Do you use a heart rate monitor?

No I don't.

i got one recently and realized MFP was overestimating my burns for circuit training. but i'm glad i know now!

I have one too! Before I got it I found I was seriously overestimating my calories. Best part is when I go to fitness class and I'm kinda lazy I find my calorie burn matches my effort level. I know to work hard rather than just logging my usual class burn.

Plus knowing where my heart rate is makes me work harder to keep it high!

Nope, because I don't own one and I'm too cheap and too broke to justify buying it. I don't eat the exercise calories back anyway so it doesn't really matter what I'm burning.

Yes and I love mine. It does give a much more accurate reading than holding the sensors on the cardio equipment. I also use mine when I'm lifting weights as my heart rate spikes and I sweat. I wouldn't be without mine.

Yes I do, love it.

:happy: I love my HRM. I do bootcamp sessions and the calories I burn can differ by around 200 depending on the instructor taking the session. At least this way I know for definite how many cals I've burnt. I have also found with some exercises I burn way more than MFP guesstimated, but with some others MFP has overestimated. At least this way I know how much effort I am putting in myself.

For the love of everything holy, NO.

I use mine for cycling all the time. The one I use is the http://www.sportline.com/products/heart-rate-monitors/cardio-660-heartrate-mens.html. I like it because it tracks calories and shows my heart rate at the same time on the same screen.

On a side note, are you not supposed to eat back your exercise calories? I thought MFP already calculated your calorie deficit. I have mine set to lose 1.5lbs per week.

I'm a gadget geek, so I use a HRM for exercise and a Fitbit for the rest of my day.

I use an HRM for my Zumba classes - it's the only way to get an accurate reading of how many calories I've burned.

I don't. Recently got a fitbit and have been wondering if I would get any extra benefit from a HRM though...

The FitBit is only good for some activities. It's incredible inaccurate compared to an HRM. For example, a FitBit wont recognize the burn when you're biking.... or on a treadmill but holding onto the bars. The FitBit is great for just your average daily activities, but not so much for your exercising.

I have the Polar FT4 and LOVE IT!

For the love of everything holy, NO.

I returned mine few weeks ago. I lost most of my weight without one, and using one just slowed me down. I understood it gave me accurate results, but I don't need to focus on anymore numbers or depend on them.

Yes I do. Have had one for over two years (Polar FT40) and I can't imagine working out without it. The only time it ever gave me problems was when the battery was dying, so I just switched it myself (which was easy on this model) and now it's working perfectly again.

You want to get one with a chest strap, and you want to rinse it off after each time you use it. I've never put my strap in the washer, but I rinse it well right after each time I use it, and that seems to work fine.

My HRM not only tells me how many calories I burn, but also tells me my average heart rate % throughout my workout, as well as my highest. (I have it set to show % and not the actual HR, you can choose which to show of course). It also tells me how long I was in fitness more, and how long I was in fat burn mode. And it has a fitness test I do about every few month (or, you know, should do every few months, he he) that is what it bases my calorie readings/max HR settings on. Some Polar models may not have this, but the FT40 does.

So, a very long answer there. But honestly, it's worth the money to get a good model. A lot of people here have the FT4 or FT7, I swear by the FT40, and know the FT60 is pretty awesome too. A bit more expensive, but worth it. I use it to know how hard I am pushing, and how much harder I can push. Without it I feel a little lost to be honest, and I hate not knowing just how much I burn each time I work out!