just curious about calories for exercise

Lettuce13
Lettuce13 Posts: 22
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Can any one describe what is the cause of the discrepancy between the calories recorded by my Polar heart monitor and those listed on this web site?

My calorie count from the Polar is usually significantly lower.

TIA!

:ohwell:

Replies

  • Can any one describe what is the cause of the discrepancy between the calories recorded by my Polar heart monitor and those listed on this web site?

    My calorie count from the Polar is usually significantly lower.

    TIA!

    :ohwell:
  • roshong06
    roshong06 Posts: 196
    I think you should go by your polar, and I believe the reason is your polar caculates more acuratly because it uses your heart rate as a guide to how hard your working out. The calories burned on this website is a basic for the "average" person. But your polar is more specific to you. I always go by my heart rate monitor. Its depressing I know. You think your burning more than you are. But I would rather think I'm burning less than I acually am than vise versa.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    I think you should go by your polar, and I believe the reason is your polar caculates more acuratly because it uses your heart rate as a guide to how hard your working out. The calories burned on this website is a basic for the "average" person. But your polar is more specific to you. I always go by my heart rate monitor. Its depressing I know. You think your burning more than you are. But I would rather think I'm burning less than I acually am than vise versa.

    so true. it's crazy when those ellipticals in the gym tell you you've burned like 600-700 calories. that's really not the case
  • I can relate. I now take my polar into account every time. My treadmill reads to low and when I workout most of the exercises are way higher than my polar.
    I was eating the extra calories too. :grumble: And didn't lose like I thought I should have. Now I know why.

    Good luck.
  • akwhite
    akwhite Posts: 55 Member
    Yep...HRM is always the best way to measure. But look at it this way...you're in better shape than the average person! If the website says the average person burns more doing an activity...but your HRM says you burned a little less...than your heart is in good shape! Way to go!
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