Do I need to buy a HRM or Body Media band?

tennisalley
tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
New to this and I know very little about the HRM or Body Media bands. I'm committed to a great exercise plan, but it seems like logging that in to MFP is pretty inaccurate. It gives me tons of calories burned for some things that don't seem that hard, and very little for others. Should I bite the bullet and buy some type of an exercise monitor? If so, what kind should I buy and how do they work? I've looked a little online, but I'm still confused. I do have an iPhone and it looked like some devices can sync with iPhones. Help!
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Replies

  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    A lot of us find them very helpful. I have a BMF and I like how I can tailor my eating to my calorie burn.
  • tennisalley
    tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
    Okay thanks. A BMF is a Body Media band, right? I'm so confused. I've been sitting at the computer for way too long trying to figure this all out.

    I'm not crazy about wearing an armband or even a watch with a chest strap. The Fitbit looks great, but I can't for the life of me figure out how something like that would know how many calories I'm burning. I feel like I need something more than manually entering my exercise, but if I'm going to pay for something, I want it to work and I don't want it to drive me crazy. Thanks for the reply! The Body Media bands seem like the best way to go, but I'm not sure if I can handle an arm band.
  • tennisalley
    tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
    By the way, my exercise is tennis, gym (treadmill/weight machines/elliptical/etc.), walking, biking, swimming. Is there any particular gadget that works best for all different things. How does it tell the difference between walking and bicep curls?
  • OnionMomma
    OnionMomma Posts: 938 Member
    I'm a short ways away from 40lbs lost and don't use a HRM of any kind.
  • jennievh
    jennievh Posts: 45 Member
    I don't think a heartrate monitor will do anything for weight-training work. It's more meant for monitoring cardio, right?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Looks like i got here to late.

    *Shakes head. Backs out of thread*
  • auphelia
    auphelia Posts: 8
    My HRM vs MFP calorie count has actually been pretty close. It's only been off by 10 max. But that's just my experience with cardio so far.
  • tennisalley
    tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
    Why do you say that? I'd love your input!
  • tennisalley
    tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
    Okay--I also don't know how to use these boards--that question was for the person who says he got here too late.
  • joannaorgovan
    joannaorgovan Posts: 71 Member
    I use my HRM for weight lifting and I burn more than double what MFP gives me. Depending on what I'm doing, my heart rate goes through the roof. I super set with little to no breaks.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    I use my HRM when I ever I do cardio and love it.. Cardio is the only I track.. The HRM inspires me to burn more calories. I don't mind the chest band because I don't wear it for more than an hour at a time.
  • Nettie96fb
    Nettie96fb Posts: 82
    yeah, I've lost 43lbs..no hrm...but I do use the sports-tracker app on my phone
  • hannibal28
    hannibal28 Posts: 32 Member
    I love my garmin HRM and use it for all cardio, it is more accurate than MFP general calorie count. i swear by it.
  • Fitness4Paul
    Fitness4Paul Posts: 166 Member
    I think at the age of 51 it's good for you to know what your heart rate is doing during cardio. The general rule of thumb for your maximum heart rate is206 minus 88% of your age for women. I can tell you some cardio gets me up to or close to my max heart rate. A heart rate monitor can help you stay in a particular (safe) zone or targeted training zone. Especially when you're just getting started. I have fairly good cardiovascular health and I still find sometimes I push a bit too hard and need to pace myself better.
  • lirr10185
    lirr10185 Posts: 37 Member
    I finally broke down, bought one, and absolutely love it! MFP gives you a great estimation but it is not always accurate. Turned out I was not burning as many calories as I thought. Since I have gotten it I have seen better results. I got mine at big 5, someone can help you find one that fits you best.
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
    I agree with the above commenter, lirr10185. I found I was going nowhere. For example, MFP would tell me that after my 50 minute run, that I had burned something like 586 calories. It was infact about 450. Right there is a 25% discrepancy. Or for walking it was way out too, but in the opposite direction.

    I think you might find that if your progress stalls, it would be worth looking into something like that. In the meantime, do a little bit of research and see what works for you. I don't find the watch or chest strap annoying. I barely notice it if at all .
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I've had some kind of Polar HRM for years. In December 2011, I was given a Fitbit, which is similar to a Body Media band.

    A heart rate monitor is helpful for people who engage in extended, vigorous cardio activity. It tells them how hard they're working, what is a normal rate for them, and how quickly they recover after slowing down on stopping exercise. It's an excellent tool for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

    A Fitbit is an electronic pedometer that is worn 24/7. It provides info about steps taken, floors climbed, and so forth. It's a fun gadget, especially for someone who is not a consistent exerciser but who wants to meet a minimum level of activity, usually 10,000 steps a day.

    I think it's a waste of time to pay any attention to the calorie burn estimates provided by machines and devices. They are based on assumptions that may not apply to you. The only accurate way to find out how many calories you burn during exercise is to get tested.

