What an eye opener!!! Duh!

BetterCrazyThanLazy
BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
in Health and Weight Loss
Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

Replies

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

    Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

    I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
    It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

    You are not alone! I'm postive this is the case with many who say they are at a plateau. There have been studies that showed when people self report thier food intake, they can underestimate by as much as 40%. Glad you are finding a way to get more accurate.
  • ASH0424
    ASH0424 Posts: 49 Member
    I love my food scale & go by what my exercise equiptment says I burned, because it was way "lower" than MFP. But way to go for being proactive.....it is always in OUR hands!!
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

    Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

    I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
    It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

    weight loss isnt exactly easy math. u can do the math to lose a lb a week & lose it for a few weeks & thn stop for no reason even tho the math was correct.
  • tommygirl15
    tommygirl15 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I was actually talking to my friend about this very subject today. I have always been struggling to figure out how accurate the calorie burns are in the exercise portion of my diary. My friend recommends a heart-rate monitor, but they are sooo expensive. Do you know where I can find a good one for cheap?
  • jzrharv
    jzrharv Posts: 126 Member
    Underestimate your calories burned, overestimate your calories consumed and try not to eat all your exercise credit calories. Works for me.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I agree. The food scale really helped!
  • luvhandles74
    luvhandles74 Posts: 85 Member
    Yep! I have a food scale and I make sure to have the right serving sizes. The HRM is something I NEED to get!
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    Food scale is my BFF.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I recently got some proper digital scales and have now added a motoactv (which gives a total calorie burn at the end of the day as well as exercise specific ones.)
    It's still going to be an approximation, but nice for it to be a fair bit closer to the reality.

    Tommygirl; if you are doing 'outside' activities and have a smartphone, there's a varieties of apps for popular phones that will give you a better idea than MFP. You can then also consider a bluetooth HRM.
    I got a cheap watch HRM for £13 a while ago, but you have to touch the contacts with your other hand for it to show heart rate.) However, not a massive amount more to get one with a strap (a quick look on amazon shows one for £16.31). If you're in the US, price won't be massively more than those in dollars. Of course, you pay more you get better features etc.
  • reneecgc
    reneecgc Posts: 179 Member
    I did the same thing. I didn't like guessing my calorie burn with out a HRM and I hated guessing on deli meat , meat in general and more. I love my food scale and even though I have hit my goal weight I still use both my tools. People wonder why I still use my tools. I like the idea of conscious eating. Why break a new habit that help me lose weight. I am not as much of stickler and if my tbs of creamer goes over a little no big deal, but I am still not pouring in without knowing. To all who read this post get yourself some tools. My HRM and food scale have been a savior.
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    I love my food scale & go by what my exercise equipment says I burned, because it was way "lower" than MFP. But way to go for being proactive.....it is always in OUR hands!!

    I thought gym equipment was pretty accurate but it all depends on your fitness level. I did stairs for 20 minutes, the equipment had a 260 cals burn but my heart rate monitor said 180 cals. That's not a big difference but it adds up at the end of the week. :frown: :angry:
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    I was actually talking to my friend about this very subject today. I have always been struggling to figure out how accurate the calorie burns are in the exercise portion of my diary. My friend recommends a heart-rate monitor, but they are sooo expensive. Do you know where I can find a good one for cheap?

    I have heard a lot of good things about Polar HRM, I have Garmin and I love it. But the ones with the chest strap are the most accurate.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    I like my HR monitor as it bases my calories burned on me. My age, my weight, my activity. Is it perfect I'm sure it isn't, but I have fun with it. I makes exercise a competition with myself and I do love a good competition.
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    I did a metabolic test at the Lifetime Fitness so I know how many calories I burn at what heart rate. I can get the average HR during my workouts and calculate the burn based on the per minute data I have from metabolic testing. :smile:
  • GNSawkey
    GNSawkey Posts: 10
    I take my kitchen scale when I go to my parents' for supper. I'm going to win this battle on portion-sizes alone. :)
  • LaylaJo
    LaylaJo Posts: 44 Member
    I've been wanting to buy a HRM for a long time, but found them to be too expensive (I'm on a strict budget right now). However I've been reading a lot about how important it is to have one. You guys have really convinced me to buy one no matter what. Now, time to convince my other half. LOL Blessings and best of wishes to you all. ;)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I've been wanting to buy a HRM for a long time, but found them to be too expensive (I'm on a strict budget right now). However I've been reading a lot about how important it is to have one. You guys have really convinced me to buy one no matter what. Now, time to convince my other half. LOL Blessings and best of wishes to you all. ;)

