Answers, please, from HRM users

MIM49

What I want: a device which will calculate my daily calorie burn with a high degree of accuracy. I realize BMR, RMR, and TDEE are just guestimates. I do not expect a device to be 100% accurate but I would like to be able to SEE an actual number based on my individual activity--or perhaps in my case I should say "inactivity" because I am pretty sedentary (I sit on my a** all day) I have purchased a Fitbit but so far am not impressed. The thing has me walking in my sleep (while it is sitting on my bedside table which I KNOW is not moving.); I have earned a badge for climbing stairs (I live in a single story house and there is not one step); and walking to town when I was sitting in the car. As far as my exercise (which I hate--I am lazy, old (63) and as a said, an a** sitter--I need all the encouragement and incentive I can get) it gives me basically no credit for calories burned. I still have to log an estimate for the calories burned during the exercise on MFP while I was hoping to get a more accurate calculation by using Fitbit. (In case you are wondering I exercise to a "Walking 2 mile DVD by Leslie Sansone. To figure calories burned I used a chart inputting distance--2 miles--time-- 30 min and my weight. The chart gave 264 calories. I was hoping to find out that it is actually more because the DVD incorporates a lot of upper body movement and weights. However altho Fitbit may be keeping a fairly close count of the steps, it only gives me approx 90 calorie burn which I feel to be inaccurate. So, therefore, I am probably going to return the Fitbit because its accuracy and dependability as the calories burned and activity seems to be pretty undependable.
Now here are my QUESTIONS which I hope HRM users can answer:
1. Is a HRM only for more intense workouts? I have heard that there is no benefit to wearing a HRM all day because the wearer needs to have a HR of at least 100bpm before it will calculate calorie burn. Therefore it won't calculate calories burned from just daily activities, ie "just moving around"
2. From reading the information in the above paragraph, will a HRM provide the information I am looking for?
Thank you for reading and responding

MIM49

Bump--really don't want to make another useless purchase

conekicker

Hi MIM49, I highly recommend you use a heart rate monitor. The monitor is a great motivational tool, you can monitor your fitness progress and calorie burn rate using different exercise disciplines.

Some heart rate monitors work just as you have said, heart rate is required to be at a certain level before calories are recorded, but others will record your heart rate and calorie burn rate at any heart rate level, that is, exercising or just sitting around.

If you would like me to go into more detail, let me know.

Paul

Cyclink

1. Is a HRM only for more intense workouts? I have heard that there is no benefit to wearing a HRM all day because the wearer needs to have a HR of at least 100bpm before it will calculate calorie burn. Therefore it won't calculate calories burned from just daily activities, ie "just moving around"
2. From reading the information in the above paragraph, will a HRM provide the information I am looking for?

1) yes
2) no

kristy6ward

Sounds like you should look into a Bodymedia Fit. It is designed to be worn all day long to calculate calories burned during daily activity and exercise. Down side is you will be constantly wearing an arm band and will have to pay a monthly service fee.

The ad running down the side of my page says they're now 20% off and ship for free.. lol

DavPul

Bump--really don't want to make another useless purchase

then don't buy an hrm or any other calorie counting device. contrary to popular mfp belief, it's entirely possible to lose weight quickly and steadily without dumping $80+ down the drain on useless guesstimations about your "burn"