Nowhere can I find a good calculator or estimate that suggests how many calories you REALLY burn while on the elliptical... I know no calculator would be completely accurate, but I'd love to have a ballpark. At least with running, you can guess it's about 100 calories per mile, but what about the elliptical?

At first, I was guessing 100 calories per mile, when on 0 resistance... but then how in the world do you calculate it if you ramp up the resistance??

I wish the calorie counter on the machines was more accurate!

If you have the means, invest in a Heart Rate Moniter. You can get a nice one for $80-$100. You input your personal information so that's the most accurate way you'll be able to measure calories burned on any piece or equipment or doing any activity... Hope that helps

i persoanlly do not think 100 cals per mile on an elliptical at 0 resistance is anywhere near correct!
I would go more with 10 minutes at a decently intense level (HR up, sweating, breathing kinda hard, slightly uncomfortable) would be *closer* to 100 cals, but i would round down to like 75 or 80...... and it also really really depends on how good of shape you are in! I am very conditioned and am LUCKY to burn 400 cals running a 10k.... theres no way to know without HR monitor, and even then its only so accurate..... good luck tho!

I have the Ironman 1815 Elliptical Trainer, and the little monitor on the elliptical says I burn 350 calories in 50 minutes for my age and weight. I'm not sure if this is right or not. Also, I usually have the resistance level set to 4.

I recommend a heart rate monitor as well. I am 164 pounds and my workout varies between about level six to the highest resistance and a speed of 5.5 - 7mph. I use my elliptical for 30 minutes of HIT training, going from a low level to a high level then back again. My HRM says I burn about 300 calories for that 30 minutes. I don't know if that is helpful to you or not though. A good HRM is the best investment I have made. I got mine for less than $50 off ebay

My heart rate monitor seems to do a good job measuring my heartrate but I think it overestimates my calories burned. I paid 90 bucks for it too....yuck.

I have it set for my low and my high and just make sure I work out somewhere in that zone. Is that what you guys do?

I am assuming as this fat leaves me, my numbers will change and I will be able to work out harder.