Heart rate Monitor and exercise

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shellsy0424
shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a question about my heart rate, my heart rate monitor and exercise. I hope I can explain this well because it's a bit confusing. I have been using my heart rate monitor for about 2 weeks. During that two weeks I have been doing the same walking route which consists of straightaways, hills and gradual downhills. My question is that when I first started doing this route, (which is a little more than 4.5 miles) my heart rate would spike to a maximum of 181, which is really high. I hadn't done much exercise since giving birth so I was pretty out of shape. Now, the last two days, after doing this walk every single day I can't get my heart rate to spike, even on the inclines. It only goes up to around 160 now and even though that is a good thing, I am now having to extend my walk and go round the block 4 more times to burn the same amount of calories I was burning doing the same walk. I am walking as fast as I can, so fast I am scared I am going to trip and my heart rate never gets very high. Is this walk now not as beneficial to me as exercise because I have gotten more used to it? I was thinking that maybe something was wrong with the heart rate monitor? I just don't know what to do, because it is rare that I can get to a gym because I have the baby. I really liked doing the walk for an hour because I can take the stroller and the baby naps plus I was burning a lot of calories. Just wondering if anyone has any advice, or if you think that the monitor is not working as well?? Thank you

Replies

  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    anyone?
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
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    Hopefully someone will be able to give you a more educated answer but my thoughts would be that you are getting in better shape so your heart rate won't go up as high doing the same thing. That's doesn't mean it's not beneficial. Depends on why you are walking, to train cardio wise or for weight loss. If you are training for a marathon it's a bit different then if you are just doing it for a work out. If you are worried its your monitor, make sure you are washing the strap regularly.

    Hopefully someone can give you a better answer though :/
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    That is exactly what should happen.

    Here's the great thing about walking though for fat loss.

    Once your avg HR gets down to around 110 or lower, or you can keep it that low by slowing down - you don't need to feed that type of a gentle workout - because it's main energy source is fat. And therefore exactly like your daily activity that the deficit is coming from in the first place.

    I'd just change your activity level to Lightly active now.

    If you keep it that high though, you should be feeding that workout, because it is taking from your daily intake calories.

    Think about it.

    You eat 1350 daily.
    You exercise and it takes around 600 calories of that.
    That leaves 750 calories for your BMR.

    Ever hear of that? Tools - BMR Calc.
    Use the search button on MFP and search Google if you don't know what BMR means, and it's importance.

    That is what it could be. Keep doing what you are doing not feeding the workout, it will have to drop to 750. it will no longer be that higher number.

    Your weight loss will slowly get less and less, and you will probably stall at that low.
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    My BMR says 1657. So, should I eat 1657 calories a day?? That seems like quite a few. So, if I do the same walk and burn around 600, does that mean I have to eat 1657 plus my exercise calories, or half my exercise calories? I am 214 pounds and 5'5. I want to get to at least 160.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    My BMR says 1657. So, should I eat 1657 calories a day?? That seems like quite a few. So, if I do the same walk and burn around 600, does that mean I have to eat 1657 plus my exercise calories, or half my exercise calories? I am 214 pounds and 5'5. I want to get to at least 160.

    1657 seems high compared to 1200. How does it compared to what you were eating before starting to diet? Still high? Or no idea? Most have never logged a standard week before dieting to see where they were at.

    Here's what will happen if not careful, and why it happened.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201204
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    well, I think that my metabolism is a huge issue and I have hypothyroidism so I feel like 1657 is way too high. I would like to ramp up my metabolism but just not sure how to do that. I was staying around 1200 and not losing as much, but now I've added exercise I have brought my calories up to 1350 or so and was losing a little more. I have lost a total of 11 pounds in 32 days on MFP. I have only been adding exercise for about 21 days of it. I do not count the exercise because I was thinking that the deficit is what you wanted to loose weight. This is all pretty confusing.....
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    well, I think that my metabolism is a huge issue and I have hypothyroidism so I feel like 1657 is way too high. I would like to ramp up my metabolism but just not sure how to do that. I was staying around 1200 and not losing as much, but now I've added exercise I have brought my calories up to 1350 or so and was losing a little more. I have lost a total of 11 pounds in 32 days on MFP. I have only been adding exercise for about 21 days of it. I do not count the exercise because I was thinking that the deficit is what you wanted to loose weight. This is all pretty confusing.....

    Did you select an activity level that mentioned anything about exercise in it, or just daily activity level?

    Did you select a weight loss goal, or select maintenance?

    You daily goal already has a deficit in it. You feed workouts.

    What if you had selected an activity level that included planned exercise listed, which of course would create a bigger daily maintenance to subtract from? Say about 2200, and then took off 500 cal for 1lb weekly?

    Would you try to eat it then?

    So how close to normal metabolism does your Dr think your med's will get you?
    Or no meds, you are just slower?

    And were you measured slower after eating at such a deficit? Or do they think you can go back up? Not if you underfeed it!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Try a simpler way, since you may not have true exercise calories.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method

    Spreadsheet to make figuring out your daily maintenance much easier.
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    thank you I will try that and see how it goes. If I have any other questions, can I message you?? You seem so know a lot about this and I appreciate your help. I have been on the meds for quite a few years and my metabolism is still slow I believe. I know a lot of people that can lose a lot faster than me. I don't care about speed, 2 pounds a week would be awesome but I really want to keep it off too. I think that I have to ramp up my exercise if I want results. How did you learn all that you know?? I feel lucky that you commented:)
  • builtforlife
    builtforlife Posts: 259
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    You're heart is probably just getting used to the exercise. By the way, walking for an hour is fun! Get used to working out even more, over time, slowly, it'll be cool! Walk for 3 months if you have to, thats what I did! :)
  • Hickyvikki69
    Hickyvikki69 Posts: 371 Member
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    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    You're heart is probably just getting used to the exercise. By the way, walking for an hour is fun! Get used to working out even more, over time, slowly, it'll be cool! Walk for 3 months if you have to, thats what I did! :)

    I have really started enjoying my walk. At first I dreaded those hills, now I am like....bring it on!! It' s my favorite part now:)
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!

