Walking- track with FitBit or a HRM?

Options
butterflylover527
butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My main (and sometimes only) form of exercise is walking. I tend to walk a fair amount all day long and then on top of that I try to get a walk in at night. I was thinking that I should really get a FitBIt from all the walking I do during the day. But then I got confused when it comes to my walks. I always walk w/ my HRM on cause I walk on a hilly path and I want to know how many calories I burn. But if I wear my FitBit to see how many steps I take (which adds calories) AND I wear my HRM (and add those calories too) I'll be tracking the same thing twice. My HRM will say I burned more calories though since my heart rate will be up.

Does anyone else deal with this?

My question is, do you add the FitBit and HRM calories and then just not eat them all back? Cause I'd be adding some calories twice. Just kind of confused here hahah.

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Options
    I don't eat exercise so it wouldn't matter but I'd just pick one and stick with it. If you like the idea of a FitBit that you wear all the time then just use it's numbers. Some people get a HRM to wear for things like weights or cycling that FitBit doesn't work for but wearing both at the same time seems like a bit of overkill.
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
    Options
    bump
  • fitnessgal1985
    fitnessgal1985 Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    I'd like to know too. Like right now my elliptical broke and I have to wait for a part. I know exercising through walking can be useful but i don't know whether it's best to monitor the activity with fitbit or a heart rate monitor
  • fitnessgal1985
    fitnessgal1985 Posts: 110 Member
    Options
    bump
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
    Options
    bump
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    It doesn't matter, just pick one and stick with it. It's all relative, but you shouldn't change methods otherwise, you'll be off somewhere. It's like people that complain their scale is accurate. It doesn't matter. It's a relative measurement.
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
    Options
    When you log cardio on Fitbit's site, it overrides the calories calculated by Fitbit for the period you exercised. You won't be double counting.

    For example, if I run for an hour, my Fitbit picks up the steps, calculates the calories burned of let's say 400. My HRM says that I burned 495 calories. When I input those 495 calories for that hour on Fitbit, it replaces the 400 calories that it previously credited me for. I end up with 495 calories, not 895.
  • butterflylover527
    butterflylover527 Posts: 940 Member
    Options
    When you log cardio on Fitbit's site, it overrides the calories calculated by Fitbit for the period you exercised. You won't be double counting.

    For example, if I run for an hour, my Fitbit picks up the steps, calculates the calories burned of let's say 400. My HRM says that I burned 495 calories. When I input those 495 calories for that hour on Fitbit, it replaces the 400 calories that it previously credited me for. I end up with 495 calories, not 895.

    Oh, gottcha. Thanks!

Categories