question about heart rate monitors

Options
mrsmammahunter
mrsmammahunter Posts: 221 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am using one that records your height and weight to help set your "calorie burn" range which i believe mine is 150-165 i dont know at the top of my head. I had my 2 child 5 months ago and have started my total body workout plan to loose the weight! My question is I will go on the treadmill at an incline at 3mph for 30 mins a session and will burn 480-550 calories according to my watch and i am in my calorie zone 26 mins our of 30. 0_0 now at the end of this i am BEAT but it makes me nervous logging that amount of burn if its not accurate. I am at a 1400 cal a day already so i eat back my calories to maintain 1400 a day. But as i eat them back I'm all omg what if I didn't burn that much and I am hurting my progress. I have started this on the 16th and now 6 days later I have lost 2 pounds. But 500 cal? My stats are 5'9 at 212 pounds. Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    Options
    Does your HRM have a chest strap? If not you have watch, not a HRM. I don't mean to sound rude, just trying to be honest with you. It is very difficult for people to burn over 10 calories a minute. For example, running at 4mph (and yes that is running for me, I'm 5'4", 172#'s with very short legs) I will burn about 290 doing incline intervals. Lowest incline being 2, highest being 8 and maintaining my speed of 4mph.

    A - Your HRM is set up wrong
    B - I wouldn't count but about half of what it's telling you now.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Options
    All devices only estimate calories burned, so some trial and error is part of the process for most people.

    Pick a method of estimating calorie burns (use your HRM's number, use half of it, use MFP, whatever, just be consistent) and use that method exclusively for a month. Log things as consistently and as accurately as you can, both food and workouts. Then, after a month, compare your expected results with your actual results. If things line up fairly close, then you're doing well and can probably keep going as is. If not, then you need to tweak how you estimate.
  • mrsmammahunter
    mrsmammahunter Posts: 221 Member
    Options
    Does your HRM have a chest strap? If not you have watch, not a HRM. I don't mean to sound rude, just trying to be honest with you. It is very difficult for people to burn over 10 calories a minute. For example, running at 4mph (and yes that is running for me, I'm 5'4", 172#'s with very short legs) I will burn about 290 doing incline intervals. Lowest incline being 2, highest being 8 and maintaining my speed of 4mph.

    A - Your HRM is set up wrong
    B - I wouldn't count but about half of what it's telling you now.

    yes it has a strap
    I reset it and programmed it again before my cardio workout and it came up around the same
  • mrsmammahunter
    mrsmammahunter Posts: 221 Member
    Options
    All devices only estimate calories burned, so some trial and error is part of the process for most people.

    Pick a method of estimating calorie burns (use your HRM's number, use half of it, use MFP, whatever, just be consistent) and use that method exclusively for a month. Log things as consistently and as accurately as you can, both food and workouts. Then, after a month, compare your expected results with your actual results. If things line up fairly close, then you're doing well and can probably keep going as is. If not, then you need to tweak how you estimate.

    Thanks I will continue using the hrm for this month and if i stay loosing 2 pounds a week then awesome. It will just suck if i dont loose anymore and this months work will be for nothing ya know.

Categories