Heart rate monitor question!!!

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I've had the Polar ft7 hrm monitor for a while, but I'm a little weary of using it when I work out because
I think I'm a little confused with how it works. Whenever I run or exercise for an hr and use it, I feel like it's counting the calories I would normally burn during an hour of just living as exercise cals. Mfp already takes into account the number of calories I need to function in my daily intake amount, so I always feel like I'm cheating when I use it. This also happens when I take long walks. Since long walks don't really boost up my heart rate, I always wonder if the hrm isn't just counting the amount of cals I'd normally burn without exercise. Am I thinking too much into this or should I subtract the calories I would normally burn during an hr (tdee/24 hr) from the number of cals my hrm says I burn during an hr of exercise ?

I'm really sorry if this didn't make sense or confused anyone.. I'm getting more confused myself just asking about it. Thanks in advance!!

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  • CynNSinCity
    CynNSinCity Posts: 47 Member
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    I have the same monitor and wear it 90% of the time I workout. Yes, it will count all calories the body burns but they are calories you put into the workout so let them count and it's not cheating. Though, i also don't count calories so I don't worry about that function as much. I use the HRM more for the 'fat burn' vs. 'fitness' training modes. It's a nice perk to know if I burned 300, 500 or rarely 800 calories within any of my gym sessions.

    One thing you could do is wear the HRM for a normal day see what calories you burn and compare to MFP. I noticed MFP calories not to be all that accurate.

    But the calories burned during normal time vs exercise time still counts and it's not doubling up on calories or cheating at all. You earned 'em, so count 'em!