HRM burn question

PrincessNikkiBoo
PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Personally, when you note down your HRM burn do you note the calories that it says or deduct a % off it before noting? just to "be safe"

I'm not sure which to do, so thought I'd see what others do.

I have a Polar FT7.

Thanks.

Replies

  • starspeckled
    starspeckled Posts: 313 Member
    Personally, when you note down your HRM burn do you note the calories that it says or deduct a % off it before noting? just to "be safe"

    I'm not sure which to do, so thought I'd see what others do.

    I have a Polar FT7.

    Thanks.

    Hmm... I guess I am confused as to why you would deduct anything.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    I have an FT7 and I don't deduct anything...
    I find it way more accurate than the machines so... happy with what it says compared to the over-inflated figs that you could be using.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I have an FT7 and I don't deduct anything...
    I find it way more accurate than the machines so... happy with what it says compared to the over-inflated figs that you could be using.

    Thanks. I got the FT7 for accuracy, I just saw that a few people in the forums deducted a percentage overall when using a HRM (especially when they are maintaining) and I wondered if anyone with the FT7 did the same.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Well, technically you're supposed to back out your BMR, but HRM's are only about 85-90% accurate anyway, so I wouldn't really worry about it, as the calories in the food you eat are only about 85-90% accurate also.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
    I deduct my BMR basic "in a coma calories" from all my totals. Burn 300 calories in 30 minutes, and I log 300 minus (1200/24=50 /2=25 ) so I'd log 275
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    I used to think about deducting my normal burn per hour for just being alive (around 100 calories an hour) and then logging the difference in MFP, but since I don't eat my exercise calories I don't bother. That's a good reason though not to eat ALL exercise calories though
  • Pilotgirl86
    Pilotgirl86 Posts: 30
    Calories burnt from a HR monitor are pretty accurate for the most part. I use HR monitor burn rates "as is", since they are way more accurate than anything else. Burn rates are based on HR levels (based on normal averages and max HR), so for normal people they work very well. If you are a super elite athlete and have a Max HR in the mid 200's, you might not be burning quite as much, but for most people HR burn rates are quite accurate.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I used to think about deducting my normal burn per hour for just being alive (around 100 calories an hour) and then logging the difference in MFP, but since I don't eat my exercise calories I don't bother. That's a good reason though not to eat ALL exercise calories though

    This is what I'm wondering about, when it comes to maintaining my weight I don't want to be over eating. I don't think I'd end up eating them all back anyway, though!
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    I had the same question after I read there was a Net vs Gross calorie burn from this calculator

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx


    the difference being what you would of burned just being alive in the same time frame.

    I looked at it as another way to confuse my already muddled brain, I use a HRM as MFP over estimates for me but I eat few if any of those calories
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I deduct my BMR basic "in a coma calories" from all my totals. Burn 300 calories in 30 minutes, and I log 300 minus (1200/24=50 /2=25 ) so I'd log 275

    Interesting. My 400 cals burn over 2 hours this morning would then technically be around 286 cals. That's disheartening!
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I had the same question after I read there was a Net vs Gross calorie burn from this calculator

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/net-versus-gross-calorie-burn-conversion-calculator.aspx


    the difference being what you would of burned just being alive in the same time frame.

    I looked at it as another way to confuse my already muddled brain, I use a HRM as MFP over estimates for me but I eat few if any of those calories

    Great tool.
  • chervil6
    chervil6 Posts: 236 Member
    at least HRM'S are more accurate then anything else
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    at least HRM'S are more accurate then anything else

    Very true.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I log NET calories per my BodyMedia, that is, I subtract what I would have burned if I hadn't worked out (mine works out to about .9 per minute when I'm awake according to the BMF, so that's what I deduct) but the BMF says I'm burning a lot from movement all day that it considers exercise that I would never log, so it evens out. I read somewhere in MFP a few months ago that you should deduct, which is why I started doing it, but it makes MFP numbers even farther off, so not sure you should worry about it. Besides, you are not eating anywhere near all of your calories back.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I have an FT4, I logs 'em as I sees 'em, but I "try" not to eat all my exercise cals back just in case (in fact I try to eat back zero during the week) but usually end up scoffing the lot and then some at the weekend. I still lose, although usually 1 pound a week absolute max.

    However if I was trying (which I intend to do now as it's only 9 weeks until my wedding) I would probably only eat 50 -75% of my exercise cals back :)
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I have a Polar FT60 and I played around with my numbers and settled in on eating back 85% of my calories burned, leaving 15% for error in logging in whatnot. It has worked for me... Best of Luck
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Surely, MFP has already taken out the basic calories when you set up your default settings so you don't need to deduct them again from your HRM values.

    Anyway - for most activities you are talking about 25 - 50 extra calories - that's one biscuit; not a big deal.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I log NET calories per my BodyMedia, that is, I subtract what I would have burned if I hadn't worked out (mine works out to about .9 per minute when I'm awake according to the BMF, so that's what I deduct) but the BMF says I'm burning a lot from movement all day that it considers exercise that I would never log, so it evens out. I read somewhere in MFP a few months ago that you should deduct, which is why I started doing it, but it makes MFP numbers even farther off, so not sure you should worry about it. Besides, you are not eating anywhere near all of your calories back.

    Just researching for when I move to maintenance. :)
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 as well. I have never deducted anything from what it tells me I burn. I also always eat back ALL of my exercise calories. When I "behave," all 7 days, I usually lose over a pound per week.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Personally, when you note down your HRM burn do you note the calories that it says or deduct a % off it before noting? just to "be safe"

    I'm not sure which to do, so thought I'd see what others do.

    I have a Polar FT7.

    Thanks.

    You can but they are not 100% anyway so you decide if you should or not.

    That said an HRM gives you an estimate of total calories burned for the duration of workout. This includes the amount you would have burned at rest had you not worked out, and is already accounted for in your MFP caloric intake. Essential most people burn 1 to 1.75 cals/minute at rest (maintenance calories/24/60), and should technically be backed out of cals burned from the HRM if you are entering them into MFP, as you need extra calories burned due to working out.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have an FT4, I logs 'em as I sees 'em, but I "try" not to eat all my exercise cals back just in case (in fact I try to eat back zero during the week) but usually end up scoffing the lot and then some at the weekend. I still lose, although usually 1 pound a week absolute max.

    However if I was trying (which I intend to do now as it's only 9 weeks until my wedding) I would probably only eat 50 -75% of my exercise cals back :)

    This is exactly me, just replace wedding with vacation!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I deduct my BMR basic "in a coma calories" from all my totals. Burn 300 calories in 30 minutes, and I log 300 minus (1200/24=50 /2=25 ) so I'd log 275

    I would suggest using maintenance calories, not BMR, as if you did not workout you would be sitting standing etc. And MFP already allows for activity level in maintenance cals so maintenance cals would be a much better number to use.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I think I'm even more confused now haha.

    I guess it is just a personal preference, at the end of the day, but deducting BMR generally seems like the 'safe' way forward.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I agree that it's personal preference and probably matters a bit more depending on how you're tracking. I don't track exercise calories specifically but I do record it in the notes so I get a general idea. I back out a calorie per minute from what my FT4 says to get a more accurate "extra" burn reading.
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    I just log what my HRM says and make sure to not eat back all of my exercise calories. I might start deducting though, just cause it sounds more accurate.
  • jabrock9
    jabrock9 Posts: 65
    I have an FT7 as well (love it by the way!). Personally, I just set the user settings for 2 to 3 lbs less than what I actually weigh so I'm underestimating vs overestimating. Seems to be working for me just fine. I also log my workout calories for whatever it reads.

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