Calorie burn question!

[kassondralb]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I really would love to know.

I've been trying to figure out the best way to figure out my calorie burn during my workouts. Previously, I was using the estimates from MyFitnessPal but some of them seem really high. I then decided to use the average heart rate equation to figure that out, but that seems low (at least in comparison to the results I'm seeing anyway). When using that equation, I found something that said my max calorie burn in a full hour is 560, based on my age/weight/etc.

I guess my question is 2-fold. What is the absolute best way to calculate calories burned in a workout? AND, is it accurate to say that in an hour there is no way for me to burn more than 560 calories?

My mind is very number-oriented, so I'd like my logs to be as accurate as possible. Thank you in advance and I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question!

[blue9steel]

No matter what number you choose it's likely going to be inaccurate. A reasonable estimate comes from Harvard data which showed that a 185lb trainee burned 266 calories per hour while doing weight training. For walking I find that 0.41 calories per mile per pound tends to be fairly close. Most of the estimates you'll see out there are way too high, and generally are for Gross calories rather than Net, which makes them fairly useless.

FYI, the main purpose of your workout is to build or retain lean body mass, not to burn calories. (though that's a nice side effect)

[kassondralb]

No matter what number you choose it's likely going to be inaccurate. A reasonable estimate comes from Harvard data which showed that a 185lb trainee burned 266 calories per hour while doing weight training. For walking I find that 0.41 calories per mile per pound tends to be fairly close. Most of the estimates you'll see out there are way too high, and generally are for Gross calories rather than Net, which makes them fairly useless.

FYI, the main purpose of your workout is to build or retain lean body mass, not to burn calories. (though that's a nice side effect)

Oh yeah, absolutely!

Would you suggest, then, not even recording them? I read in a few different articles that it's good to eat back around half of your exercise calories, which is the main reason I'm trying to keep track of that. I've been a crash dieter my entire life, so I'm really trying to make sure I'm doing it the proper way.

[adriannec]

I'd not try to track workout calories as said above because there isn't an accurate way to really do so. With weight lifting, a lot of your calorie burning is done outside of the workout as your body repairs itself and recovers. Nothing will track that. If you need to track something, I'd make sure that you move about the same amount each week and use that as your baseline. For example, I know I do 4 lift workouts a week every week and they take me about 4 hours total.

Calculate your calories based on your current workouts and that will already account for an estimate in there so no need to eat back calories or account for them. That's done for you. Do that and then adjust your calories based on your results. So if you workout 3 times a week and eat X calories a day to lose 1-1.5 lbs per week, great. If the scale stops, slightly adjust calories until you get it moving again. Much simpler than trying to track and adjust to workout calories burned.

[kassondralb]

I'd not try to track workout calories as said above because there isn't an accurate way to really do so. With weight lifting, a lot of your calorie burning is done outside of the workout as your body repairs itself and recovers. Nothing will track that. If you need to track something, I'd make sure that you move about the same amount each week and use that as your baseline. For example, I know I do 4 lift workouts a week every week and they take me about 4 hours total.

Calculate your calories based on your current workouts and that will already account for an estimate in there so no need to eat back calories or account for them. That's done for you. Do that and then adjust your calories based on your results. So if you workout 3 times a week and eat X calories a day to lose 1-1.5 lbs per week, great. If the scale stops, slightly adjust calories until you get it moving again. Much simpler than trying to track and adjust to workout calories burned.

That is way more convenient than figuring this all out on a daily basis. Thank you sometimes an outside perspective is exactly what I need to hear!

[blue9steel]

Would you suggest, then, not even recording them?

You've got two choices, both bad:

1) Estimate the calories as best you can knowing that they won't be accurate

2) Lump everything together in one number, realizing that it will be wrong any time you miss/add a workout with no way to adjust easily

Either way will "work" as long as you're consistent. I actually do #1, even though most people around here do #2. That's mostly because I like numbers and I'm comfortable with spreadsheets.

I read in a few different articles that it's good to eat back around half of your exercise calories, which is the main reason I'm trying to keep track of that.

Total nonsense, you can ignore that info. You need a deficit to lose weight, pick your deficit and then manage to that number.

I've been a crash dieter my entire life, so I'm really trying to make sure I'm doing it the proper way.

That's sensible. Read the stickies, they're full of great information.