[Ekicna]

At the gym, I use a LifeFitness Elliptical Trainer for 44 minutes. I input my weight, age, and the length of time I would like to exercise and I get started. The machine also tracks my heart rate.

For 44 minutes of the Elliptical, the machine tells me that I burned 353 calories.

At the same time, I am wearing my Timex Zone Trainer heart rate watch and chest strap. I have input my weight and maximum heart rate.

I am constantly comparing the machine vs. my heart rate monitor and my heart rate is relatively the same on both.

At the end of my 44 minute work out, my heart rate monitor tells me that I burned 563 calories.

My Fitness Pal says in 44 minutes I should have burned 478 calories.

Which device should I believe? The elliptical or the heart rate monitor?

[peanutt]

Use the estimate provided by the heart rate monitor that was attached to your body and continually measuring your heart rate. Since none of these measures are 100% exact, you may as well always stick with the consistent one (as opposed to using the number spit out by various machines or different estimates from online calculators).

[Ekicna]

Thanks!

[SunStorm]

Same here. I have the Polar Heart Rate monitor and before I received it, I would go based on the machine's calculation, but I noticed that it was inaccurate because my heart rate was not recorded on the elliptical machine, so I think it estimates based on weight and speed as opposed to heart rate. So I would go with my heart rate monitor.

[pattyhues]

heart monitor machines are notorious for their inaccuracies