Calorie counters on workout machines
 

Do you trust the "calories burned" counter on the treadmill/elliptical/etc.? I always look at it wondering how accurate it is.

Nope :) But its still useful

Mostly because it can never pick up my heart rate in the first place, so how could it know how hard I'm working. Plus, I'm assuming it uses something like an average metabolic rate, but thats not necessarily what yours is.

So I dont use it to say "i burnt 350 cal on the treadmill so i can eat a burger and be even" or to figure out how much i have lost. But I do use it as a measure of how far ive gone kinda thing. So each time on the treadmill i might focus on "burning more calories" in 45 mins, rather than trying to run a certain distance

Originally Posted by Iconised Ghost:
So each time on the treadmill i might focus on "burning more calories" in 45 mins, rather than trying to run a certain distance

I do this as well. Accurate? No. Useful tool in breaking exercise goals? Yes.

I think the distance is fine but I wear a bodybugg and I can tell you that my BB tells me that I burn about 1/2 what the machine is calculating.

NOt acurate at all unless their is a weight adjustable setting and even then it could still be off +- 15%. There is no way I as a 130lbs 5'10 24 year old male burn 325 calories in 20 minutes. 220 caolires sounds more realistic

I don't at ALL, on any machine I've ever used. When I started the elliptical I was using said I burned fewer than 50 calories in 45 minutes. Yeah...not right. The one my husband and I now have at home, even WITH his weight put in (268 pounds), says he burns 150 calories in half an hour, which I KNOW isn't right. I've got a heart rate monitor that I trust way more than anything the machine says...

I notice alot that the machine seems to take a general count and it's not really accurate. In general if me and my BF do the same workout program on the treadmill it will say we burned the same.. which is not possible. I weigh 156 and he weighs 195... how could we burn the exact same thing? If it helps push you OVER the amount of exercise you wanted to do I would say use it for motivation but never rely on it.

:-)

Yeah I don't think they're entirely accurate either, but I think they get a little closer to accurate the more info the machine asks of you. For example, at the gym I go to, the treadmill doesn't ask anything about you, just starts spitting numbers out. Riiiight....
But my fav elliptical goes through this whole weight?? age?? thing and calculates based on your strides per minute and the resistance.

I agree with everyone else though. For me it's not about the number of calories burned, but I try to keep it the same rate each day. If I averaged "10 cal/minute" I try to do that or better the next time.

And really, don't worry too much about calories burned during your exercise! The point of exercise is to get your heart rate up and your body moving. That'll kick up your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day anyway.

That's what I was thinking. From reading those posts, I'm thinking maybe I should get a bodybugg or some kind of heart rate monitor...might be useful?

Thanks everyone for your input!

Originally Posted by angee phalangee:
That's what I was thinking. From reading those posts, I'm thinking maybe I should get a bodybugg or some kind of heart rate monitor...might be useful?

Thanks everyone for your input!

Yeah - which one do you think is better?

I checked out the body buggs and they cost a grip... abt 150 bux! Im thinkin of just getting a cheap heart rate monitor or just to wait on one period... i have a habit of adding all thedse gadgets to my workout plan and when i leave to go to the gym it looks like im going skiing lol!!!! then when i cant find one of the items... i just cant seem to workoit without it....

See im glad Im noticing these things about myself so I can address and fix em....

the difference for me between the 2 is that the BB you put it on and wear it all day and forget about it. the HRM you have to remember to bring it with you, the strap is really annoying for us girls with "girls" and in then end if you don't remember it, wear it, or use it, have you really spent your moey wisely.

I have had my BB for 45 weeks (it tells me) took it off for the summer and have had it back on for about 6 weeks. it is part of getting dresses in the morning so I am down to about 20 cents a day for my BB with membership.