What an eye opener!!! Duh!
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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!
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!
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Replies
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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.0 -
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!!0
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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.0 -
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?0
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Underestimate your calories burned, overestimate your calories consumed and try not to eat all your exercise credit calories. Works for me.0
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I agree. The food scale really helped!0
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Yep! I have a food scale and I make sure to have the right serving sizes. The HRM is something I NEED to get!0
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Food scale is my BFF.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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:0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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.0
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I take my kitchen scale when I go to my parents' for supper. I'm going to win this battle on portion-sizes alone.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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 weight0
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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?0
-
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?0
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