Overestimated calorie burn on an elliptical

Question

I'm following a calorie count + elliptical routine for about two weeks now. My average calorie deficit should be about 500, but I don't see ~1 kg weight loss I expected. I'm very accurate at measuring my food intake, so the problem must be the elliptical.

I'm using Torneo Stella C-507M. I'm 25 years old, 1.90 meters height, currently at 125 kg. I use mid-to-high settings with slowly varying programs for about 30-60 minutes, and the calorie burn it shows is correspondingly about 430-760. I usually don't use the handles, but occasionally I do when doing the harder parts if my legs are getting cramped. Is it likely that the machine is overestimating my calorie burn? How do I correct it so that I could get on the track?

Answer 1

The short answer is yes, it's overestimating your calorie burn. But it's unlikely the sole reason that you're having trouble losing weight.

Most exercise machines overestimate calorie burn, and ellipticals are among the worst offenders. Studies have shown that they can overestimate calorie burn by as much as 40%. A more reasonable expectation for someone of your weight might be 100 calories burned per 10 minutes (assuming a moderate pace).

Because it's difficult to precisely know how many calories you burn throughout the day (BMR and exercise machines are not 100% accurate), it may be a good idea to give yourself wiggle room when it comes to your calorie intake. These calculations have a lot more room for error at body weights approaching 135kg and higher, especially if you have a high body-fat ratio.

Try to aim for a calorie deficit of 1000 instead of 500, and estimate 300 calories burned for 30 minutes on the elliptical. If this is too difficult and/or you lose more than 1kg per week, you can adjust it.

Answer 2

Well, as TonyArra says, these machines always overstimate the amount of calories burnt.

Also, you have to take in account that if you start your workout with the elliptical, this is, you don't do muscle workout first, you won't start burning fat until the first 30 min. So if you workout for 60min, you will burn fat for 30min.

So you will be really burning around 200 calories from fat.

Edit - Calories meassurement

First you should calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This tells you how much calories do you burn just doing normal life (these values are just an aproximation). But this is a dificult value to meassure, as you need to be in a dark room, after sleeping for 8 hours, etc... So you can measure your resting metabolic rate (RMR) which will tell you almost the same and it's easier to meassure. You can use one of these 2 equations for male:

Harris-Benedict: (13.75*weight(kg))+(5*size(cm))-(6.75*age)+66

Mufflin:(10*weight(kg))+(6.25*size(cm))-(5*age)+5

After this, you should apply the activity factor, which indicates your daiary activity value (not exercise):

• 1.2-1.3 for very light (bed rest)
• 1.5-1.6 for light (office work/watch tv)
• 1.6-1.7 for moderate (some activity during day)
• 1.9-2.1 for heavy (labor type work)

Then do: Diary activity cost = RMR * Activity factor

And finally we apply the phisical activity factor in Mets:

• high impact aerobics: 7
• low impact aerobics: 5
• high intensity cycling: 12
• low intensity cycling: 3
• high intensity walking: 6.5
• low intensity walking: 2.5
• high intensity running: 18
• low intensity running: 7
• circuit-type training: 8
• intense free weight lifting: 6
• moderate machine training: 3

Then do: Diary exercise cost = Weight(kg)*duration of exercise(hours)*Mets

Finally: Total exercise cost = Diary activity cost*Diary exercise cost

This will give you an aproximation of the amount of calories that you burn in a day.