Tracking calories burned with HRM question

Rebaisa

Hi all, I'm new here and wondered if some of you could help answer some questions for me.

I have ordered (hasn't come yet) a Mio Fuse fitness tracker with heart rate monitor. I intend to use it only when working out to try and track my calories burned more accurately. I realise I can't use it for resistance/weight training, only for cardio, but my problem is that I intended to try and do the c25k for cardio, which involves short intervals of jogging and walking, building up to more running. Recent reading tells me that calorie counters with HRMs are only good for steady state cardio, so does this mean it won't give accurate calories for c25k? If not is there a way to track calories for this exercise?

Similarly, there is a walk I sometimes do around an old quarry which has a steep uphill section at the start then goes around and down. Would the calorie burn estimate for the whole walk be skewed because of my faster heart rate from the uphill bit?

I think, for my health, that I should be eating back a portion of calories burned but don't want to overdo it.

Sorry if these questions are stupid or have been asked before, like I said, I'm new here and just trying to get my head around it all. Thanks in advance for your help.

RoseTheWarrior

I think the HRM would be fairly close. I use a Polar HRM for everything. I just make sure that if I eat back any calories, it's not more than 50%. That way, you're not going to be too far off course. Good luck with your new HRM!

Rebaisa

Great, thanks for the reply. Perhaps I was overthinking it

louubelle16

It won't be skewed by you working harder during your uphill bit as it records your heart rate at regular intervals so it knows when your effort levels have changed.

I would also recommend the 50% rule for eating back exercise cals, like you said, you don't want to overdo it especially if you have health concerns. You can always increase or decrease that if it isn't working for you after a couple of weeks.

Rebaisa

Thanks. I realise that the HRM takes measurements at regular intervals, but was worried that my heart rate would still be up for a while after I'd stopped working so hard. I guess in the greater scheme of things it won't make too much difference, and I think you're right - if I eat back half the exercise calories that should leave enough of a buffer in case of inaccuracy. (My reasoning for thinking I should be eating some back is that I'm only on 1200 as a base, and if I'm doing a reasonable amount of exercise my body will presumably need a bit more to avoid lean muscle loss).