I track my food on fitday and I try to track my exercise there also but can never find anything that I think matches the machines I use at the y.

The machines I use are:
Chest Press 2 sets of 12 reps
Seated Row 2 sets of 13 reps
Back Extender 2 sets of 13 reps
Ab Crunch 2 sets of 13 reps
for a total weight lifted of 2850lbs.

I also walk 1 or 2 miles at 2.0 mph.

I have been combining my walking with the machines to create a "circuit training routine" that takes approx 1 1/2 hours to complete.

The machines are not far from the walking track so I walk 2 laps and do 1 set on a machine and then walk 2 laps and then do another set. I don't stop and rest between the laps and the machines. By the time I have finished all 8 sets, I have walked 1 mile.

On alternate days, I just walk.

Fitday gives me 830 calories burned for 1 1/2 hours of "circuit training, including some aerobic activity".

It gives 86 calories for walking 1 mile in 30min at 2.0mph.

Do these numbers sound right? to high? too low?

I keep hearing that calories burned are usually overestimated by 30% but I feel like I should be burning more than 830 calories on the days I do the machines and walk. And I feel like 1 mile should burn more than 86 calories but I don't know. I am 62 years old and weigh 188 (as of today).

I did this weird experiment last September and weighed almost all of my food on a food scale for a month. I USUALLY don’t weigh things like grapes or carrots. I usually don’t even measure them. Really, life is too short to weigh grapes every day. However, it was an interesting experiment.

My experience with ALL of the data bases (Calorie King, Calorie Count, Fitday.com, MyPyramid.gov) - they are old and tend to underestimate the calories by a LOT.

For example, www.caloriecount.about.com says that a large peach is 157 grams and is 61 calories. I put a peach on the food scale… and this large-ish peach (and it wasn't even HUGE... I've seen bigger than this...) is 265 grams… and is 102 calories.

Ditto with almost all foods. A half of a boneless skinless chicken breast is listed as 86 g (or 3 oz.) on www.caloriecount.about.com. Maybe in 1950. Today half of a chicken breast weighs 8 oz or half a pound.

The webs sites give calories for a “large” peach or “large baked potato” or “chicken thigh” … but the items sold in stores are significantly larger than what is listed on the websites. Fitday, Calorie King, etc, all tend to use the same data base… and I think that it from 1950 or something… when food was smaller.

Fitday says that a large pumpkin muffin has 479 cals and 11 g fat… however, you if you buy your large muffin at Starbucks or Panera or some place like that… It PROBABLY has more like 600+ calories and 20 or 30 grams of fat.

Ditto cake… the data bases say that 1 piece of cake (1/8th of the cake with frosting) is 187 calories and is 71 grams (or about 2.44 oz). If you buy an “individual” slice of cake from the Safeway bakery and put it on a food scale… it weighs about 7-8 oz, and is more like 600-700 calories.

And restaurant meals tend to be underestimated. The restaurant website might say that a meal might have 800 calories… but in studies… when they have the meals analyzed… they tend to come back with more calories. The menu or website might say 800... But in reality it might be more like 1,100 calories.

I bought a small McDonald's fries and put it on my food scale... and it weighed 30% more than listed on the McD's website.

Of course, it is the best info we have… but just be aware that much of the info on Fitday or Calorie King or MyPyramid.gov and all of the websites is probably like 50 years old or something and they really underestimate the real calories in foods.

ALSO... most of us didn't gain weight eating huge peaches or 300 calorie bowls of grapes. But on the other hand... if you are using Calorie King or Fitday PERFECTLY and think that you are eating 1500 calories a day... you are PROBABLY eating 30+% more and more like 2,000 or 2,100 calories a day... simply because their data bases underestimate MOST foods.

And also since it is working for you... I wouldn't change it.

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
[...]
I’m guessing that Fitday is [...]underestimating your calories eaten a little.

Most of the calorie counts I get from them are from my "custom foods" where I have entered the information from package labels (& we know how acurate those things are ) or from websites like:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/f...able-products/2947/2

quote:

If your numbers were accurate, in theory, you would be losing 2.75 lbs a week.
[...]

I know. That is what is so frustrating.
I usually post less than a pound lost at the weekly weigh ins for Team Lean at the Y and yet my calorie deficit (sp?) indicates I should be seeing more than that.

I can well understand why some people, who only have scale results to go on, give up. At least I have the body fat test results, and the knowlege and encouragement I get from everybody here to keep me going.

Circuit training will give you a more effective workout because you are resting less between reps and are able to do more exercises but burning more calories really isn't the goal.

Interval training is a different story. That's where you lift for a set and then do a 2 minute burst of high intensity cardio, then repeat until your workout is complete. Interval days at my old gym were when clients came close to puking.

I wore a HRM at the Y one time. It gave me about 45 calories for 25 mins of using the leg press and leg curl and leg extension machines.

I was usually one of the hardest people working out at my Y... and lifted heavier weights than a couple of the men. My total lifted in 25 mins was about 4800 pounds.

I believe that the calories in “circuit training” are often over estimated. I think that “circuit training” is mostly a caloric myth that some trainers have.

