Calories Burned on Cardio Machines Are Misleading: Here’s Why! by Heather Frey

Don't focus on the calories the machines say you’ve burned. Not only are they often not calibrated correctly, but if you're trying to lose or get lean, you need to see your whole picture, which is the quality of the food – not necessarily the calories in it. Think: 500 calories of chicken, veggies, fruit or brown rice is completely different than 500 calories of candy, pasta or fast food.

Bottom line: Don’t worry so much about what you’re burning; focus more on the fuel you’re putting in. The cleaner the food going in, the more efficient your body burns it, which means nothing to store ON your body.