During my recent four-month forced hiatus from running, I kept track of calories using a couple of popular calorie counters: Fitday and, later, MyPlate. According to my daily average intake, I should have lost 1.8 pounds a week. Instead, I gained five pounds.
Part of the problem was something I wrote about last month: I vastly underestimated my recorded portions and serving sizes. But I also fell for miscalculations on how much I burned exercising.
Basically, you cannot trust the accuracy of calorie estimates generated by machines, which tend to provide far more generous numbers than you’ve actually earned.
Exercise machine manufacturers want you to believe you’re burning more than you might be so you’ll stick with their product. Calorie counters take your word on weight, age and especially effort. Your number is aggregated with others, from fat to fit, to come up with an average. But we all move mass differently and everything from proper form to a spicy burrito breakfast can impact metabolism and calorie loss.
Here’s an interesting excerpt from "How Many Calories Does an Elliptical Machine Burn?"
A study conducted by Barry University tested 26 men and women as they exercised on an elliptical trainer and found that the manufacturer's estimate of calories burned was too high for all participants. The study also noted that the participants had very different rates of calorie burn because of differences in fitness level, gender and body composition. Martica Heaner, an exercise physiologist, estimates that most exercise machines may overestimate calories burned by as much as 10 to 30%, so only use them as a general guideline.
In my research, I've found other sites and programs that repeat that same statistic. So, what I’ve begun to do is ignore how many calories a machine or computer says I burned in a workout. Instead, I focus on staying within a specific calorie range. And, guess what, I’m starting to lose weight again.
8 comments:
Marketing strategies are everywhere...unbelievable! I would have never thought of that one...thanks.
Calorie counting is the only thing that works for me. It takes the act of actually writing down what that "small" handful of dried fruit costs me to keep me from going back for seconds... thirds. And those calorie counts on machines? I must be jaded because I've never trusted them. My numbers always seem too good to be true! :)
So - how are you accurately estimating your calorie burn? Are you using the statistics provided by your calorie tracking website?
The reason I ask is I have suspected this for quite some time. And after next week, I'm going to switch from a "training for a marathon mode" to a "losing some weight mode." I wanttomake sure that I appropriately plan my calorie intake so I don't lose muscle mass, but lose fat instead.
When I use Fitday I have to be sure and measure out everything per serving sizes, otherwise I end up over eating. I also had a major wake up call when I started using my new Garmin Forerunner 405cx, one of the two Garmins out there that calculates caloric burn not only with time and miles run, but with heart rate factored in. I was off a good 100+ calories less than what I thought I was burning off, which doesn't sound like much, but it adds up.
PS. Machines are very generous, I've discovered, and that's a disservice.
Wonderful post.
I made my older daughter read your post - she is too keen on those machine calorie counters and takes them for 100% true.
30% overestimation of calories burned is CRUEL and should be enough to start a class action suit against the manufacturers. Imagine all the people working hard to lose weight and determining their nutritional input on what they've spend at the gym!
I did not know before hand that these machines existed. I don't keep a diary, but had thought about doing so. I just measure my weight loss by checking the scale once a week or so. But really, I can tell by how I look, and if I feel good. Cool Post.
I was using MyPlate for a while and was shocked at how many calories they claimed I was burning when I wasn't even breaking a sweat. I've always been a bit distrustful of these types of sites, and the numbers that are displayed.
I've been curious about the Body Bugg and wondered if it's any more accurate. It's a lot of money to spend on a maybe. Any experience with it or knowledge of it? They use it on Biggest Loser, but that show is one big marketing ploy too, so it can be hard to separate great tools from marketing.
Sue,
I haven't tried the Body Bugg, mainly because of the price threshold. I guess we all "pay a price" for free tools too. Yeah, since discovering the overestimates were for real, I've pretty much ignored them in MyPlate.
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