Does the elliptical really burn so many calories?

Hi, I use my elliptical and enter it in my activity log.  I have a feeling it says I'm burning way more calories than I really am, or does the elliptical just really rock?

Here's what it says:

 Elliptical Trainer - Light Effort30 mintues 457 calories

I dont know if thats correct, it really depends on the time and level you use on an elyptical, i use one my job offers at our lil gym on the second level(intermediate), in 30 minutes i burn around an estimated  250-270 cals. so dont know if i was much help, but just putting in my experience with elypticals. 

I enter 30 minutes at moderate effort and this site says I only burned 300 calories. Maybe it depends on your weight/height/age? But my elliptical tells me I burned closer to 450. (I don't have to enter age or weight).

I don't really understand why, but ellipticals do seem to burn more calories than just a treadmill. I usually burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes on a lower level and closer to 450 on a higher level.

I really wish we could get an accurate count. It'd be one thing if the machines and calorie estimates online differed only a bit, but I see a difference of hundreds of calories.

Do any of you know if you can somehow log the distance? It seems like that would be the most accurate way to estimate burned calories...

I find that ellipticals tend to way overstate the number of calories burned.  I have a bodybugg so I have a good way to doublecheck machine numbers.  I find that ellipticals and stairmasters tend to overestimate calories burned, basically I have to multiply the machine number by .66 to get the numbers really burned.  Huge difference!  And I get the inaccurate numbers even when I am able to enter my age/weight/gender/etc. into the machine.

On the other hand, I find that treadmills for me tend to be either right on or slightly underestimate the calories burned.  Kind of weird, but that's one of the reasons I got a bodybugg, so I would know for sure.

Thanks everyone.

 

Question:

What's a bodybugg?

bodybugg is like a heart rate monitor you wear all day and it calculates the cals your body is using.  I just use a regular hrm hat is cheaper

According to my HRM and this site I burn about the same calories on the elliptical, but walking is always higher than what this website gives me

i never take those numbers seriously

I tend to always enter "Light" when I actually do moderate to make up the difference.