I guess it depends if you're doing it in between sets of lifting. When I worked out with a trainer last year, I considered it part of circuit training because she would have us do burpees in between sets to keep our heart rate up.

Would you count burpees as strength training or circuit training when entering it into MFP for exercise? I'm thinking circuit. I'm 100% doing EM2WL but this is my first cut week and I'm trying to figure out how many calories I'm burning to make sure I've set myself to the right amount of activity level.

(I also posted this in fitness, but thought you folks would have good thoughts too.)

Your calories burned have no bearing on your activity level for EMTLW. Your activity level is based on the amount of TIME spent each week doing activity.

But if you change your activity level it changes the calorie allowance. So at the end it comes down to the point of how many calories you burn. If I out myself in the moderate level I am going way under the cals I am burning. In fact even the strenuous category does not provide enough cals for me, even though I would my workouts not consider as so hardcore. I am just very active all day long as well, which leads to the hight burns.

Your calories burned have no bearing on your activity level for EMTLW. Your activity level is based on the amount of TIME spent each week doing activity.
As for cals burned, the only time you would concern yourself with the burn, is if you burn enough cals to take you below your BMR. So if your Cut is 1800 and your BMR is 1500.. if you burned more than 300 cals, then you would want to eat some back.

And this is where I get confused. Is it really only about time? Because if I do a HIIT/ tabata workout for 15 minutes, which is fairly intense interval training, I am definitely working out harder as far as HR (sweating, breathing, cals burned etc.) is concerned than if I was on the elliptical for 40 minutes.

Your calories burned have no bearing on your activity level for EMTLW. Your activity level is based on the amount of TIME spent each week doing activity.
As for cals burned, the only time you would concern yourself with the burn, is if you burn enough cals to take you below your BMR. So if your Cut is 1800 and your BMR is 1500.. if you burned more than 300 cals, then you would want to eat some back.

And this is where I get confused. Is it really only about time? Because if I do a HIIT/ tabata workout for 15 minutes, which is fairly intense interval training, I am definitely working out harder as far as HR (sweating, breathing, cals burned etc.) is concerned than if I was on the elliptical for 40 minutes.

for the vast majority of people, Calories don't need to adjusted everyday by what you have done that day...your body does not work on a 24 reset it is a constant thing using and consuming energy all the time.

I workout 4 times per week yet I eat exactly the same calories and macros every single day and my weight does not fluctuate because of that. Make your life a simple as possible.

Pick a calorie allowance based on AVERAGE activity levels
stick to it for 2 weeks
adjust up or down by 100 if you need to

Simples!

Pretty much this. Thats what I meant.
If you have a HRM then you can get an average of what your burns look like, but if your calorie range from Cut to BMR is large (mine is about 600 cals, currently 1000 to TDEE) then its likely you wouldnt have to worry toomuch about what you are burning..
If after a few weeks, things arent progressing as you think it should, then you can look at adjusting from there:)

Your calories burned have no bearing on your activity level for EMTLW. Your activity level is based on the amount of TIME spent each week doing activity.
As for cals burned, the only time you would concern yourself with the burn, is if you burn enough cals to take you below your BMR. So if your Cut is 1800 and your BMR is 1500.. if you burned more than 300 cals, then you would want to eat some back.

And this is where I get confused. Is it really only about time? Because if I do a HIIT/ tabata workout for 15 minutes, which is fairly intense interval training, I am definitely working out harder as far as HR (sweating, breathing, cals burned etc.) is concerned than if I was on the elliptical for 40 minutes.

hi ya ... i am the same and love doing HIIT and tabata ... i love bodyrock.tv and i work it in as vigorous effort calisthenics (push ups/ jumping jacks etc). As it is vigorous ... but this also comes to the same amount of calories burned as what circuit training says and so either will be fine i am sure.

In saying that MFP is not bang on and some people say it is high, so I have just bought a Heart rate monitor and so will (in a couple of days) be able to see how far off it was. I can keep you posted if you like but i use my elliptical, HIIT/tabata and jillian michaels dvds so i am very interested in seeing how different my readings are compared to my elliptical machine and what MFP says.

So far i have not had anything like a HRM so i have had to go off what they have said.