Any of you losing weight without a heart rate monitor?

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  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    I have been doing just fine in my last two months with MFP with good estimates and no HRM. No count is perfect, it is all estimates anyway.
  • tatiana_13
    tatiana_13 Posts: 325
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    Its like any gadget...its fun, but the average joe doesn't *need* it. So, in an effort not to acquire too many gadgets, I've never acquired one and have done just fine so far. (However, i don't *need* my iphone either, but I'll cut you if you try to take it away from me.)

    Of course, folks all into fitness swear that it will improve your workouts immensely...but these aren't folks trying to lose weight (aka, the average joe), but folks trying to bulk up or lean out, so I wouldn't consider them average.
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
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    OH HELL YEAH!!! :drinker:


    lost 25lbs without one... lost 50 lbs without it.


    its not really required to have it...
    its for people who are very picky with their numbers... like me... im starting to be picky. i want things to be precise.

    i mean, HELLO!!! :D NUMBERs xDDD jk jk i dont like numbers but when it comes down to it... i want to have it. cause i want to log in exactly what i did.

    but its always good to keep your body guessing.
    like, for example.

    you walked for about 30 mins... and you logged in what MFP says its actually pretty accurate. i mean its not exactly the right numbers.. but its very close to what it is.

    sooo if you want you can get one. but you dont really need it. if you know that you for sure did 12 mins or more of a workout without stopping. then you will start burning the calories. from there, you can count how much you did. and WALLLLLA :D

    you are dropping weight.
    but you also need to watch what you eat too. :)
  • Higglyjiggly64
    Higglyjiggly64 Posts: 136
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    Ive never owned a HRM..But if you plan on eating back exercise calories then it is a MUST...I dont eat them so its not as detrimental

    No HRM for me either. I joined Feb 15, 2011. I eat back my exercise calories, I don't underestimate or overestimate (very much), I try not to overthink it, period. Working for me and the hubby so far. We employ the KISS method and like it!
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    A heart rate monitor is just a tool. I didn't have one the first couple of months I started this. My exercise and ways of eating have stayed the same. The only difference now is I have a HRM to accurately calculate how many calories I burn. However, when I was using MFP's exercise database and some certain exercise had a huge burn I would only eat back part of the exercise calories. I would much rather underestimate than overestimate. I have found that many of MFP's figures are rather high when calculating calories burned. Swimming showed more than 3 times the amount my HRM calculated...But even with the difference in calories burned (and exercise calories eaten back) I have still been able to lose weight both with and without the HRM. I have lost 41 pounds in 5 months.
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
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    I did lose weight without a heart rate monitor...I didnt get one until March of this year...I was always wondering, "How many calories am I REALLY burning?" And a heart rate monitor was the closest thing I could get to find my answer...It has helped though..I love my HRM...It makes me want to do more just so I can see how many calories I can burn...
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    I don't have one, they are too expensive. Don't have that kind of money.I did buy a pedometer and I have a treadmill. They both have burned calories. I don't think its has rite readings. Love to have one though!

    Mine was only $62 on Amazon with free shipping and handling. The best investment I have made since I have started working to lose weight. MFP was really over-estimating calories burned on many exercises and that can really cause problems if you are eating them back. It is also because of my HRM that I discovered I had an abnormally low heart rate (50) caused by one of my medications. I have since been able to come off of it. Had it not been for my HRM I would have never known.
  • KarenLouise1981
    KarenLouise1981 Posts: 144
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    HRM are great once you have got into the habit of exercising and dieting. I used the MFP tools for 3 months with great results before I bought mine and honestly the only reason I bought mine was because I get an incredibly high heart rate as soon as I start working out and was becoming exhausted too soon when running. Now I can track my heart rate and time when i'm out with the added advantage of getting a calorie expenditure when I get home :-) Although I still question how accurate that is at times!
  • Mamapengu
    Mamapengu Posts: 250
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    I bought one, but found I only wear it maybe once a week- I compare the calories against the MFP and they are typically pretty close for me. Most of my exercise is walking/jogging/running and on average 1mile at any pace is about 100 calories.
  • jannapurna
    jannapurna Posts: 49 Member
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    Totally using ONLY this site and it has worked.
    I tend to overestimate my calories and underestimate my exercise a little bit.

