. I do use a HRM but this is to keep me working in specific exercise zones so I know how hard I'm working and what kind of progress I'm making.

    I'd rather low-ball how many calories I burn on my cardio workout and then not overeat. I don't even bother trying to figure out the calories from my strength training program. It's too much calculating and not really worth it . If one pull-up is like less than a calorie burned what's the point of calculating all the pull-ups, push-ups, ab exercises, leg exercises, all the other calisthenics that I do? Instead, I'll let the muscle mass that I'm building burn away the calories that it does to sustain itself.

    I'm less concerned with the scale now and more with getting a killer well-rounded and effective workout for a man in his mid-forties. As long I'm losing the beer gut, lowering my blood pressure, toning up, and am able to keep up with my 3 year old daughter, then I'm happy.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    People are telling me not to add exercise to my log because myfitnesspal gives way too much credit for calories for a particular exercise. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this. So far I'm pretty much just logging food. But I'd really like to log exercise, too. Just not if it throws everything off. Thanks!

    I think that's bogus and I get tired of reading about it. I have compared my HRM with MFP, and it's so close that it's ridiculous. Maybe it's + or - 50 cals either way. Doesn't matter in the grand scheme.

    You also have to take personalities in mind. Some people are super nitpicky about the tiniest little thing. 3 cals off and they have a coniption fit. Your looking at long-term averages.

    Do you think that the calories on food are accurate? They aren't. Someitmes, they are way off. I think they only have to be within 20% accurate, or something like that, so they can be really really off. Everything is just kind of a guess and you just average things out. Plus, 50 calories of something will wear differently on me than it will on you, so it's kinda moot in a way.

    don't dive into the details. Just do your thing and don't worry.
  • charanne52
    charanne52 Posts: 88 Member
    I have my lifestyle classed as sedentary and my weekly exercise set at 0 but I am a bit more active. I do exercise and I do log it in but I don't use the figures that MFP provides. I use the ones provided by my exercise equipment and I go to another website to calculate my burned calories from walking which is based on my weight, speed and time taken.
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
    Thanks for the advice with the chest strap and HRM. I think the strap would annoy the crap out of me, even if it fit around me. I can't see myself using it regularly. I love my FitBit though.

    I've been successful so far with 22 pounds lost by logging my food and exercise on MFP. I am averaging about 1.5-2 pounds a week. Depending on the cost of a HRM, I may just save my $ for a bit longer and stick to what I've been doing. I think the food intake makes much more of a difference for my lifestyle than the exercise does. MFP works well for the calories in monitoring. :drinker: (water...0 calories...:laugh: )
  • oilphins
    oilphins Posts: 240 Member
    I go by what my treadmill says. I just enter the amount of minutes mfp says to equal my calories burned. this way you still know what you've burned acurately.
  • scloyd
    scloyd Posts: 327 Member
    I look at the calories burned on MFP as just an estimate and that's it. I'm not going to worry about a few calories here and there. I never eat all of my exercise calories anyway. It's seems to be working for me. If I wasn't losing, I might consider an HRM.

    My food calories is a different story. I read every label and compare every product with the the MFP calories listed.

    Besides I would rather spend my money on new clothes that fit me than spend it on a HRM or Fitbit. I'm down from a size 40 pants to a 36 pants and an XXL shirt to XL shirts. Clothes are expensive and I don't have unlimited funds.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    It is so true...the only true way to know is to have a HRM.
  • kba0708
    kba0708 Posts: 17
    I use MFP to log my calories and keep track of when I've been exercising so i know if im meeting personal fitness goals. (I also rarely "eat back" any calories burned) You can add calories burned manually if you have a HRM but the exercises in the data base give WAY too much credit. I had someone post that they cleaned for an hour and burned like 200 calories... Sorry, that doesn't happen!
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
    Yea tell me about it... I mean they have an add calorie for food, but not for training? That is just stupid programming on their part...

    Also it is all user entered and I'm sorry but every one is going to be different.... Weight, Height, HR, MHR, BHR etc etc....

    For instance, I have a HR usually around 50-55 resting, I train cycling around 130-140 I train running around 170-180 when king intervals or 150-160 on long runs... I can run marathons and even a few ultra marathons, what I burn won't be the same as someone whose HR is likely 70-80 but trains the same.... I can train at threshold for 30m almost... not most people can do that... But I will be given same values for someone who can't even run a 5km.... Just not right....

    Go for what your HRM says and find closest entry, go for 1m less instead of having over calorie burnt and less stress...
  • DaBossLady24
    DaBossLady24 Posts: 556 Member
    Unfortunately they are right =/ I invested in a HRM to more accurately track calories burned and manually enter them. MFP and the machines themselves are saying I am burning almost double as to what my HRM tells me.

