New realizations with a HRM...

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csingleton24
csingleton24 Posts: 235 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I got a Polar F6 for Christmas and I LOVE it! I have been using MFP to track my calories. With my settings I am supposed to bring in 1200 calories to lose weight (only need to lose the last 8 pounds). I've never had a HRM before so I just used the given calorie count for the exercises that I have been doing. Well, as an experiment I put on the HRM and sat around and watched tv for a few hours. Just sitting on the couch I burned 1.4 calories a minute. So I took that and multiplied it by 1440 (minutes in a day) that brings me to 2016. So I am thinking I need about 2000 just to live. Does that sound right? And if that is right, should I be increasing my calories per day to 1400 or 1500? I feel like 1200 is so low that I'm going into starvation mode. Also, how do I manually change my daily calorie count to 1400 instead of 1200 when I log food/exercise? Any help/thoughts on this would be great! Thanks in advance!

~Christy

Replies

  • curvykatie
    curvykatie Posts: 870 Member
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    I found exactly the same think when i wore my F6 for a day, so i did increase my calories to 1400 and since then i have been losing again (i wasnt losing at 1200) so i would suggest trying it.

    as for changing it in your diary - if you go to your home page, then click on goal -> change goals ->custom

    and that should let you change them

    x
  • geicko
    geicko Posts: 151
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    Hey ! I got the same Christmas gift :tongue:

    I was surprised to see how little I burn during my workout. I know we all have that tendency to over-estimate what we burn but I thought I had done serious investigation before plugging in my numbers.

    I haven't try wearing it while not working out but sounds like a good idea. I'll do that ! I'm afraid my number will be low though... I have a resting heart rate of 50-55 (I'm in pretty good shape and we have good heart genetics in the family).

    So far, the best exercice has been snow shoveling ! Slow, steady, but very efficient calorie burning exercise according to my F6 :laugh:
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
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    "So far, the best exercice has been snow shoveling ! Slow, steady, but very efficient calorie burning exercise according to my F6"

    I burned just under 400 calories last week in about 40 minutes shoveling a very heavy slushy snow. The ice "boulders" left by the snow plow were so big and heavy that I had to push and roll them out of the way with my hands!
  • qatarsessions
    qatarsessions Posts: 31 Member
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    I am a personal trainer and this works for me and my clients. Let MFP calculate your BMR. Subtract 200 calories and put that in as your daily allowance. Wear a HRM every time you work out and then add those calories back to your allowance.
    For instance. My BMR = 1200
    I enter 1000
    I exercise 400
    I eat 1400 for the day.
    Slow and steady weight loss. Anything less will mess up your metabolism. When I get to my goal weight I add in 100 calories for 2 weeks. Then I go back to my 1200 BMR.
    ALWAYS adding in the exercise calories.
    Works like a charm IF you count every calorie.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    I use an HRM to calculate calories burned during exercise. Haven't worn it all day (yet), probably won't. (Apathy? I dunno. :laugh:)

    But like you, I have a suggested 1200. I was HUNGRY at 1200 calories. It wasn't enough and I wasn't losing weight. Someone suggested I bump it to 1400. At 1400, I feel more satiated and began losing weight again. I'd recommend playing with your calories and seeing what works for you. While our daily caloric needs estimated here are based on sound tried-and-true formulas, every body is unique and differs from the "norms" in some way. See what works best for you and stick with it. :smile:
  • csingleton24
    csingleton24 Posts: 235 Member
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    Thanks for all the responses! I just did my first workout with my HRM. This is the same workout that I've been doing for awhile now (basic running 4 1/2 miles). I have been really underestimating my calories burned! So now I realized that I truly was taken in way too many calories. So I think I am going to up my base calories per day to 1400 and then whatever exercise calories after that.

    Also, I don't have snow here so I won't be able to have snow shoveling as a good calorie burner...hmmmm maybe sand castle building...hee hee.

    Thanks again!

    ~Christy

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