When I did personal training sessions… my trainer was into circuit training and having me get on a bike (in the middle of weight lifting) for 5 minutes and go as hard as I could to get my HR up. Then, in theory, I would burn more calories during the weight lifting if my HR was elevated But I think that in reality, the “extra” calories that I burned while lifting weights was REALLY negligible and didn‘t add up to a whole lot.

quote:

Originally posted by BrenauMom:
If I am burning approx. 2710 to 2834 per day depending on my activity level for that day, Am I eating enough by limiting my calorie intake to 1400-1500 calories a day?

I’m guessing that Fitday is overestimating your calories burned and underestimating your calories eaten a little.

If your numbers were accurate, in theory, you would be losing 2.75 lbs a week.

But like Brie said, if this is working for you… keep doing it. Your numbers may not be 100% accurate… but if that is working for you, keep doing it.

My experience from the WW’ers boards:

People who truly are really under eating are often physically hungry. If you read “The Great Starvation” experiment, people who are significantly under eating are hungry and preoccupied by food.

They often can’t stay on track for more than a few days or a few weeks… because they are physically hungry, OR they are sooooo strict with themselves… they can’t keep it up. For the most part, if you attempt to starve yourself… you’re body will resist you and drive you to eat.

If you were truly under eating… I don’t think that you would be building muscle. I think that you could very well see muscle loss, if you were under eating by a significant amount (although, I COULD be wrong about this…) But people who are in starvation mode are generally not building muscle.

For the most part, the whole thing of being in “starvation mode” is mostly myth. OTOH, people that don’t eat enough, OFTEN see their weight loss stall, mostly because they under eat for 5 days and then over eat for 2 days.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/...&art_id=35501&sc=801

I think you are right that those fitday weight training estimates are probably close to accurate as is the walking based on your pace.

quote:

Originally posted by BrenauMom:
If I am burning approx. 2710 to 2834 per day depending on my activity level for that day, Am I eating enough by limiting my calorie intake to 1400-1500 calories a day?

This is where I think it gets tricky. I don't know that I buy the not "eating enough" thing (within reason of course). When I'm in loss mode I stick to under 1500 cals/day. If I'm eating lots of veggies and complex carbs, it's way more than enough food both to satisfy me and meet my nutritional needs. I just need to be smart about my food choices.

Again, my personal feeling on this is that what you are doing is working for you. You aren't dropping weight like on biggest loser where they're having 10 lbs/week which would be cause for alarm - it's coming off slowly and consistently which is GREAT! You are not starving yourself by sticking to 1400-1500 cals/day : )

Thanks Brie, I know that it is a matter of "calories in vs calories out" but I lead such a sedentary life (other than going to the Y) that I need to get a "feel" for approx. how many calories are going out.
What I most needed to know was how to enter the machines in my activity log. I looked up "weight lifting" and Fit Day has this listing: "Weight lifting (free weight...) light workout, general" and it shows 207 calories for 1 hour.

You mentioned about 100-200 calories for 1/2 hour but I know I don't work as intensly as you do so I guess this would be about right for me.

You also mentioned 100 calories for 1 mile of walking but I don't go as fast as most so I guess the 86 calories fitday gives me for 1 mile is probably close to right.

I have my lifestyle set to "mostly seated with some movement" which is pretty much what my life is like. I am generally just sitting around from lunch time (after I get home from the Y) until bedtime unless I am taking mother to the doctor or grocery shopping (which is the only places she goes these days). Fit Day gives me 2710 calories for "lifestyle". It goes down to 2540 on walking/workout days and to 2653 on just walking days. If you subtract my RMR that leaves 1051 (881 & 994) burned by my limited activities which sounds about right to me because I know how much I don't do.

All of that brings me to another question.
If I am burning approx. 2710 to 2834 per day depending on my activity level for that day, Am I eating enough by limiting my calorie intake to 1400-1500 calories a day?

I agree with Jill - don't worry about the numbers. You are exercising and seeing results so your calories in are less than your calories out.

****

In general though, the 830 number sounds way high to me. Walking 1 mile burns approx. 100 cals. I also estimate about 100 -200 calories per 1/2 hour of weight lifting depending on how fast I'm moving through my circuit and how elevated my heart rate is. The only time I've come close to burning 800+ calories in 1 1/2 hours is if I'm doing some serious running.

****

BUT - don't get hung up on the numbers! Keep doing what you are doing because it's working : )

P.S. If it were me I would put in the walking in fitday and then add another line for "weight lifting (free weights)" option and the time you spent doing that.

Judy,
I try not to get too hung up on the whole "how many calories did "X" exercise burn". For me, just getting myself to exercise is a big accomplishment. I don't know how accurate the machines, fitday, or other ways of measuring calories burned during exercise are. I also don't know if the whole "most overestimate calories burned by about 30%" idea is accurate either.

Are you seeing/feeling results? I would say if you are then you certainly are burning off enough calories.

I'm not really answering your question, sorry! I'm just throwing in my opinion.

And wow! 188!! Weren't you over 200 just about 3 or 4 months ago? I can't remember but keep up the great work!

Jill