Reminder *** Adjust HRM for weight lost

heybales

Start of year, just a reminder to adjust the weight in your HRM, age if it doesn't do so automatically.

And remember, the weight is what you weigh with your workout clothes, unless you run or do gym classes naked.
That would be an interesting class.

Also, for those with Polar's with the OwnIndex or Fitness test, always redo that after you lower the weight.

VO2max is based on weight, if you left that stat the same and lowered your weight, HRM would think you are doing worse than before, because actually VO2max should go up as weight drops. Besides it going up as you get more fit anyway.

So confirm running that test again first thing in morning for good resting HR.

This is of course if you are using and trusting it way too much for accurate calorie burn info.

wilmaln

Your reminder half answers a doubt I have, but just to be sure.... maybe you can help....

I wanted to try and weigh myself "less than usual" as I find that sometimes the weekly weigh-in kind of makes me feel like giving up due to lack of results, or give in due to too good results.... But if I don't adjust my weight settings on my HRM (Polar FT4), would this give me wrong calorie readings in excess or in deficit? For example, in Autumn I was running c25k, three times a week, and I made sure I was weighing myself each morning before the run (but, ha! I weighed myself naked, and before breakfast, even though I don't run naked :laugh: so I gather from your post that this would be incorrect!)

Thanks for any help!

heybales

Your reminder half answers a doubt I have, but just to be sure.... maybe you can help....

I wanted to try and weigh myself "less than usual" as I find that sometimes the weekly weigh-in kind of makes me feel like giving up due to lack of results, or give in due to too good results.... But if I don't adjust my weight settings on my HRM (Polar FT4), would this give me wrong calorie readings in excess or in deficit? For example, in Autumn I was running c25k, three times a week, and I made sure I was weighing myself each morning before the run (but, ha! I weighed myself naked, and before breakfast, even though I don't run naked :laugh: so I gather from your post that this would be incorrect!)

Thanks for any help!

If your weight went up in the stats, then BMI got worse and they are assuming worse fitness level, so assumed calculated VO2max would appear to be worse and go down.
So if your HR was comparable to previous runs, you would get smaller calorie burn reported.

Now, I don't know if Polar does it in blocks or continuously variable scale. Like BMI between these 2 figures gets one assumed VO2max, or any BMI change makes the VO2max change a little.

Next treadmill walks I need to do as warmup or recovery day, I'll test that by changing weight just a little bit and try to nail the same avg HR each time. Much easier to do on treadmill walks.

stljam

Thanks for the good reminder to continually adjust the age and weight.

And remember, the weight is what you weigh with your workout clothes, unless you run or do gym classes naked.

So then my weight used for the HRM while playing ice hockey technically should include my goalie gear and be the average of it pre skate and the much heavier sweat soaked variety?...That game outdoor in the rain would have been insanely higher, lol.

Your post triggered a thought....If I am playing for a while say 2-3 hours, I guess I should reduce the HRM calorie count by my BMR for that time if I truly want my extra exercise calories.

ejwme

I don't think the pound or two of workout clothes makes that big a difference. I do think that hauling around half your body weight in gear DOES make a big difference, but that should be allowed for somewhere else. It's why we have different LTHRs (lactic threshold heart rates) for different activities.

Now if you're seriously losing weight, and haven't changed your settings since you were 30# heavier a year ago, that's a big difference. But don't sweat a pound or two here or there. Unless you're an olympic athlete, it comes out in the wash. Just go do your miles, reps, whatever.

heybales

Thanks for the good reminder to continually adjust the age and weight.

And remember, the weight is what you weigh with your workout clothes, unless you run or do gym classes naked.

So then my weight used for the HRM while playing ice hockey technically should include my goalie gear and be the average of it pre skate and the much heavier sweat soaked variety?...That game outdoor in the rain would have been insanely higher, lol.

Your post triggered a thought....If I am playing for a while say 2-3 hours, I guess I should reduce the HRM calorie count by my BMR for that time if I truly want my extra exercise calories.

Right on. That's substantial extra weight. When they do an actual VO2max test, it's weight you'll be tested at, not naked weight.

Actually, in the sense of MFP and trying to lose weight and accounting for calories burned and eaten, what were you actually expected to burn during that time?

MFP's calculation of your non-exercise maintenance divided by 1440 times minutes of the activity.
And while it may seem minor, long activities like you did, or many minutes in a week, can indeed add up.

MFP - Goals - Calories Burned from Normal Daily Activity.

emacb123

Your post triggered a thought....If I am playing for a while say 2-3 hours, I guess I should reduce the HRM calorie count by my BMR for that time if I truly want my extra exercise calories.

I take that into account. I go here http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx to calculate.

wilmaln

Thanks all for the input!

Actually I had never considered the ice-hockey issue (have a game tomorrow night!).

At least now I know that as I am "just" trying to slim down a bit, and most of all tone and get fitter, I don't need to fret so much about the daily weight loss. I'll try and weigh myself maybe twice a month. I guess the weight lost (hopefully) will add up to the cloths worn... and worst comes to worst I will be logging just a few less calories burnt that in reality :happy:

Khrissee

Hey all,

So I started at 170lb and Moderate activity. Since inputting those settings into my Polar watch, I had a fitness test of 36, which I was happy with. In the last 3 months I have substantially increased my exercise regime; 4-5 days a week 40-60 min mix between cadio and weight lifting. Today, after the 3 months from when I started, I updated my weight (166) and activity level (high). I then took my polar fit test (first thing when I woke up, no stimulents, quiet environment) It went from 36 to 32. I took it 3 times at consistently got 32. How can that be?! It should have gone up. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks in advance!

heybales

Hey all,

So I started at 170lb and Moderate activity. Since inputting those settings into my Polar watch, I had a fitness test of 36, which I was happy with. In the last 3 months I have substantially increased my exercise regime; 4-5 days a week 40-60 min mix between cadio and weight lifting. Today, after the 3 months from when I started, I updated my weight (166) and activity level (high). I then took my polar fit test (first thing when I woke up, no stimulents, quiet environment) It went from 36 to 32. I took it 3 times at consistently got 32. How can that be?! It should have gone up. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks in advance!

Did your resting HR go up? (that's what it was reading BTW, resting HR, so yesterday should have been a rest day).

If your resting HR doesn't have a valid reason for being up, you may be doing too much training, or about to get sick, perhaps all related to not getting enough rest from hard workouts.

Because the study formula they use to estimate VO2max is pretty simple, gender, age, and BMI, and restingHR, and your self-described fitness level.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16168867