Info on devices that measure calories burned?

kyraschmidt
kyraschmidt Posts: 46
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have been reading up on some of these devices that claim to measure 24/7 calories burned and there are so many mixed reviews! I was interested in getting something to wear if I would give me and accurate calorie reading during workouts but also just on my general daily activity.

I looked into the bodybugg but it looks like it requires you to pay 10 dollars a month to be able to use it? thats stupid.

I was also looking into some polar watches and some reviews said that they were not very accurate..


I just wanted to see what you guys have to say! I really do not know much about these things and would hate to spend money for nothing.

Thanks!

Replies

  • littleandysmom
    littleandysmom Posts: 173 Member
    Just bought a bowflex heart rate monitor today that counts calories. It comes with the chest strap and the watch. It took awhile to figure it out but it works. Although I 'm not exactly sure how I got the watch to work....the instructions weren't clear, so just pushed buttons until it started working. :ohwell: Hopefully I'll figure it out again tomorrow! It was on sale for $29.99. Good Luck!
  • ilikepandasyay
    ilikepandasyay Posts: 96 Member
    Just bought a bowflex heart rate monitor today that counts calories. It comes with the chest strap and the watch. It took awhile to figure it out but it works. Although I 'm not exactly sure how I got the watch to work....the instructions weren't clear, so just pushed buttons until it started working. :ohwell: Hopefully I'll figure it out again tomorrow! It was on sale for $29.99. Good Luck!

    On sale where? I need a hrm but I don't want to spend $100 on something I'm not sure I'll be good at using.
  • janessafantasma
    janessafantasma Posts: 312 Member
    I bought a Mio Motiva petite HRM, and it says that it's ECG accurate. It seems to be fairly close, I had it checked one day while at the clinic and they had me at 65 while my monitor had me at 70. It does not have a chest strap which was a huge selling point for me because I did not want to wear one at all. I've used my HRM for swimming, biking, basic cardio, even while playing my Wii.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    bump
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Most of the heart rate monitors on the market today base calorie burn on the 220 minus your age maximum heart rate formula. There is no scientific evidence that this formula should apply to all people and was developed using a group of 6 male athletes aged 19-23.

    More importantly, women tend to have a higher maximum heart rate than men, by as much as 30%, so the standard heart rate monitors on the market are going to over-estimate calorie burn of a female by as much as 30% based on heart rate alone.

    I don't know if it exists, but if you can buy a heart rate monitor that can be custom calibrated to your personal maximum heart rate, you will get a *more* accurate reading of calories burned. Ultimately, no one really knows how many calories are burned by an individual. Heart rate is a good approximation, but a more accurate approximation would be if you are breathing heavy and sweating then you know you are burning more calories.
  • Cancuning
    Cancuning Posts: 3 Member
    I agree. I haven't found one that lets you calculate the calories based on your Vo2 Max. This is the most accurate way to know your calorie burn. I adjust mine manually but you must know your Vo2 Max. The average female has a Vo2 Max of 35 ml/kg. The higher the Vo2, the more you burn on the same work out.
  • littleandysmom
    littleandysmom Posts: 173 Member
    Just bought a bowflex heart rate monitor today that counts calories. It comes with the chest strap and the watch. It took awhile to figure it out but it works. Although I 'm not exactly sure how I got the watch to work....the instructions weren't clear, so just pushed buttons until it started working. :ohwell: Hopefully I'll figure it out again tomorrow! It was on sale for $29.99. Good Luck!

    On sale where? I need a hrm but I don't want to spend $100 on something I'm not sure I'll be good at using.


    Big 5
  • Jlstaur
    Jlstaur Posts: 1 Member
    The bodybugg device is a one time fee unless you want to keep track online. I have had one for years and I use the watch and arm band. It tracks all the data daily but i can not see history or can not upload to their system. This is the case if you do not have the 6.95 monthly subscription. You get six months free with initial purchase. If you are interested in tracking on smartphone not the watch you have to have subscription. Hopefully this helped a little.

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