do I really need a HRM??

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  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
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    its not needed you wont benefit....its just a tool to see what you might be burning, no gadget is accurate even if it cost a million dollars....I use mine to log here but I could care less...if im sweating and felling my muscle working Im doing great...
  • slawther
    slawther Posts: 1
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    YES! i LOVE my HRM. Honestly, machines give you inaccurate calorie output, especially elliptical machines! My HRM is a MIO petite and it takes into account your age, height and weight to help calculate accurate calories, its just like a watch.

    I've always wanted a chest strap one though, and am thinking of investing in one soon! if you want to be accurate with your burn --you need a heart rate monitor.
  • shanna5
    shanna5 Posts: 69
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    I'm interested in getting one, too,but money is somewhat of an issue. Are there decent HRM's for around $65 or less that anyone recommends? Also, do the HRM's tell you what your normal, daily calorie burn is (w/o exercise), to help you determine how many calories you should be netting each day?
  • jaimejean478
    jaimejean478 Posts: 152 Member
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    thanks for the input! next question- what about the chest strap? does that get annoying and sweaty when you move around?
    To be honest I don't even notice mine.

    I notice mine, but it's not a bothersome notice. It's a positive recognition. This thing has honestly become a beloved friend. The chest strap is kind of wet and nasty when I finish working out, but I find that fact reassuring in that I worked out hard like I should be. I have started wearing the watch part all day as a constant reminder to watch the calories and choices I'm putting in. I've had it a few weeks and the "newness" has not worn off. It's pushing me constantly.

    I agree with all said here! I have the Polar Ft4 also, and I love it! It's quite surprising what exercise burn more calories than you thought, or way less than you hoped. As for the chest strap, the research I did pointed out that it's pretty much a necessity for accurate readings. It does dig in a few places, but it tucks nicely under the sports bra, so you barely notice it.
  • shanna5
    shanna5 Posts: 69
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    YES! i LOVE my HRM. Honestly, machines give you inaccurate calorie output, especially elliptical machines! My HRM is a MIO petite and it takes into account your age, height and weight to help calculate accurate calories, its just like a watch.

    I've always wanted a chest strap one though, and am thinking of investing in one soon! if you want to be accurate with your burn --you need a heart rate monitor.

    I have a MIO petite also, and I dont' feel it's accurate at all! I did 55 minutes of bootcamp this morning and it says I burned 64 calories! Also, after I go on a 5 mile run, I'm lucky if I've hit the 100 calorie mark! I guess I need to make sure it's set up properly and re-enter my age, height, ect.
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
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    Hi,
    I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say that there is a big difference between needs and wants. Do you NEED a HRM to lose weight and get fit? No....I've lost (and kept off) 60+ pounds for almost five years, and I've never worn one. Do you WANT one to help you track your level of fitness? Perhaps. It's your choice......a WANT, perhaps, but not a NEED.
    Just my opinion,
    Kaye
  • knantz
    knantz Posts: 68
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    I'm interested in getting one, too,but money is somewhat of an issue. Are there decent HRM's for around $65 or less that anyone recommends? Also, do the HRM's tell you what your normal, daily calorie burn is (w/o exercise), to help you determine how many calories you should be netting each day?

    I wore mine all day right after I got it (on a non-exercise day) to establish a base line and compare it to MFP's estimate of what my typical day should be.
  • Minnie_Moo
    Minnie_Moo Posts: 239 Member
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    I would suggest getting one with a chest strap as they are better to calculate an accurate HR.


    Don't know if this will help you any but...........Here is a link that was posted in another thread with a lot of information on HRM's.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
  • Delaina1
    Delaina1 Posts: 168 Member
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    I have a Polar F4 Red Berry! I couldn't live without it! I use it when I'm doing any type of workout (except swimming). It tells me when I am below my target heart rate and makes me work a lot harder than I sometimes feel like working. I also wear the watch part throughout the day (it is super cute!) as a reminder that I have a new lifestyle that I need to stick to. I love having an accurate calorie count, more accurate than MFP or a machine's guess anyway. If you can more accurately track your calories out then you can be more on spot with your calories in. I would suggest one. It just helps to keep you aware of what you are REALLY doing.

    And my chest strap kind of bugged me at first, but I don't even notice it anymore!
  • VanessaFaulkner
    VanessaFaulkner Posts: 36
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    YES! i LOVE my HRM. Honestly, machines give you inaccurate calorie output, especially elliptical machines! My HRM is a MIO petite and it takes into account your age, height and weight to help calculate accurate calories, its just like a watch.

    I've always wanted a chest strap one though, and am thinking of investing in one soon! if you want to be accurate with your burn --you need a heart rate monitor.

    I have a MIO petite also, and I dont' feel it's accurate at all! I did 55 minutes of bootcamp this morning and it says I burned 64 calories! Also, after I go on a 5 mile run, I'm lucky if I've hit the 100 calorie mark! I guess I need to make sure it's set up properly and re-enter my age, height, ect.
    You have to follow the directions to get an accurate calorie count with the MIO petite. I played some with my new MIO yesterday and didn't get the right calorie count...I went back & read the directions and followed them and to my surprise...it worked earlier today. It's pretty accurate on the HR as well. I've manually taken my HR then taken it with the MIO and it's pretty well right on with what I got (varying only a few beats difference.)
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    YES, you need one. I was seriously overestimating calories burned without a HRM and then once I got one and figured out exactly what I was burning and started eating that back (and in turn eating a few hundred calories less than I was when I was overestimating), I started to lose weight again. It helps SO much. I never have to guess if my calorie count is right. I know it's just a guesstimate but it's so much better than MFP's calculations, any kind of internet calculator or a pedometer.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    Do you NEED one? No, you don't NEED it.

    Will you benefit from it? Yes!

    here are the ways I have benefited from getting one:

    1. the machines at thegym were giving me too much credit for calories burned. I eat back my exercise calories, so this was reducing my accuracy. Nothing is 100% accurate, but now I know I'm closer.

    2. Wearing it has motivated me to try a wider variety of activities, and push myself harder during those activities so I can see the numbers rack up. I have been inspired to bicycle further, walk faster, just push myself more because I can instantly see the correlation between higher heart rate and calorie burn.

    ditto on the chest strap kind, vs. the finger kind. The strap is no more irritating than your bra. Also, get one that can go in the water with you. You'd be amazed at the calories you burn while swimming!!!

    The kind I have (and really like) is made by Timex, and is marked "Ironman Triathlon" Hubby got it for me for Xmas, and it was approx. $90.

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