    You know they help for aerobic activities but are fairly useless for strength training. While probably more accurate than the machine estimates for calorie burns, there is still some estimating going on. Always good to be conservative. I only take about 65% or 70% of my HRM burn when I log aerobic activity.
  • daddysgrl
    daddysgrl Posts: 29 Member
    My pedometer tells how many steps, aerobic steps, cals burned, fat burned, miles, and time exercised. I couldn't do it without it! It works off your weight, age, stride, and weight
  • daddysgrl
    daddysgrl Posts: 29 Member
    I was actually talking to my friend about this very subject today. I have always been struggling to figure out how accurate the calorie burns are in the exercise portion of my diary. My friend recommends a heart-rate monitor, but they are sooo expensive. Do you know where I can find a good one for cheap?
    Amazon! Omron makes the best one IMO about $25
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

    Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

    I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
    It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

    You joined in March of 2011. It took you 18 months to realize this?

    Or, are you just pointing this out to the people who are constantly saying they don't know why they are NOT losing weight?
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
    Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

    Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

    I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
    It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

    You joined in March of 2011. It took you 18 months to realize this?

    Or, are you just pointing this out to the people who are constantly saying they don't know why they are NOT losing weight?

    I lost 70 lbs 15 years ago without a kitchen scale or HRM so I never felt I needed it. I gradually gained about 20 lbs since then so I joined in 2011 but wasn't very motivated to do much.

    I became active a few months ago and dropped 10 lbs out of the 20 I need to lose; and yes, I just now realized that my measurements and estimates have been very distorted. :smile:
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    Get the heart rate monitor and a food scale and you will be amazed and how far apart your own food estimates are from actual serving sizes and how over/under estimated the calorie burn is on MFP!

    Yes, weight loss is an easy math but to do this math you need proper tools.

    I got the tools last week and lost 2lbs after staying at the same weight for weeks and weeks!
    It wasn't a plateau - my math was way off!

    You joined in March of 2011. It took you 18 months to realize this?

    Or, are you just pointing this out to the people who are constantly saying they don't know why they are NOT losing weight?

    I lost 70 lbs 15 years ago without a kitchen scale or HRM so I never felt I needed it. I gradually gained about 20 lbs since then so I joined in 2011 but wasn't very motivated to do much.

    I became active a few months ago and dropped 10 lbs out of the 20 I need to lose; and yes, I just now realized that my measurements and estimates have been very distorted. :smile:
    Glad to see you came around. Good luck with your journey. I, for one, never put anything in my mouth without weighing it. There has been a lot of discussion on these forums debating this issue. And I can't figure out how people can measure PROPERLY without measuring and weighing with a scale or cups.
  • levstein
    levstein Posts: 74
    My pedometer tells how many steps, aerobic steps, cals burned, fat burned, miles, and time exercised. I couldn't do it without it! It works off your weight, age, stride, and weight

    I too have an Omron pedometer and was using it to calculate aerobic activity.....what a shock when I started using a Polar FT7 HRM.....turns out the pedometer was caculating at 3 times the amount shown on the HRM...also MFP calculating at 40% more than HRM.....very useful information especially for people eating back exercise calories!!
  • Sabrina__26
    Sabrina__26 Posts: 78
    I purchased a kitchen scale about five years ago and whenever I want to eat healthy and lose weight I always use it. That way I know exactly how much I'm eating. I can't imagine how I would work out my calories otherwise. My family think I'm bonkers as I weigh out everything, (except the milk for my tea), but it really helps me keep on track. I probably would overestimate my calories rather than underestimate them without it which is just as bad if not worse really.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    My pedometer tells how many steps, aerobic steps, cals burned, fat burned, miles, and time exercised. I couldn't do it without it! It works off your weight, age, stride, and weight

    I too have an Omron pedometer and was using it to calculate aerobic activity.....what a shock when I started using a Polar FT7 HRM.....turns out the pedometer was caculating at 3 times the amount shown on the HRM...also MFP calculating at 40% more than HRM.....very useful information especially for people eating back exercise calories!!

    A pedometer can be usefull fir normal daily activity but it is not accurate for burn during exercise. That is what a HRM is for.
  • Birdie
    Birdie Posts: 256 Member
    I don't use MFP to track my exercise. I find the numbers are way off. I will use a machine that says you burned 120 calories and then put the info into MFP and it will say 350 calories.
  • dbh3425
    dbh3425 Posts: 15 Member
    I got my HRM from here: http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com, and I chose the FT4. Though it isn't dirt cheap, their price is $30 less than other websites I checked, and they provide free shipping.

    Good luck!
  • janetb21
    janetb21 Posts: 182 Member
    Interestingly, when I got my food scale I discovered that I was actually UNDERestimating a lot of my meat servings.

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