2 questions

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msrjmcp
msrjmcp Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there!

First of all I have a question regarding a post I saw from a while back so I'm posting it here as well as where I saw it which is...

This was part of someone's answer regarding the accuracy of HRM:

"HRM's aren't meant to be accurate while doing casual activity"


My question is why are HRM's not meant to be accurate while doing casual activity? Or not meant to be worn all the time? If it is accurate measuring your heart rate and calories burned during aerobic or general work outs, why is it not accurate during less active periods? I don't understand why...

Second question is regarding nutrition:

I understand that fresh prepared food is always best but is it bad for your diet and overall general health to have the majority of your meals be frozen dinners such as Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine or other such calorie controlled prepared and ready to eat meals? I am just wondering if I am eating these meals frequently, are they bad for me since they are "processed" foods which I hear fitness gurus talk bad about all the time...

Replies

  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Can't help with the first part but on the 2nd if that is all you can do then it is better than fast food by far but no they are not that good for you. Lots of fat and sodium and small amounts of protein.

    If possible make a larger meal and divide up into meals and make your own frozen meals for lunch, dinner, etc.....
  • atano
    atano Posts: 2
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    I'm no expert by any means, but I think those meals tend to be high in sodium, which makes you retain water. I would try to avoid them but they are probably fine in a pinch. When you do eat them be sure to drink more water!
  • dracobaby82
    dracobaby82 Posts: 380 Member
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    bump... I'd like to know the answer to the first question as well :) I also agree that frozen meals aren't the best because of the sodium
  • ddwin
    ddwin Posts: 78
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    As for the frozen meals... you've got to be careful with the sodium in them. That's the part that will kill ya.
  • schlubba
    schlubba Posts: 26
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    The main reason processed foods is bad for you is the amount of sodium in them, take a look at those frozen foods and see shat the sodium content is in them and do your best to steer clear of MSG. And yes, fresh prepared meals are much better for you, provided you don't load it with a bunch of unhealthy options, here's two links to read why salt is not so great for you.

    http://www.healthy-answers.com/a-salt.html

    http://www.ehow.com/about_4622347_negative-effects-sodium.html

    as far as the HRM, I can't answer that, but does sound strange to me as well.
  • Shua456
    Shua456 Posts: 211
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    Those meals are extremely high in sodium so I won't touch them. On your preferences set sodium as one of the things MFP tracks for you. You'll be amazed at how fast that adds up throughout the day - it's in EVERYTHING.

    Try keeping fresh fruit and veggies cut up in your fridge so that you can grab them quickly with almost no prep time.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    I think the post you're referring to about the HRM is one of mine because I wore mine when I first got it for a general run of what I burn. I'm sure it's probably more accurate than they imagine since at the weight I was then, I was working harder to do less. I notice now it takes a lot more to get my heart rate up so an extra 1000-1500 calories doesn't seem that unreasonable. You do pose a good question though and I'm interested in hearing what the veterans of the site have to say.

    As for the processed foods, you never really now what's in them. Most have sodium as a preservative as well as added fillers and other products you probably don't really need to be eating. It's always best to cook your own foods because then you can tailor them to suit your needs - watching sodium, carbs, fats etc. you can adjust to suit you and even tweak the same recipe for different monitoring depending on your needs. Never mind that the cost is crazy as well. Think about what you spend on those meals in a week and think about how much food you can buy and how many meals you can create with the same money. It does take some dedication and planning but it's so worth it.

    What have you got to lose? Give up the boxed foods for a week and buy fresh and cook your meals (planning to use extra servings again as additional meals wherever you can) and see if you don't feel better and save money!

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