Activity Tracker AND Heart Rate Monitors

LynndaMaree

I use the Polar ft7. I love this thing. I never exercise unless I'm using it. I seem to be losing weight at a steady pace since I started using it. Even if the calories burned are not as accurate as they should be, it makes me want to work out more to burn more calories. I love my Polar.

Jonalee1977

I have a Polar FT7 that I use during workouts and I wear my Fitbit One 24/7. I don't think this is "overthinking" at all. To me, I'm being as accurate as possible.

MissingMinnesota

I use a polar loop which is a activty tracker plus it pairs with a HRM bluetooth chest strap. The only thing is you need your phone with you when working out and use the app that will track the HRM activty. I do like that its goals are based on activity level not just steps. Reviews on it are 50/50 as I am having a hard time pairing it with the app that stores all the daily data if I wanted to go back and look at my days but the app that pairs with the HRM I haven't had a problem with and I perfer its looks and the output on the wristband more then other activity trackers. It gives time, calories, steps and activity to goal with the break down of jog, walk, up (just getting off your @$$)

sympha01

I use a Fitbit and I like it a lot, but I would not consider it for a "more accurate" calorie burn for anything.

*The Fitbit doesn't know what kind of activity you are doing when you move it around. Are you lifting weights? Are you walking? Are you washing dishes? It has no idea. It just knows it's moved through a certain arc at a certain speed with a certain force.

*It looks to me like it guesstimates a calorie burn based on METS for just an average of different types of exercise, primarily using the number of "steps" per minute as the biggest contributor to the algorithm. For me, that means it gives me MASSIVE calorie credit for walking, but less than half that per minute for, say, kettlebell swings. And trust me, fives minutes of continuous kettlebell swings is going to burn a lot MORE calories than five minutes of walking.

I love my Fitbit but mostly for helping me to quantify how much non-exercise activity I'm getting. That is, it encourages me to be less sedentary, and it helps me know when I've genuinely had an "active day" -- based on that I sometimes give myself maybe a 150 calorie food bonus, but I wouldn't trust it to tell me I could REALLY eat a lot of exercise calories. That being said, I use a TDEE method (mostly BECAUSE I'm not comfortable with specific exercise burn estimates) and base my eating on a generalized estimate of my activity level, not on specific daily calorie burns.

SlaughterHouseFive

I spent $120 on Polar FT7 and have now worn it for the last 11 cardio sessions at the gym. The heart rate on Polar FT7 and the elliptical machine's own handle bar measurement were almost exactly same. Like maybe 1 or 2 beat per minute difference. Calories again surprisingly the elliptical machine was within 5% of the Polar FT7. And it was 5% under not over so actually it kind of works better if weight loss is your goal.

For all practical purposes buying the Polar FT7 heart rate monitor has been a waste of money. I have stopped wearing the Polar HRM now and just use the machine at the gym.

Ummmm, NO! Your Polar FT7 with HRM strap automatically pairs with your gym equipment and transmits its heart rate data to the machine you're using (and sometimes to the adjacent machine someone else is using - lol). The reason the machine display doesn't exactly match the readout of your FT7 is due to the machine display's refresh rate.

Yeah that's not what's going on hahaha.. Elliptical machines are not born in the wild with the ability to wireless sync with heart rate monitors. You actually have to spend $$$ and buy the model with that feature. That was the first question I asked the gym manager when I got the Polar. None of the cardio equipment in my gym has that option.

I am not the only one who has found that the built in HRM on gym machines is accurate

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/accuracy-exercise-machines/story?id=18559149

bluntlysally

yup, fitbit + hrm.

my hrm is bluetooth, so yes it "talks" to the newer gym equipment. no setup or anything required. this is super nice, bc i am kinda short... so holding onto the grips isn't really in the right place/height for me. otherwise the machine yells at me to put my hands back on the sensors.

Ideabaker

I have both a Fitbit for every day activity and a Polar F4 for my workouts

^^
Exactly this. I don't trust the MFP calorie expenditure counts for my workouts, so log my own expenditure based on my Polar HRM.

