Lately I've been doing about 50 minutes on the elliptical at the gym. I go pretty high intensity (80% max heart rate) and the calories burned usually end up at about 550.

Can I trust that number? Thanks!

That sounds about right. At my height and weight a very light (5-6 mph) 1-hour jog for me is just shy of 450 calories, so 50 minutes is probably around 400. You're taller than I am and you're probably working harder, so it sounds right to me!

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but most machines at the gym are off by as much as 10%.. i focus on time like "i will stay on this for 20 minutes" instead of "i will stay on this til i burn x amount of calories."

it helps to put your weight in, otherwise most machines are based on a 150 lb person.. other people wear heart moniters which will often give a different readout on the machine

you can burn more calories on the elliptical if you use your arms and don't lean on the machine..

i don't know, i never trust the machine for calories...i just work out as hard as i can... if you are working out intensely and feel like you are getting a good workout.. you are... just might not be burning the exact # it tells u

They are not very accurate unfortunately!

There are two Sticky Threads in this forum on the subject:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/exer...g-methods.html
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/exer...-accurate.html

Oops! I'll make sure to check the stickies before posting from now on! Thanks everyone for your help!

No, they are not accurate. The elliptical at my gym always tells me that I burn more calories than my heart rate monitor does.

One way to help w/ the accuracy is to put a lower weight in the machine, if it has that option. Example: If you weigh 175, put in 150 when it asks for your weight. That's what I do. I at least know it's closer to being correct!

I never trust the numbers. I just focus on the time rather than the calories burned.