Heart Rate monitor

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  • recriger
    recriger Posts: 245 Member
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    Whats a good heart rate monitor. I am really trying to get this right as I have heard MFP overestimates calories burned.

    Oops.
    To actually answer your question, i have a Polar PF7 i believe. With a chest strap. If I remember correctly it cost around $80. Being a dork i, yes, actually did make a spreadsheet that included the activities, times, HRM reported calories and weight lost. I found that for me MFP under-calculated my cardio and was generally reliable on weights. The weights part may just be because I have a couple problems that cause me to rest a bit more between sets (at least it did at the time I used the HRM during weights) than what I observed of those around me. If i rested less it may have over calculated for my weights as others have found.

    Only issue i ever had with it was when the batteries got low. The screen went all goofy. Battery replacement fixed everything. Well, at least it did when I re-enter'd my info:)
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
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    Can't you just use how much you SWEAT as a gauge???? Why use a HRM anyway? So you can eat more? Please splain.
    Thank you!

    Sweating is and has never been an indicator of how hard you're working or how many calories you've burned. It's just the bodies way of cooling itself down. That's why you can sit in the sun doing absolutely nothing and start sweating,
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Can't you just use how much you SWEAT as a gauge???? Why use a HRM anyway? So you can eat more? Please splain.
    Thank you!

    Not_sure_if_serious.jpg
  • recriger
    recriger Posts: 245 Member
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    Can't you just use how much you SWEAT as a gauge???? Why use a HRM anyway? So you can eat more? Please splain.
    Thank you!

    Mostly just for accuracy. Some like to be more exact than others. A friend and I once built a small play house for his kids by "eye-balling" the lengths. I must thank the beer for that one. I bet it would have been a lot nicer if we had used a tape measure though.

    I don't think that sweat would be useful. When I run in the winter I'm barely damp when I finish due to the temperature, but after yesterday's run I had to ring out my shirt. Too many outside factors to be useful.
  • meadowsmummy
    meadowsmummy Posts: 108
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    Not sure using a heart rate monitor will be all that accurate either. Long time ago i used to run with a guy, we would run the same distance (~3 miles in about 16 - 17 minutes) at the same speed and at the end we woudl check our pulse rates. Mine would typically be over 150 his would typically be under 110.

    Thats because the monitor is calculating your body speciifically. unless you have the same weight, height, fat and muscle mass it wont be the same.
    Your heart is like a snowflake - there arent 2 the same

    Except that HR is only loosely tied to calorie burns.

    If something startles me, my HR goes up. Caffeine causes elevated HR. Am I burning more calories watching a scary movie or drinking soda? What if I do both at the same time???


    im a smoker which slows your heart rate yet at rest my heart rate is 120 lol maybe i should drink pop and watch scary movies while smoking

    See those strange symbols on your keyboard? That's call punctuation - no need to be afraid of it..

    Wow not only do we have spelling and grammar police we now have punctuation police.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    Can't you just use how much you SWEAT as a gauge???? Why use a HRM anyway? So you can eat more? Please splain.
    Thank you!

    In my case, I use a heart rate monitor for steady-state cardio so I can be reasonably close in my daily calorie intake. I am trying to maintain, so I don't want to work out and eat too little, nor do I want to work out and eat too much.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Not sure using a heart rate monitor will be all that accurate either. Long time ago i used to run with a guy, we would run the same distance (~3 miles in about 16 - 17 minutes) at the same speed and at the end we woudl check our pulse rates. Mine would typically be over 150 his would typically be under 110.

    Thats because the monitor is calculating your body speciifically. unless you have the same weight, height, fat and muscle mass it wont be the same.
    Your heart is like a snowflake - there arent 2 the same

    Except that HR is only loosely tied to calorie burns.

    If something startles me, my HR goes up. Caffeine causes elevated HR. Am I burning more calories watching a scary movie or drinking soda? What if I do both at the same time???


    im a smoker which slows your heart rate yet at rest my heart rate is 120 lol maybe i should drink pop and watch scary movies while smoking

    See those strange symbols on your keyboard? That's call punctuation - no need to be afraid of it..

    Wow not only do we have spelling and grammar police we now have punctuation police.