    Same here. The first couple of weeks I didn't lose much, but once I started measuring what I eat and doing the above, I've been losing about 2 pounds a week. No HRM. I think I'll save the $ and put it towards rewarding myself when I hit my goal.
  • libstr
    libstr Posts: 36 Member
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    I recently bought a hrm and have been having fun in class with it. I actually havent lost any weight whatso ever in the last 12 months and I work out heaps.

    im hoping that by watching my hr that i might be able to work out smarter and shed a few kilos.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    Never had one...some of the machines at the gym have them built in, but I don't really pay attention to it, I just exercise how much I want and eat healthy, and now I've been tracking my food with MFP. I've lost 30 pounds!
  • mamabear0222
    mamabear0222 Posts: 455 Member
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    no HRM yet just logging food and exercising
  • stariera
    stariera Posts: 224
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    It's fairly accurate.. honestly I don't eat all of my workout calories back... I don't use a heart rate monitor but I do eat my 1200 calories given and a portion of my calories back a day. I eat a ton of veggies though which are low in calories but high in various vitamins. I have about 50 pounds to lose and am sticking to what my doctor advised me, I've also spoke with him a couple times to make sure I was ok with the amount of calories I was eating back. I have some health issues that make it very difficult for me to lose weight without my particular diet plan. I've tried doing it where I eat my calories back I don't lose at all.... since I've been eating and working out the way that I do I've lost 21 pounds in about a month. I by no means starve myself... I eat about 10 cups of veggies a day, about 2 cups of carbs (and no I am not counting my typical veggies here, these are complex carbs like oatmeal or other complex starches) and I eat about 12 ounces of meat a day... this is split between 5 meals my 6th meal being a fruit.. My breakfast always has a fruit as well and my dinner sometimes does depending on my mood. I very much read levels really watching my sodium intake and my fat intake.... I make sure that I get all of my vitamins within the day and actually get more then 100% of many of them... feel great a ton of energy with some to spare and I am losing more inches then pounds as I am toning up big time as I lose. Each person is different and what works for one may not work for another though.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    It's definitely not an essential item, but a "nice to have item".
    If you are just getting started with exercise I think the money would be better spent going towards good shoes or a sports bra.
    I've lost 15kg (33 pounds) in four months without an HRM, eating my exercise calories as estimated by MFP.
    I know that are only an estimate, as are the calories I enter for food, but I'm happy with my progress. I may buy an HRM at some stage, but that will be to help me with running training, not so much for calories.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    I lost 15 pounds, then plateaued for many months. When I started back as of Jan 1, I utilized the FitBit and I learned that I was extremely overestimating my exercise calories. I am losing again now that I know how much I'm NOT burning during my workouts, lol. The 19 in my ticker is since Jan 1.
  • SarahLovesCheesecake
    SarahLovesCheesecake Posts: 520
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    I am...but I stopped eating my exercise calories because I kept maintaining. This is a short fix before my body goes into starvation mode. AND I hope I'm not messing up my metabolism. I know MFP is not giving me the correct calories to eat. I workout 5 days a week. I do pilates, spin, and weight training. When I was eating my cals back the scale was bouncing up and down

    I would love to see the answer to this question. I also cant afford a HRM.

    Didnt like to say anything for the fear of being attacked by other MFP addicts.....but I agree with this ^^^

    I set my own calories, regardless of mfp settings and work 200-500 under....I plateaued until now....Like I said on a comment on my site, I question their workings out. Sorry jmo :laugh:
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    I sold my HRM on eBay because the majority of what I do anymore is strength training and lo / slo cardio - walking, hiking, etc.

    I'm still losing weight :)
  • elizamc
    elizamc Posts: 285 Member
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    Bump
  • biznurse
    biznurse Posts: 81
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    I'd like to get a heart rate monitor but don't really have the extra money for one at the moment.

    So, have any of you managed to lose weight good with just counting calories & eating back your execise cals using the cals burned numbers given on this site? Just wondering as I have not sure how accurate that is....

    ABSOLUTELY you can lose weight without a HRM! People have done if for EVER. It's a simple math of calories in verses calories burned.... GO FOR IT! Linda/RN

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