To those NOT using a HRM..

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  • caroltina
    caroltina Posts: 453 Member
    I found the mfp exercise cals to be way high and the machines in the gym way low cause they don't take into account my age, weight etc. I find the HRM to be useful but not essential, I rarely eat back so I suppose that's why!
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    I do not have an HRM and I rely on the machines. I've been quite successful. That said I did borrow an HRM for a week from a friend and compared it to the machines I use and they were very close. The machines we have at work are all commercial gym quality (Nautilis, Matrix, Landice) and I have heard that cheaper machines aren't as accurate. Our machines do take into account age and weight so I believe that improves accuracy as well.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    It's really going to be an individual thing. The machines are tailored for the average person at a given weight. For some people, they'll be fairly accurate. For some, they won't be. You just have to try it out and see what happens.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    I just have to say something about HRM. I just started using it for my last couple of work outs, just bought it. And what I have found is that I've been cheating myself out of calories burned. The elliptical would say I burned 700 cals from 65 minutes of walking 3.5mph uphill 10 incline as well as running at 5.5mph off/on, when I wore my HRM, which is the most accurate read per your heart rate and other factors like age and weight...I actually burned1500, double. Same with spin class today I usally burn like 1200 according to the web, but my HRM said 1800 calories burned...Let me just say I love HRM and it also tells you what zones you are working in...if you are overdoing it or need to pick up your pace for a better work out. Love Love Love it! Its changed my workout completely. I'm all in and feel as though I have finally found my inner-athlete.

    If your working hard (I.e., sweat literally pouring off you) in spin for an hour I'd expect you to be closer to 700-800. 1800 for one hour definitely seems really high.

    you burned 1800 cals during spin class? dang, I thought I was only burning around 500 or so and I push myself HARD for that hour. I think it's time to invest in an HRM!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I've lost 32 pounds eating exercise calories and using the estimates from gym machines, MFP or runkeeper.com.

    At my highest weight of 160#, my estimated body fat percentage was 32% with a lean body mass of 108.8#.

    At my current weight of 128#, my estimated body fat percentage is 18.9% with a lean body mass of 103.8#.

    So an estimated 27# of the 32# I lost were from fat. If I hadn't been eating as much as I was, much more of that would have been from lean muscle mass. And that's why I eat my exercise calories and I'm pretty damn happy with the estimates supplied on here. :smile:
  • tcdawley78
    tcdawley78 Posts: 69 Member
    I don't use a hrm, and I've lost just over 100lbs total... I usually eat about half my exercise calories, more if I'm hungry, less if I'm not. I think (like everything else involving weight loss) what works depends on the individual... :-D
  • cheyenne_alexis
    cheyenne_alexis Posts: 69 Member
    Ive been meaning to get a heart rate monitor, but i just dont have the money for it in my budget yet.. but i do go off what the machines say on the treadmill, and log what it says but if im doing a dvd or wii fit, i dont log it.. so far ive lost 50 pounds :smile: but i dont try to eat my excercise calories (most of the time anyways lol) :laugh:
  • iamahealthychick
    iamahealthychick Posts: 207 Member
    I have a hrm and mine says I am doing 1/2 what my treadmill tells me I have burned. It's a bummer! Will be interesting to see the kayaking results with it today... MFP tells me an hour is 700 cal. I will see what my hrm calls it....
  • Melatonin
    Melatonin Posts: 156 Member
    I don't use a HRM. I have figured out a way to figure calories burned based off heart rate and a formula a FFL member found. (Link below) I haven't given it a full swing just because of how hard it is to keep up with. I've stuck with the estimate that I've gotten on here and had no troubles yet. I do not eat ALL of my exercise calories back, but there are days I do eat some but no all. Which I judge this based on how my body feels.

    HRM would be ideal but it can be done without it. Save the $$ :)

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/73315-calculate-calories-burned-based-heart/
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