    It's better to concentrate on diet, which is most of weight loss,and get in as much vigorous exercise as possible. If you consistently create a calorie deficit and work out, you should lose weight in time.
  • jess393
    jess393 Posts: 220 Member
    I've lost just under 50lbs, without an hrm, but I just ordered one the other day. I'm actually pretty excited about it! Most of the reviews I've read are wonderful, so here's hoping for something good :)
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    By the way, my exercise is tennis, gym (treadmill/weight machines/elliptical/etc.), walking, biking, swimming. Is there any particular gadget that works best for all different things. How does it tell the difference between walking and bicep curls?

    No, there is no one device that is going to magically differentiate between walking and bicep curls, as well calculate the calorie burn for a woman your age, height, weight, and body composition with 100% accuracy. You have to treat these gadgets as guides, and focus on calorie reduction in your diet.

    Don't get me wrong -- they're fun toys that provide helpful feedback -- but their technology is not as sophisticated as some people think.
  • Kris1997
    Kris1997 Posts: 241
    I keep meaning to buy a HRM or something similar, but can't decide on what to buy. I'm interested to hear everyone's experience with them.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Why do you say that? I'd love your input!

    You don't need an hrm. Hyper accurate calorie counting is not a prerequisite for losing weight. And if it was, hrms don't provide it anyway.

    All you need to do is log your food and monitor your scale progress. Adjust calories consumed as needed. Adding more to that equation isn't needed and slows some people down
  • 3RachaelFaith3
    3RachaelFaith3 Posts: 283 Member
    i love my hrm. love to see my heartrate go up and i have gotten familiar with the activities that make it the highest i.e. burn the most cals. addicted!
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
    I have a Polar FT1 w/ a chest strap that I've had over 10 years. They don't even sell that model anymore, but it still works perfectly. I don't know why people are so hung up on chest straps. Half of the time I forget it's there until I'm getting undressed to shower.
  • Lisha_R
    Lisha_R Posts: 92 Member
    I love my fitbit and my HRM. I use them for different things. I use my fitbit to track my daily activities and encourage me to be more active. I use my HRM to estimate calories burned. I also use it on the treadmill to keep my HR in a range. As I am getting more fit I have found it take more to get my HR up. Today for example I had to increase the elivations several times to get my HR to stay up. I also use it for Strenght training and classes (zumba).
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Why do you say that? I'd love your input!

    You don't need an hrm. Hyper accurate calorie counting is not a prerequisite for losing weight. And if it was, hrms don't provide it anyway.

    All you need to do is log your food and monitor your scale progress. Adjust calories consumed as needed. Adding more to that equation isn't needed and slows some people down

    Dave is right, you don't NEED a HRM or a Fitbit or a Body Media to lose weight. Also, some people get hung up on the numbers and find that it's all too hard.

    That being said. I own a HRM (with a chest strap) and I love the feedback that it gives me, and I enjoy pushing myself to get a certain number of calories burnt.

    I don't wear it all the time though, once you have an idea of what one exercise burns, then that is a good enough estimate to use when you aren't wearing your HRM.
  • 3RachaelFaith3
    3RachaelFaith3 Posts: 283 Member
    I have a Polar FT1 w/ a chest strap that I've had over 10 years. They don't even sell that model anymore, but it still works perfectly. I don't know why people are so hung up on chest straps. Half of the time I forget it's there until I'm getting undressed to shower.

    exactly
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    I have a Polar FT4 hrm. You can use it for ANY kind of exercise, not just cardio. It takes your personalized info and hrate and calculates how many calories you burn during each activity. I have had MFP overestimate my calories burned by quite a bit. It is much more accurate then the database. It is also fun to see how hard you are working. :D
  • tennisalley
    tennisalley Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all! This has been so helpful! I think for now, I'm going to wait and see how I do without one. I'm doing great with the food and will continue to log the exercise manually. A HRM may be in my future, but I'm not going to rush into it. It's good to know a lot of you don't use them. I was getting the idea that everyone had a HRM and I was totally out of the loop.
  • aross001
    aross001 Posts: 237
    Why do you say that? I'd love your input!

    You don't need an hrm. Hyper accurate calorie counting is not a prerequisite for losing weight. And if it was, hrms don't provide it anyway.

    All you need to do is log your food and monitor your scale progress. Adjust calories consumed as needed. Adding more to that equation isn't needed and slows some people down

    Hey,

    I agree that an HRM isn't required for calorie estimation, or even more accurate. However, I personally enjoy the positive feedback when I see my HR improve each time I do an activity. It's very fun for me. I also use it to check resting heart rate in the morning to gauge how my cardiovascular fitness is improving. My doc likes to get those numbers from me when I see him.

    So, my advice to the OP? Don't feel like you NEED it, since you don't, but know that I really have a lot of fun with mine and it is useful for feedback on your cardiovascular health despite the fact that it isn't a big advantage for a person only interested in weight loss.
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    ^^^^ agreed. It is just a fun gadget to have if you have the extra money to blow on something that isn't necessary for weight loss.

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