Heart Rate Monitors?? Help!

Yes get the chest strap, it continuously keeps track of your heart rate therefore giving you a pretty accurate calorie burn. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg, but don't go the super cheap route or you are more likely to get one that doesn't give an accurate reading, and you'll end up wanting to purchase a new one. I have the Polar FT4 and love it. I spent 80 on it I believe but you can get it cheaper on amazon!

I have a Timex WR 30, it only cost me $40 & works great! I would recommend using the chest strap it will give you accurate results, at first it is weird but once you get used to you dont even notice it is on..

I've notice a lot of people use HRMs to count the calories they've burned during workouts. I'm considering getting one, but have some questions. I've found HRM watches and some with actual chest straps. Is it better to use a chest strap or a watch...or both? Does it make much of a difference. I'd rather just use a watch b/c I feel like the chest strap would be irritating. It is that noticeable?

The chest strap is necessary to get a good heart rate reading. I have a Polar FT7 that I recently bought. You don't notice the strap really at all when you exercise with it. It sits right at the bottom of my chest and it doesn't move or feel scratchy when I run with it. It's just "there" and you don't even think about it really. You're looking at your heart-rate on your watch, watching for cars, looking at the ducks by the lake, no thoughts about the chest strap. I barely notice it and as a woman you probably are used to having a strap around your chest. It would sit right under your bra line.

Also, Is it necessary to get an expensive HRM? I'm just out of college and paying rent for the first time, so I'm on a strict budget, but I don't want to pay for junk so I'll pay more if its absolutely worth it.

I bought the FT7 but the FT4 would do just fine for tracking your heart rate. This place has one of the better prices I've seen. $62.49 for the FT4 here.

http://www.pedometersusa.com/polar-ft4.html

On a budget? Then save your money. Nobody in history ever needed to spend $100 to get in shape. Get your diet right by hitting your macros (free on MFP). Then pick the exercise you like to do (I'm assuming we're talking cardio here) and start doing it. Write down your baseline on a notepad (not free but <$3). Then each week try to do better than the week before. So you might need a cheap stopwatch ($20) or you might have one on your phone already (free).

Let's say the activity you choose is running. The first week you can run 1 mile in 15 mins. Try to go further each week until you can get to 2 miles in 30. Then 3 miles in 40. Now try to get to the point where you can do all 3 miles in 35. Then 30. Then decide if you want more miles or shorter time. Totally your call. Either way, it costs $0.

Getting in shape is about getting better, *not about calories burned*. Whatever you choose, (swimming, biking, kayaking, walking, running, lifting) if you spend your time getting better at it, one day soon you will look in the mirror and be amazed.

Track your time, not your calories. And if you do happen to have $100 burning a hole in your pocket, that's probably good for 3 months at your local gym, and lifting is going to get you there much quicker than bragging about the burn your HRM recorded