    ^This. At some points, MFP and my HRM are super close, but on other days, it's NO where near. You could always find another site/mobile app like "calories burned" which may help, but still, you're probably better off investing in some form of fitbit or HRM.

    Good luck on your goals! :flowerforyou:
  • lizzynewm
    lizzynewm Posts: 199 Member
    They're totally off, but I still log my exercise simply to keep track of how much I've been exercising. That's why I don't trust eating back my exercise calories :/
  • healthyliving_girl
    healthyliving_girl Posts: 290 Member
    They are off, but I was still able to lose weight using the estimates. I invested in a HRM and noticed that I burn almost 1/2 less than what the machines say.

    Thing is, though....I was still losing weight using the amounts MFP and the machines gave.

    So sometimes I use the HRm, sometimes not.
  • hersheythecat
    hersheythecat Posts: 117 Member
    Yes, the calories are off.

    I no longer have a heart rate monitor, but I use this calculator: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php and it seems to be pretty accurate (compared with what I was burning when I had a HRM, and compared to my Nike+ calculations).

    Interesting... I normally use MFP for calories but I thought I would test the above. I sewed for 6 hours on Saturday - MFP said I burned like 226 calories which I thought was really low. The above website said I burned 1619 calories which I think is high but considering how much I was doing, I wouldn't be surprised if it was correct. Thoughts?
  • Cazza2
    Cazza2 Posts: 4
    I can't commit whether it's accurate or not but would like to add that its not accurate by only tracking calories burned from cardio. Strength exercises when done properly burn as many calories, in fact continue to burn calories long after you finish exercising.
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
    Yes, the calories are off.

    I no longer have a heart rate monitor, but I use this calculator: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php and it seems to be pretty accurate (compared with what I was burning when I had a HRM, and compared to my Nike+ calculations).

    This calculates the same as MFP for me, unfortunately I don't yet have a HRM to compare to
  • ekloretto
    ekloretto Posts: 15 Member
    In addition to tracking in MFP I wear a bodybugg all day long and track my food there too. When it comes to the calories burned in MFP I only log the exercises that were a true "workout" and I log the time accurately and override the calories with what my bodybugg says. And those numbers are normally 50 - 60% of what MFP suggests.
  • dhoody
    dhoody Posts: 49
    I do a lot of boxing workouts pretty close on the calories so far
  • Jess81620
    Jess81620 Posts: 72 Member
    Yes, the calories are off.

    I no longer have a heart rate monitor, but I use this calculator: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php and it seems to be pretty accurate (compared with what I was burning when I had a HRM, and compared to my Nike+ calculations).

    I actually found this to be pretty similiar. Although there are a lot more activities on this website and you can define what you are doing a lot more which is nice.
  • LiviLou2011
    LiviLou2011 Posts: 437 Member
    I make my own and go from the accurate calories burned calculator..google it...and its a little different from myfitnesspal..i cant afford an HRM sooo i just go with that..i mean whatever it might be off so what i still exercised, and im losing weight so its working lol
  • w2bab
    w2bab Posts: 353 Member
    I have a heart rate monitor that I wear while exercising. I have found that MFP is off on some of the numbers, but is right on target for others. I really don't think that MFP is so far off that it wouldn't benefit you to log your exercise. If you are worried about the numbers being too far off, maybe try to get yourself a heart rate monitor. :smile:

    I agree with this. There are other calorie-burned calculators out there too. The ones I have checked to compare to MFP's numbers have been pretty close. I eat back about half of the calories it says I've burned and I've lost 36 lbs. since mid-January, so I'm doing something right.
  • vhiarose
    vhiarose Posts: 13 Member
    I bought a HRM, or what I think is one in the form of an exercise watch that tracks calories burned while I exercise. But the numbers seem too good to be true - did the 30 Day Shred and it said I burnt 540 calories in half an hour, I think that may be a little too optimistic. Last night I was changing the bed covers for about 15mins or less and it said I burnt 200 calories. Seems a little excessive to me.

    I looked up vigorous calisthenics on MFP (seems closest to what 30 Day Shred is) and it says I would burn about 230 calories in 30 mins. So does another website that another person recommended on this thread, so at least MFP and that website are on par. I'm talking about this one --> http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

    Soooo... my question is, is that the right kind of heart monitor or is there something more expensive that is more accurate? Thoughts?
  • run2jeepn
    run2jeepn Posts: 183 Member
    I burn way more the MFP says I do, according to my HRM

    x2
  • Hickyvikki69
    Hickyvikki69 Posts: 371 Member
    i gave n saved money for 2-3mo. to get a HRM. some of these calculations without it is def. wrong.

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