I use the Fitbit to measure overall steps for the day, and to monitor sleep.

nxd10

I use a fitbit zip for steps and then log my 'real' exercise (anything other than walking or running) on top of that. Because they're coordinated, when you log the exercise in MFP, it asks for the time of day and excludes your steps for that period. It doesn't cost anything extra and has worked well for me.

stuman74

I have a FitBit Zip that I clip on when I wake up in the morning and remove when I go to bed. The FitBit is primarily my "get off your butt and move around" reminder. For actual "workouts" like jogging or lifting, I keep the FitBit on but also wear my Polar H7. Both sync to my iPhone and I have it set to have each sync with MFP, but not directly to each other (since that could result in double counting). For me, this setup and method works perfectly.

Bluuzplayer

That was my biggest question, wearing it while you work out. So since they both sync to MFP they don't double count? MFP knows not to do that correct?

stuman74

That was my biggest question, wearing it while you work out. So since they both sync to MFP they don't double count? MFP knows not to do that correct?

Correct. The FitBit will adjust for the calories reported from the H7. Another way I have done it is to have the H7 only sync to FitBit and then only FitBit to MFP. But if you create a syncing "triangle" where all 3 sync to each other, you could run into problems.

Ryderod

also wear my Polar H7. Both sync to my iPhone and I have it set to have each sync with MFP

How are you getting your H7 to sync with MFP? Digifit?

stuman74

also wear my Polar H7. Both sync to my iPhone and I have it set to have each sync with MFP

How are you getting your H7 to sync with MFP? Digifit?

Yes. Sorry I left that out earlier. I use Digifit. I think I had to pay a few bucks to get the HRM sync capability. But it has worked very well for me.

happysherri

I have a Fitbit Flex. Those stupid dotted lights motivate me to walk more throughout the day! LOL I always want to try and light it up, therefore parking further, taking the stairs, walking on break, etc.... more

renelatting

I also have the Polar FT7. Mine also syncs with all the cardio equipment at the gym. Without it, the it will show I've burned close to 1000 calories when I truly might have burned only 500-600 (depending on the exercise.

Definitely NOT a waste of money!

SKME2013

I have the Firbit One for step counting and a Polar RCX5 multisportswatch for exercises. I would say together with my Blendtec blender, these were the most critical investments last year, that helped me tremendously in my weightloss journey.

I love eating and I love "earning" some extra calories through exercise so I can eat a bit more and have a treat here and there. I know that it is easier to cut calories, but frankly my TDEE is not exactly high and through an exercise regime I can eat more normally.

For me the combination of both works very well. As it has been said, fitbit and MFP adjust automatically to avoid double counting.
Stef.

SueInAz

I got a Garmin 410 GPS watch as a birthday gift in 2012 after I started running. That year for Xmas I asked for a Fitbit One. I use both religiously. I wear the Fitbit all day, every day, either clipped on my bra or on the wriststrap when I'm sleeping. It helps to motivate me to walk and ensure I get in my 10,000 steps most days.Frankly, I haven't been using the HRM strap much anymore because I know pretty much what my calorie burn per mile is when I run and that's my main source of cardio. I only use it when I want to specifically monitor my heartrate during a run. I still wear the watch on every run so I can track how far I've gone and the time elapsed since I run/walk intervals.

tucky3203

I just recently purchased the Bodymedia (like they wear on the biggest loser) and it is freaky accurate. Also monitors sleep quality and quantity. It's nice to have total accountability for the exercise I do. It has also showed me how if I did not have physical activity I would maintain my weight even with calorie restrictions. The only downfall is the monthly subsription after three month free. This is so you can track your data on their website. Overall I like my monitor.

andiechick

I have a fitbit for everyday to make I'm not tempted to sit down too much but when I do a 'proper' workout, ie going on my treadmill or doing my class such as body combat I wear my polar F2. Wasn't a fancy expensive HRM but it does the job. Even wear it to go swimming

angieroo2

Is anyone using an activity tracker for steps, causal movements then using an HRM for your "real" workouts? I use Pacer for steps but when I work out it takes stops accounting for any calories I may have burned earlier in the day. I'm not trying to count them twice, just keep the credit for what I might have already done.

I was considering a Jawbone Up or Fitbit to wear throughout the day then removing that and using my Polar HRM when I actually work out. Does that sound like it makes sense?

Thoughts?

Why not get one item that does it all? The Garmin Forerunner 15 has an HRM + counts steps and tracks running (if that's your thing). I'm sure there are other options if you look.