Question on calories burned

misty3127
misty3127 Posts: 19
in Fitness and Exercise
So I work out on the elliptical 5 days a week and do 20 minutes of weight loss setting at a decent pace. Then 10 minutes on the glutes setting at a mixed interval. When I input my weight/times etc into the fitness pal calorie calculator under exercise it tells me I burn about 480 calories on the elliptical.

Is this an accurate view or do I go by what the machine at the gym says?

Replies

  • bmtedder
    bmtedder Posts: 11
    Personally, I go by what the elliptical at the gym says. I think it would be more accurate.
  • sfgonzales
    sfgonzales Posts: 110 Member
    I don't think either are very reliable, when I got to a platue, I bought a bodybugg and then a fit bit. The machine at the gym and MFP were both seriously inflating my actual calorie burn.
  • johnnybravo333
    johnnybravo333 Posts: 2
    I use a heart rate monitor with a calorie counter. Seems to be the most accurate.
  • hteapot
    hteapot Posts: 29 Member
    Neither are going to be very accurate. I would invest in a HRM to get the most accurate.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Both are questionable. MFP has no idea what your level of effort was during your workout, although it does know your height, weight and age. Most gym machines have some idea of your effort but may not have enough information about you to give an accurate calorie count.

    Case in point, I've used my HRM on my stationary bike which does have the handle to measure your heart rate and asks for my weight. My HRM reads 30% higher than the bike calorie count. MFP was somewhere in between.

    If you have the means to purchase one, I'd highly suggest a heart rate monitor to get a better count of your calorie burns. They still aren't 100% accurate (but then again, neither are the calorie counts on most foods) but they are closer than anything else.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    So I work out on the elliptical 5 days a week and do 20 minutes of weight loss setting at a decent pace. Then 10 minutes on the glutes setting at a mixed interval. When I input my weight/times etc into the fitness pal calorie calculator under exercise it tells me I burn about 480 calories on the elliptical.

    Is this an accurate view or do I go by what the machine at the gym says?

    16 calories a minute more than you would burn sedentary ? Way too high for me, but if you're fit it may be possible.
  • misty3127
    misty3127 Posts: 19
    thank you so much for all the feedback!! I figured it was way too high so I have been manually changing the calories on my exercise log to lower :)

    How much does a heart rate monitor usually run?
  • kellyreynolds14
    kellyreynolds14 Posts: 56
    thank you so much for all the feedback!! I figured it was way too high so I have been manually changing the calories on my exercise log to lower :)

    How much does a heart rate monitor usually run?

    I think the good ones run over $100 usually. The one I have is a chest strap plus an adaptor that plugs into my iPhone (Digifit). It has an application that goes with it. The total cost plus shipping is about $134 (if I am remembering right). I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a HRM and the Digifit application is pretty great IMHO. Totally worth the investment. The chest strap HRMs are the most accurate usually.
  • anothermop
    anothermop Posts: 187 Member
    So I work out on the elliptical 5 days a week and do 20 minutes of weight loss setting at a decent pace. Then 10 minutes on the glutes setting at a mixed interval. When I input my weight/times etc into the fitness pal calorie calculator under exercise it tells me I burn about 480 calories on the elliptical.

    Is this an accurate view or do I go by what the machine at the gym says?

    16 calories a minute more than you would burn sedentary ? Way too high for me, but if you're fit it may be possible.
    I use the value from the machine. I usually go at a 6 min. mile pace and it says I burn about 425 calories / 30 minutes. (I always felt like that was too high, so I rarely consume half of those.

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