Machine readout's and Fitness Calculators - Accurate?

[Hollywood5]

Hi everyone, it's my first thread. My question is this. Taking into consideration that different people have different metabolism rattes - how can I tell if the calories burnt readout on my treadmill is accurate even though it knows what my weight is. Additionaly, how close to the mark are the calorie calculators online where you type in your body stats and the type of exercise and it gives you the calories burned in that period of time for that event. Maybe I'm a little frustrated, but I've figured every single daily activity al the way from sleep, to playing with my band 4 hours a nght on hot stages, to 45 minutes of tae-bo.... and it just seems that even with a moderately "in-check" diet, the pounds should be melting faster. Any opinions as to the reliability of these things? :confused: Thanks! Jay

[threenorns]

they're totally unreliable. they're only good as a rule of thumb.

a "moderately in-check diet" will result in a moderate weight loss. get it tighter and *then* the pounds will melt. also, check your macronutrients - if your fat or carb percentage is too high, weight loss will be slowed. have you considered you might be gaining muscle while losing weight? have you kept track of your measurements? it's a lot better than the scales. after all, how much can you trust a machine that can't tell you've just picked up the cat?

[aretel]

I have the same gripe about my stair stepper. It only counts every other step I take with my right leg so, after working out I have to multipy by 2. Same goes with the calorie counter. Every other step I take it tells me that I've burned a whopping .2 calories! At this rate of trying to burn calories and lose weight, I'll be 10 pounds heavier in a month! Ha ha!

Well, good luck with burning those calories!

[Streetman]

Hollywood-

AT what rate are you losing now? If you feel you can lose more, do more, and eat more often. No, don't eat less. Smaller portions, more often. Nothing wrong with eating 7, 8, 9 times a day. Just smaller portions.

Counting calories? How does a chart know the rate your thyroid works, vs the rate mine does? What if you jam harder on stage than the next rocker? Who is to say what # calories you burn? And then there's the whole slow cardio, vs fast cardio and how it changes your resting metabolism (or doesn't, depending on who you believe).

Bottom line? Listen to your body, not to web sites.