    Oh, cool! It would be 183, I got to a maximum of 181, so pretty close.
  • HappilyLifts
    HappilyLifts Posts: 429 Member
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    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!

    This is what I was led to believe, but when I started using a HRM I got a bit freaked out because my heart rate went above that. I asked here on MFP and I now take that as an estimate.

    Shellsy, I have no experience of meds and low metabolism, but my personal trainer has been trying to raise my metabolism (I'm 43, I guess it could be slowing down as I'm finding it hard to lose weight, or at least, that's what she thinks may be happening as I have changed my diet and have been working out regularly for just over 3 months with little change) by getting me to do some high intensity training, e.g. 1 minute jog:30secs walk for 8 minutes, and some strength training. I do other things at high and low intensity but I just gave this example because you are walking.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!

    Oh, cool! It would be 183, I got to a maximum of 181, so pretty close.

    Sadly the bell curve for women is rather wide and shallow, meaning the majority of women are very inaccurate with that formula by some amount, and very decent odds off by 20-40.

    Once you've been walking another week, should estimate your self.
    Submaximal step test for MHR estimate.
    http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/determine-your-maximum-heart-rate-with-the-step-test/

    It is a useful number to know. Genetically set, only lower when out of aerobic shape, which you are right now.
  • BreakinTheChains
    BreakinTheChains Posts: 381 Member
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    Better shape is the answer :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    thank you I will try that and see how it goes. If I have any other questions, can I message you?? You seem so know a lot about this and I appreciate your help. I have been on the meds for quite a few years and my metabolism is still slow I believe. I know a lot of people that can lose a lot faster than me. I don't care about speed, 2 pounds a week would be awesome but I really want to keep it off too. I think that I have to ramp up my exercise if I want results. How did you learn all that you know?? I feel lucky that you commented:)

    PM away. That walking will continue to be a great benefit.

    For the spreadsheet in that link, I'm hoping you'll do the measurements for bodyfat% estimate. Much better results with that, plus some other measurements to track, just in case inches drop but weight stays the same for some weeks.

    Ramp up your exercise without feeding it properly will actually have the opposite effect than desired. In fact, it's a great way to push it into stall mode sadly.

    Diet is for weight loss.
    Exercise is for body shaping and heart health, and can help or hinder weight loss.

    As I was going for degree as trainer/dietician, got offered path dealing with computers and fixing problems there instead. Went that way.
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!

    Oh, cool! It would be 183, I got to a maximum of 181, so pretty close.

    Sadly the bell curve for women is rather wide and shallow, meaning the majority of women are very inaccurate with that formula by some amount, and very decent odds off by 20-40.

    Once you've been walking another week, should estimate your self.
    Submaximal step test for MHR estimate.
    http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/determine-your-maximum-heart-rate-with-the-step-test/

    It is a useful number to know. Genetically set, only lower when out of aerobic shape, which you are right now.

    Should I change my weight in my hrm when I lose weight? I have lost 5 pounds since I set it up when I first got it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Options
    take 220 minus ur age is your maxium heart rate for you!

    Oh, cool! It would be 183, I got to a maximum of 181, so pretty close.

    Sadly the bell curve for women is rather wide and shallow, meaning the majority of women are very inaccurate with that formula by some amount, and very decent odds off by 20-40.

    Once you've been walking another week, should estimate your self.
    Submaximal step test for MHR estimate.
    http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/determine-your-maximum-heart-rate-with-the-step-test/

    It is a useful number to know. Genetically set, only lower when out of aerobic shape, which you are right now.

    Should I change my weight in my hrm when I lose weight? I have lost 5 pounds since I set it up when I first got it.

    You bet, weight and MHR are 2 biggest influences on calorie burn estimates.

    If your real MHR was 183 for instance, and you did 60 min at 170, that would appear to be a HUGE effort, very close to max possible, so high calories burn.
    But if real MHR was 200, then 170 is not as intense, so less calorie burn.

    So you could set it to 120 and pretend you are really burning them up! But that's not really useful info then.
  • shellsy0424
    shellsy0424 Posts: 127 Member
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    Sadly the bell curve for women is rather wide and shallow, meaning the majority of women are very inaccurate with that formula by some amount, and very decent odds off by 20-40.

    Once you've been walking another week, should estimate your self.
    Submaximal step test for MHR estimate.
    http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/determine-your-maximum-heart-rate-with-the-step-test/

    It is a useful number to know. Genetically set, only lower when out of aerobic shape, which you are right now.
    [/quote]

    Should I change my weight in my hrm when I lose weight? I have lost 5 pounds since I set it up when I first got it.
    [/quote]

    You bet, weight and MHR are 2 biggest influences on calorie burn estimates.

    If your real MHR was 183 for instance, and you did 60 min at 170, that would appear to be a HUGE effort, very close to max possible, so high calories burn.
    But if real MHR was 200, then 170 is not as intense, so less calorie burn.

    So you could set it to 120 and pretend you are really burning them up! But that's not really useful info then.
    [/quote]

    gotcha!!! Thanks, like I said I appreciate your help a lot.

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