We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Heart Rate Monitor or Fitbit?

PoliticalRN
PoliticalRN Posts: 112 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to buy a good tool that I can use to monitor my calories burned regardless of the activity I'm doing. I have a very good Pedometer that tells me fat and calories burned, distance walked and what part of the walk was cardio but it doesn't recognize when I ascend stairs or climb hills and won't calculate if I'm strength training. Okay, the tool doesn't have to do all that but I need everything minus the strength training calorie burned. Any experience out there? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • t2kburl
    t2kburl Posts: 123 Member
    I have the Fitbit and I love it for all the reasons you mentioned.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i have both. fitbit for daily stuff and hrm for workouts.
  • mlashay
    mlashay Posts: 166 Member
    i have both. fitbit for daily stuff and hrm for workouts.

    ^This. I use my FitBit for daily use and to keep active even when I don't have a good workout in.
    And HRM for run, strength training and rigorous activity.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    HRM. If you already have a pedometer ... than you pretty much already have a FitBit... bc its just a fancy pedometer lol... Yes it calculates stairs... *as in flights of stairs* but sometimes it doesn't read that. (Sometimes I walk up 6 flights of stairs by noon, but it is only counting 3-4 of them... Not always, but sometimes it works this way) I like having a Fitbit dont get me wrong... But if you want something more accurate, and already have a pedometer.. I say go with the HRM.
  • awdamm
    awdamm Posts: 375 Member
    i have both. fitbit for daily stuff and hrm for workouts.

    ^This. I use my FitBit for daily use and to keep active even when I don't have a good workout in.
    And HRM for run, strength training and rigorous activity.

    what these cats said! i have both and use both! fitbit wear it all day long have it synced to add automatically and if i use my HRM i track that myself
  • fbuschur
    fbuschur Posts: 57
    I have both. I almost never use my HRM. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my fitbit. It gives me a better overall picture of my day. I can go running, but if I spend the rest of the day sitting around, what's the point? With FitBit, I can see the real picture. It isn't perfect but I feel like the calorie adjustment it gives me is fairly accurate, the mileage is off if I run but I use GPS to track that on NikePlus so I don't mind too much.

    Also - they seem pricey for what it is, but their customer support is great. My first one quit on me and they sent a replacement super fast and were really nice about it.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    My Fitbit broke on day 2 and, yes, they sent a replacement ASAP, but they're terrible quality. So many stories of them breaking. I'd just get a HRM and log workouts with it. MFP is pretty accurate with the rest as long as you're honest about your lifestyle (not everyone is sedentary).
  • mdj1501
    mdj1501 Posts: 388 Member
    I have the Fitbit and I love it for all the reasons you mentioned.

    ^^^DITTO
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    i have both. fitbit for daily stuff and hrm for workouts.

    Yup. I do this too. I think using both gives me the best idea of calories burned.
  • Lisha_R
    Lisha_R Posts: 92 Member
    I got my polar HRM for workouts (cardio, weight training and classes). Now I am getting a fitbit to encourage me to keep my activity up during the day. I read it encourages you to increase your activity. That is not a bad thing. Anything is better than what I was doing before deciding to loose weight.
  • Chipmunk222
    Chipmunk222 Posts: 240 Member
    I have both, if I run the fitbit is not accurate on steps which makes me wonder if it's accurate for walking steps, I don't use it for calories, that's why I have a heart rate monitor, but they are both useful in their own way. I do believe the fitbit keeps me accountable for my 10000 steps a day. I don't see how the fitbit can be as accurate as a heart rate monitor since it doesn't use your heart rate to figure calories burned, if it was able to measure heart rate they would use it as a selling point and it would display this on the screen. Also, the fitbit isn't waterproof and my Polar Ft 7 is, as long as you don't push buttons while underwater.
  • hvpooly
    hvpooly Posts: 39
    I love my fitbit and the fact that it syncs with MFP. It allows me to see how active I am in a day and set goals to make myself more active. It also allowed me to see just how little I moved to begin with. I'm definitely burning more calories since I got my fitbit. I do plan on getting a HRM in the future though, mainly to help more with workouts since I don't trust the burn estimates the MFP gives me.
  • PoliticalRN
    PoliticalRN Posts: 112 Member
    Thanks everybody for your input. I finally made my decision to order the Polar FT7 HRM. I came to this decision based on the fact that I currently have a very good pedometer that does everything that Fitbit does except detecting stairs. I will let you all know how I like my Polar. I haven't totally ruled out the Fitbit but I have to pace my purchases! :wink:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    i have both. fitbit for daily stuff and hrm for workouts.

    This ^^^^ They are used for different things.
  • kimmieyr1
    kimmieyr1 Posts: 189
    HRM. If you already have a pedometer ... than you pretty much already have a FitBit... bc its just a fancy pedometer lol... Yes it calculates stairs... *as in flights of stairs* but sometimes it doesn't read that. (Sometimes I walk up 6 flights of stairs by noon, but it is only counting 3-4 of them... Not always, but sometimes it works this way) I like having a Fitbit dont get me wrong... But if you want something more accurate, and already have a pedometer.. I say go with the HRM.

    i agree with this. Fitbit is a over rated pedometer. I do like it and wear it daily but it does what a pedometer does. Also what others are saying on quality is true. Mine broke day one. They replaced it but I wonder how long this one will last. I will get an HRM when I can afford one.
  • PoliticalRN
    PoliticalRN Posts: 112 Member
    I received my Polar FT7 HRM yesterday and I couldn't wait to use it today since I got it late in the evening after I already worked out and showered. Otherwise I would have worked out again! So, I did my Tae Bo T3 and it showed me how long I was in the zone, how much calorie I burned, how much fat burned, average HR and highest HR. I will tell you one thing for sure. The data base with the information on how much you burn given certain activities is waaaay over stated. :embarassed: Now I know why I wasn't losing as much weight as I though I would be. I've been crediting myself more calories burned that I actually was!!!!:explode: Now that I have my HRM I will be able to accurately log my exercises! For those who workout and totally trust the data bases, I would recommend you to take another look. Thanks everyone for your input on this thread!:smile:
  • HardmanP
    HardmanP Posts: 44 Member
    I have had my polar FT7 for a few weeks now, and I LOVE mine.. I see you love yours already.. I don't know what I would do with out it..
  • danimal5867
    danimal5867 Posts: 390
    Nothing beats a good HRM. I only use mine for cardio workouts, but in my opinion, there's just no replacing it for knowing my calorie burn. I do a lot of running and walking as well as using cardio machines at my gym. I always wear my monitor for these activities. I also do some resistance training, but nothing is going to give a truly accurate calorie number for weight lifting so I no longer log it.
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
    I received my Polar FT7 HRM yesterday and I couldn't wait to use it today since I got it late in the evening after I already worked out and showered. Otherwise I would have worked out again! So, I did my Tae Bo T3 and it showed me how long I was in the zone, how much calorie I burned, how much fat burned, average HR and highest HR. I will tell you one thing for sure. The data base with the information on how much you burn given certain activities is waaaay over stated. :embarassed: Now I know why I wasn't losing as much weight as I though I would be. I've been crediting myself more calories burned that I actually was!!!!:explode: Now that I have my HRM I will be able to accurately log my exercises! For those who workout and totally trust the data bases, I would recommend you to take another look. Thanks everyone for your input on this thread!:smile:

    This is why I never work out without my HRM. The MFP database tells me that I burn over 1000 calories for certain workouts when I really have only burned closer to 500!!!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories