Heart rate monitor

saraegentry

I just got a heart rate monitor for Christmas, and I'm wondering if it's working. I did the 30 Day Shred last night and it said I only burned 52 calories. MFP says I burn more than that just walking slowly for the same amount of time. I know heart rate monitors are suppose to be more accurate, but it seems like this one may not be.

For those of you that have monitors, how does yours work? This one has a touch sensor on the front that you touch 2 fingers to and it puts out a reading in about 10 seconds. I can't tell how it measures the calories, if it would measure correctly without doing any hr readings or if it changes calories burned based on your last hr. When you have it set on exercise timer/calories burned it beeps every 5 minutes to remind you to do a HR reading.

I'm thinking I might want to return this one for a better one, but I want to know how other monitors are different before I go through all that trouble.

hpsnickers1

The HRM's with a chest strap are the most accurate. The Polar Series seems to be very popular on this site. I have a Polar FT7. I'm 5'2" and 127 pounds. I did the 30 Day Shred yesterday. Counting warm up and cool down - 30 minutes total - I burned 222 calories.

You also have to subtract calories you would've burned anyway.
Take the BMR MFP gave you and divide by 24. Divide the number you get by 60. Take that number and multiply with the minutes of exercise then subtract that number from total calories burned.
Example: Mine - 1520. 1520/24 = 63.3; 63.3/60 = 1.055; 30 (minutes) x 1.06 = 31.8; 254 - 32 = 222 calories burned.

Kate_UK

I'd also recommend one with a chest stap. Lots of people on MFP have expensive ones and love them. Theres nothing wrong with that but I couldn't afford to give a fortune for mine, it cost me £20 (about $30) and I find it works just great.
I usually burn about 250 cals on level one of the shred and between 300 and 350 on levels 2 and 3 depending on how hard I push myself.
I;m 5ft 9.5 and 155lbs

saraegentry

thanks girls, I'm 6' and 164, so I know I burnt more than 52 calories! I'm going on a run today and if the monitor doesn't register about what MFP says I burn, then I'm going to return it and spend a little more on a nice one! My dad got it for me and he said it was the only one he could find... he's not big on shopping online.

elfinsnow

I have the polar one with the chest strap. Easy to use and accurate. One thing I found out after getting mine- my HR is higher all day if I work out in the am. Without a workout I burn around 1500 calories in a 24 hr period. With a workout- 3000 average. My workout is generally 500-700 calories for an hour. (1500 plus 500 is only 2000- see- extra burn for the day!)

saraegentry

I ran today with my monitor and it said I burned 86 calories, MFP says 190... I'm gonna return this monitor and buy a polar! The whole point of buying one is so I could get an accurate reading and do exercises (like 30 day shred) that aren't listed on MFP