WOMENS HRM! POLAR FT4?

EthanJeremiahsMama

Hello to the ladies on MFP this morning I am purchasing a polar ft4 this weekend.. any reviews on this? I heard good reviews, it's my first actual HRM and I definitely need this to really know how many ACCURATE cals I am burning.

& I'd just like to say -

I reached my goal weight. However.. I am a bit underweight for my height of being 5'6-5'7ish. I realized that I just naturally have hips, no one is perfect.. and i'm not trying to be, but I wanted to mainly lose fat in my lower body area such as my lower stomach, THIGHS/hips..

I know there is no such thing as "spot reduction." However.. I would love some tips on how to **MAINTAIN** my weight YET try to burn more fat in those lower body sections (stomach / thighs).. and I know by doing so I need to have lean muscle which will push out fat, correct? I'm definitely not trying to bulk and I know that it takes a whiiiile for women to bulk which I am not worried about.

Any tips MFP? And I'd like to say congrats to everyone on here with progress towards eating healthier & working towards weight loss. It's not easy.. but you get used to it. Eventually it becomes a lifestyle, not a "diet."

And.. I was on 1,200 cals for almost 3 months straight.. not even reaching my net cals to 1,200 :ohwell: yikes.. but I upped my calories a bit, I am now in the 1,300 - 1,360 range and making sure I eat more yet I will still be going to the gym about 3 times a week. Anyone on here upped their daily calories after reaching their goal weight yet maintained the weight and kept trying to keep TONE and not gain??

JenOman

I have that model and it seems to do pretty well with calories. It is not exactly the same as what MFP says the calories burned are, but it seems more accurate, since you don't always run at the perfect pace (I average a pace, but like to walk and then sprint).

Good luck!

Becca_007

For a few dollars more you can bump it up to an FT7 and be pretty happy with that! A few more features plus you don't have to return it to Polar in the mail for battery changing. I take mine to the watch shop where they change them all the time for Polar owners (only certain models allow it).

If you're underweight you might consider going on maintenance and add in some strength training to tone up. It might be healthier for you to add back calories rather than keep them so low when you already feel you're underweight. :flowerforyou:

Rae6503

I have that one! I like it.

What do you have your MFP goal set to? Change it to a half pound a week, maybe even add 100 calories to what MFP recommends. Eat all your exercise calories. (If this is too much for you at first work up to it by adding a 100 calories every day). Keep working out. Lift weights if you aren't already. You might lose a little more weight but as long as you do it slowly maybe it'll be from those last fat stores you want gone.

nokittyno

First off, well done for reaching a weight(be it your goal or maintenance!)

Second, it is physically impossible to "bulk up" as women have no where NEAR the Testosterone levels as men, almost a 1/100th of a ratio, .. Here is a great link from BB.Forums for women,

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/womans_lean_sexy_bible.htm

Also, a quote from the article: " ... The primary concern women have when it comes to weight training is, "I don't want to get big or bulky." We are here to tell you that you won't! The hormone testosterone is responsible for the large increases in muscle mass seen when men lift weights. Women's testosterone levels are a fraction of men's testosterone levels.

Normal testosterone levels in men are 200-1200 ng/dl while 15-70 ng/dl are normal in women. As you can see, men's testosterone levels are significantly higher than women's. Even if a man is at the low end of the men's normal testosterone range (200 ng/dl), he still has more than twice the amount of testosterone as a woman at the high end of the women's normal testosterone range (70 ng/dl). ..."

NOW, THIRDLY - I had the Polar FT4 and LOVED IT. no problems what so ever, but I ended up upgrading to(a pricier) FT60 .. I chose it because it had a few more bells and whistles such as tracking my progress, calories burned, minutes, levels of fitness etc.. But the FT4 is SUPERB for it's price and function. FT7 is great too! Polar makes a great reliable brand, usually the price difference is because f as stated, bells and whistles and also it takes into account that the cheaper models have the HR Strap with a non-removable battery, meaning you sometimes then have to replace the entire strap as opposed to the battery alone.

Losing2Live69

I have that model of HRM. I love mine. It is very accurate. It is more accurate because it has all of your personal data entered in. It allows you to enter in your weight, height, age, and sex. It then calculates your target heart rate. MFP bases its figures on your weight, but I think that is it. I have found that for many activities that MFP figures are high. For example; MFP says swimming burns 600 calories an hour (leisurely) and my HRM has me at 250-350 for an hour of water aerobics. Granted, I am in the "obese" category, but unless I chain bricks to my ankles and swim at 30 miles per hour I don't see how I could possible burn 600 calories leisurely swimming. That is one thing I like about the FT4, it is waterproof and can be worn in the pool. Their figures for walking are pretty accurate.

dad106

Polar FT4 is a really good HRM... it does give an accurate estimation of calories burned, so thats not a problem.

As far as the legs go, as I've stated to you before, Weights and Cardio.. Squats, lunges, leg press, leg curl.. will all help that area.

jrbanta

Love my Polar FT4! The chest strap is very comfortable and sometimes I forget I have it on after I'm done exercising. Definitely like knowing that the reading on calories burned and HR is for me personally. I've used it at the gym and found that it matches what the machine says pretty accurately.

Cardio Cardio Cardio to lose the fat around the middle, butt, and legs! Takes awhile... Congrats on getting to your goal!

Seajolly

I have an FT4 too! It's my first HRM and I looove it. Had it for about a month so far and will never go back to working out without one! I haven't felt that I've been missing out on any features that other more expensive HRMs might have.