The calorie counters on fitness equipment are notoriously inaccurate. When you're running on an elliptical machine to lose weight, you're better off calculating the burn manually based on data from your workout. Once you've gathered the right data, it's an exercise in basic math. Just keep in mind that your calculations, although they will provide a reasonable estimate, won't be exact. Counting calories is not an exact science, since a variety of factors will adjust any given workout's calorie burn up or down.
Step 1
Weigh yourself before your workout. Your body weight is one of the main variables that determine how many calories you burn during a session.
Step 2
Do your session on the elliptical machine. Confirm that the readout is set for time elapsed and distance in miles. Other metrics may skew your results.
Step 3
Record your distance in miles and time elapsed at the end of your main workout. Do not include any warmup time or cool down in your calculations.
Step 4
Divide your total time by the number of miles you ran to determine the average pace of your workout. For example, if you ran 4 miles in 36 minutes, your pace would be nine minutes per mile.
Step 5
Use an online calorie counting database -- there are dozens of accurate databases available free of charge. Find the data for running. Find your approximate pace and cross-reference it with your body weight. That will be your total approximate calories burned by the workout.
Tips and Warnings
- Most calorie counters include a single entry for sessions on an elliptical trainer, based on 0.086 calories per pound of body weight per minute. However, these entries don't take your pace and mileage into account. The data for running is the best for calculations that include your pace, and pace can make a big difference in your total caloric burn.
Things You'll Need
- Bathroom or medical scale
- Calculator
- Internet access
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