Do you use calories burned on the gym machine or on mfp?

2»

Replies

  • paulwgun
    paulwgun Posts: 439 Member
    Go with a polar HRM i use ft4 as do most on here and find it really good a slightly more expensive model ft7 is also widely used on here
  • lgschutt
    lgschutt Posts: 10 Member
    I have a FitBit Ultra, that does distance,steps taken, floors climbed and calories burned. It will sync wirelessly with MFP. How does a HRM compare to the FItBit and I didn't know that a HRM gave you calorie burn. Thanks!
  • imcatbear
    imcatbear Posts: 38
    I'm a fan of the Polar brand HRM, any one with a chest strap.

    My gym also offers tests that can calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and tell you how many calories you burn at what heart rate/zone based on the amount of oxygen you burn while breathing.

    I always wondered why I wasn't losing weight when I would start out new diets. It turns out that I need to eat more than the average person just to maintain my weight. The calories that MFP tells me I should eat to lose is low (not completely off, but still low). Also, in my case, MFP is too low on how many calories it says I burn during exercise.
  • eilmeister
    eilmeister Posts: 37
    I would disagree with most, MFP in almost all instances has been within 10% of what my HRM is saying.

    I second that. It seems to me that the MFP numbers are not too far off, at least for standard exercises like running. I've been comparing the calorie burn from my chest strap HRM to the MFP numbers for a few weeks now. I don't use Runkeeper, but I've mapped my most frequent runs in Google Earth, so I have a pretty good idea of my speed and pace. I've found that when I use the MFP entry that most closely matches my running speed, the numbers are pretty much SPOT ON compared to my HRM. It's usually within a range of +/- 5 calories for a 30 minute run. So I do have some faith in the MFP numbers for running. This is for a 5'7" male who weighs about 170 lbs currently. I do all of my running outside, on mixed terrain, surfaces and inclines.

    I think that an HRM and the MFP estimate, which takes into account your gender, age, height and weight, should both be closer to the truth than a gym machine running in generic mode (without knowing your data).
This discussion has been closed.

Categories