Tracking calories burned

adezeray

So, I am doing my exercise and my only concern is knowing the correct amount of calories that I am burning. Sometimes when I log it in I feel as though I worked harder than what I am getting credit for. Am I crazy or is it true? So what have you purchased or what do you use to know a close enough range of burned calories? I appreciate all input...

LosingTheWeight2014

I finally bought a Heart Rate Monitor with the Chest Strap. MFP was way over stating the calories I was burning for some activities and way under for others. I only use what my Heart Rate Monitor says now.

Coltsman4ever

HRM is your best bet for cardio tracking. It does not work for weight training though.
I have a Polar FT40 HRM. Works great!

yesthistime

When I do the elliptical machine, MFP shows that I burn WAY more calories than the machine itself shows. And when I do the treadmill, MFP shows that I burn fewer calories than the machine shows. I just go with the machine every time now. Maybe I should get a HRM, too....

TimeToWork

HRM is your best bet for cardio tracking. It does not work for weight training though.
I have a Polar FT40 HRM. Works great!

I second the FT4. At least it's one device, rather than different machines.

wareagle8706

I agree, I have the Polar FT4. They are a little on the expensive side but in my opinion TOTALLY worth it. I had the same problem with MFP way OVER as well as UNDER stating caloried burned for certain things. I just purchased a cheaper Mio HRM that doesn't require a chest strap to see how accurate it is compared to my other and I have gotten very interesting results... the one without the strap says I burned about 40 cal less than the one with the chest strap. I am thinking the chest strap is more accurate... but it's hard to say at this point...

wareagle8706

HRM DO work for weight training as well. They work for anything that increases your heart rate - that's the whole point. You can use it while cleaning your house if you want to know how high your heart rate gets when you do those chores and how many calories you burn because of it. Don't let anyone tell you they don't work for something. If you're doing something that includes your heart rate then it works!!

MrsFusion

I also have the FT4! And love it! Much more accurate!

mrmanmeat

So, I am doing my exercise and my only concern is knowing the correct amount of calories that I am burning. Sometimes when I log it in I feel as though I worked harder than what I am getting credit for. Am I crazy or is it true? So what have you purchased or what do you use to know a close enough range of burned calories? I appreciate all input...

Get a HRM.

Always go under on cals burned. Not over.

Coltsman4ever

HRM DO work for weight training as well. They work for anything that increases your heart rate - that's the whole point. You can use it while cleaning your house if you want to know how high your heart rate gets when you do those chores and how many calories you burn because of it. Don't let anyone tell you they don't work for something. If you're doing something that includes your heart rate then it works!!

FYI...

A HRM won't give you an accurate idea of how many calories you burn during strength training, because the relationship between heart rate and calorie expenditure is not the same during strength training as during cardio exercise, which is what the HRM's estimate is based on. Unless your weight training is very vigorous circuit training, the heart rate monitor will be overestimating your calorie burn by a fair amount.

The problem is a technical one. Calorie burning isn't determined by heart rate, it's determined by the number of muscle cells that are activated to perform a given activity. It's the working cells that actually use the energy (calories) and consume oxygen. When working muscle cells need more energy and oxygen, your heart rate goes up to deliver these things to the cells via the blood stream.

Any muscle that performs a high intensity or maximum effort (strength training) will trigger an increase in heart rate and blood flow. But if only a single muscle group is on the receiving end to utilize that extra oxygen (doing a strength exercise that isolates your biceps, for example), only a relatively small amount of oxygen (and calories) will actually be consumed.

So while a series of strength training exercises may elevate your heart rate like aerobic exercise does, you're not actually using as much oxygen and burning as many calories as you would be if you were steadily using several large muscles all at once, as when walking, running, swimming, or doing aerobics for example.

The heart rate monitor doesn’t know whether your increase in heart rate is due to several large muscle groups working (cardio), an isolated muscle group lifting a weight (strength training), or even if adrenaline or excitement is increasing your heart rate. It just knows your heart rate, and the formulas it uses to estimate calories are based on studies of aerobic exercise, not other activities. So, it's going to overestimate your calorie expenditure when the rise in heart rate is stimulated by using isolated muscles at maximum intensity, which is what occurs during strength training

adezeray

HRM DO work for weight training as well. They work for anything that increases your heart rate - that's the whole point. You can use it while cleaning your house if you want to know how high your heart rate gets when you do those chores and how many calories you burn because of it. Don't let anyone tell you they don't work for something. If you're doing something that includes your heart rate then it works!!

FYI...

A HRM won't give you an accurate idea of how many calories you burn during strength training, because the relationship between heart rate and calorie expenditure is not the same during strength training as during cardio exercise, which is what the HRM's estimate is based on. Unless your weight training is very vigorous circuit training, the heart rate monitor will be overestimating your calorie burn by a fair amount.

The problem is a technical one. Calorie burning isn't determined by heart rate, it's determined by the number of muscle cells that are activated to perform a given activity. It's the working cells that actually use the energy (calories) and consume oxygen. When working muscle cells need more energy and oxygen, your heart rate goes up to deliver these things to the cells via the blood stream.

Any muscle that performs a high intensity or maximum effort (strength training) will trigger an increase in heart rate and blood flow. But if only a single muscle group is on the receiving end to utilize that extra oxygen (doing a strength exercise that isolates your biceps, for example), only a relatively small amount of oxygen (and calories) will actually be consumed.

So while a series of strength training exercises may elevate your heart rate like aerobic exercise does, you're not actually using as much oxygen and burning as many calories as you would be if you were steadily using several large muscles all at once, as when walking, running, swimming, or doing aerobics for example.

The heart rate monitor doesn’t know whether your increase in heart rate is due to several large muscle groups working (cardio), an isolated muscle group lifting a weight (strength training), or even if adrenaline or excitement is increasing your heart rate. It just knows your heart rate, and the formulas it uses to estimate calories are based on studies of aerobic exercise, not other activities. So, it's going to overestimate your calorie expenditure when the rise in heart rate is stimulated by using isolated muscles at maximum intensity, which is what occurs during strength training

Thank you, that makes a lot of sense.