    When it's to the point that I can't understand your post, yes, I'll say something.
  • meadowsmummy
    meadowsmummy Posts: 108
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    Not my fault if you can't understand plan English
  • AlicesNirvanaHealthWellness
    AlicesNirvanaHealthWellness Posts: 112 Member
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    Bump,, I have been thinking about getting one too
  • Lialena
    Lialena Posts: 45 Member
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    I went with the Polar FT7 because it will work in the water (for laps and other surface swimming - it's water resistant to 30m, not water proof). It has the soft strap included but is compatible with the stiffer coded strap (which some people prefer using for fit and accuracy - my soft one has worked fine for me).

    I haven't worked out much since I've got it as I'm recovering from a fall, but I've been in the pool a couple times and found it really easy to use, and very motivating. When I thought about stopping I'd see I was only, say, 20 calories from 200, and I'd keep going.
  • faceoff4
    faceoff4 Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I personally love my Polar Ft40... Has a chest strap- which I dont mind and transmits HR to watch. The watch beeps when you get below or above your target heart rate for optimal calorie burn (calculated byt the personal data you enter in) PLus..it comes in pink so I was SOLD ;)

    The FT40 is what I have as well and love it. Go with any of the Polar models and you will be fine. The FT4 and FT7 are great entry models too and will usually have the features most need and want. If you go with any non chest strap type device just know it wont be overly accurate. I use the polar products with every activity I do and love them!
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
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    Not my fault if you can't understand plan English

    *plain :flowerforyou:
  • tamikawoodson
    tamikawoodson Posts: 185 Member
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    Speaking from experience, I have a sportsline wrist watch from WalMart($30.00) but it would stop working in the middle of my workouts so I was very disapponted. I bought a NewBalance N4 brand new on Ebay for $30 with free shipping, has the chest strap and I like it thus far, I've had it for a few weeks now. As far as calorie accuracy, I also use MapMyWalk when I walk and compare the two. I usually take the numbers and average them and then deduct 20% (just picked a percentage-no rhyme or reason). I hear and read alot about the Polar but I'm a single parent with a freshman in college so money is tight. I will one day upgrade to a Polar but for now I'm satisfied with my NBN4.
  • saeede83
    saeede83 Posts: 96 Member
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    I have a Polar FT7 Women's HRM. I don't know how accurate it is, but I know the calories burnt is far off what MFP reports. There are times MFP says I burned 900 calories while my HRM reports 200 burnt calories. In that sense I think it's a good investment.
  • Brie4me
    Brie4me Posts: 238
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    I have the polar FT4. Basic with chest strap. I got it on Amazon for less than $70. I really like it and use it all the time to calculate my calories burned.

    I got my Polar FT4 on Amazon for less than $70 also.
  • RLDeShazo
    RLDeShazo Posts: 356 Member
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    I recently got a Polar FT7. I like it so far. But that is mostly because I like having numbers to work with. I don't know how accurate it is for calories burned, as I have never had that tested.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,656 Member
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    I have a cheapo Polar FT4. My normal workout is 65 minutes on the elliptical targeting a heart rate between 140-153. According to the HRM I burn 510-540. According to the machine itself (which knows my weight) I burn 720-780. MFP database says 926.

    I tend to trust the HRM.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    I started with a Garmin FR70, great set up, basic functions that allow you to input personal data and resting heart rate. Loved it but as I really love running, I wanted to see my speed! Lol so....

    Got a Polar rcx5 and the GPS unit. Good watch but after taking fitness test, I think I agreed to adjust my heart rate max. Big mistake because it overestimates calories burned and your max heart rate doesn't change just because you reduced your rhr. A lowered rhr just means you have to work harder. Then I found out the GPS was off :(

    Decided to do more research and just bought the Suunto Ambit 2 and I love it! Should have bought this instead of the polar. It has great features and is so simple to operate and you can download apps to it or even create your own. Pricey but I got a bargain for a brand new one on eBay.
  • teaparty75
    teaparty75 Posts: 170
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    Can't you just use how much you SWEAT as a gauge???? Why use a HRM anyway? So you can eat more? Please splain.
    Thank you!

    Not_sure_if_serious.jpg
    YUP !! that's exactly why i invested in a body bugg by body media ....how else could you effectively use MFP if you are inputting bogus numbers ? i look at it like a "bank account" , burning extra calories gives me wiggle room to enjoy a treat every now and then and still be under my calorie goal
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
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    Love my Polar FT4!!!!

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