Tracking Calories Burned..best gadget?

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kgresham21682
kgresham21682 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently doing group fitness classes 4 or 5 days a week. These classes consist of spin, step, and pump. I want to know how many calories I am burning during these classes based on how hard I am working. What is the best "gadget" out there for tracking calories burned?

Replies

  • katro111
    katro111 Posts: 632 Member
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    I heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I use a Polar FT4, never had any issues with it.
  • tristaj90
    tristaj90 Posts: 330 Member
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    I love my Polar FT7 heart rate monitor. It's best used for steady states of cardio and will go by your height, weight, gender, and age, and your heart rate to calculate the calories burned within the time frame you start and stop tracking.
  • ladykaisa
    ladykaisa Posts: 236 Member
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    I heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I use a Polar FT4, never had any issues with it.

    This is what I have. I love it.
  • drosebud
    drosebud Posts: 277 Member
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    After looking into it myself very recently, I've ordered a Polar FT4 HRM for doing just that. It seemed like a decent option, based on reports I've read, and was within my budget. I haven't actually got it yet so can't comment on what it will be like in practice.

    (edit: glad to hear more positive reports while I was typing that!)
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
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    Fitbit is great for step based movement (step and pump), but it wouldn't really benefit you for spinning. A heart rate monitor might be a good choice for spinning but I like Fitbit because it calculates your TDEE (calories burnt from your everyday movement - not just planned exercise). Good luck!
  • licorice_tea
    licorice_tea Posts: 59 Member
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    It depends how fancy you want to get, I think. I think a BodyBugg is probably your best bet, but I don't recommend it because of both the upfront and ongoing cost of use. The next best thing, I think, would be a heart rate monitor, but these can vary in cost and you may not want to wear a chest strap (and the wrist ones can vary in accuracy with wild arm movements) so I can't speak from personal experience. Personally, Spin classes I think have a relatively accurate calorie count rate you can find online and calculate from the amount of time and your weight/gender because they are a trademarked and quality-controlled class. I would use fitbit for step, and I confess I've never heard of pump (except to refer to the DDR-style game Pump It Up).
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    I like the polar FT4 and FT7
  • adipace815
    adipace815 Posts: 112 Member
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    Polar Loop and H7 HRM.
  • Kyorei
    Kyorei Posts: 7 Member
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    I have a FitBit Flex which in 'interesting' in its estimates. I've spent a few days trying to calibrate it (via it's pace/stride length) compared to Runkeeper and I think I'm now getting fairly accurate distanced tracked if I walk at my medium pace. I think it overestimates calories burned though as well as 'very active' minutes. Still it's been a bit of an inspiration for me. I should add it only tracks walking and running.

    I'd imagine the heart rate monitors mentioned above are much more accurate - I'll need to look into those myself in the future.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    I heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I use a Polar FT4, never had any issues with it.

    This is what I have. I love it.
    /\ what they said.
  • bryannakay
    bryannakay Posts: 198 Member
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    POLAR FT7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!
  • snappingosprey
    snappingosprey Posts: 28 Member
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    Search online and you will see that the fitbit and similar devices can be highly inaccurate (one person had their fitbit record a ton of steps while they sat on the couch!)

    Heart Rate Monitors (HRM) are the way to go.

    I have the Polar FT7. The FT4 is cheaper and basically the same without the fat burn/fitness zone indicator (I believe).

    Wanted to add that many HRM calculate calories burned by age and weight, like the machines in the gym, but also ask for and consider height and gender, making them much more accurate.
  • callmestephanie
    callmestephanie Posts: 90 Member
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    I have the Polar watch f4... you wear a chest strap but when its on I honestly don't notice it there. It's not awkward at all IMO
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Now discontinued, but still available - motoactv with a HRM strap.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    These classes consist of spin, step, and pump.

    Don't think there is anything that will give you what you want. Glorified pedometers like fitbit aren't reliable given the nature of movements and don't work on bikes anyway, and an HRM isn't designed for these types of sessions.
  • bncosby
    bncosby Posts: 1
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    I use a Body Media arm band. Like what they use on Biggest Loser. It works great. Gives me feedback on my sleep patterns, steps, exercise, and integrates with MFP and RunKeeper seamlessly. They have an iPhone app that let me sync over Bluetooth and check my progress at any time.

    http://www.bodymedia.com/Shop/Armband-Packages
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Motoactv will do spin and step ok I reckon - not much will handle pump (presuming body pump) as it's more weights based, though it does have a weights setting.

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