Buying a heart rate monitor for small weight loss goal

xSilke
xSilke Posts: 31
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone!

I'm planning on buying a heart rate monitor, and I've got my eye on the Polar FT4, it's very basic and has everything I basically need (calorie burn!)
But I'm always going forth and back on buying one because I don't have a majorly big weight loss goal (15 pounds) so I'm wondering if I really need it...
I wanna know how many calories I burn specifically but I don't know, I feel like I'm wasting money on the heart rate monitor...

Anyone else with small weight loss goals who has bought a heart rate monitor? Would you recommend one for other people with small weight loss goals? Why (or why not)?

Thanks in advance! :D
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Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I'm not trying to lose weight at all and I use mine all the time. I like to know where my heart rate is when I'm running and it's a perk to be able to see how many calories I've burned. A HRM is only for use during steady state cardio workouts like running, intense aerobics, cycling and not to be worn all the time or used for weight lifting, yoga, pilates, etc.
  • xSilke
    xSilke Posts: 31
    Thank you for your comment :)

    Also bumping this because I need more than 1 opinion
  • mumreeder
    mumreeder Posts: 222 Member
    Hi there
    I have lost 12lb and have about another 6 or so to go. I bought a Polar FT4 and it arrived yesterday. Used it for the first time and was hooked. It showed I didn't burn as many calories doing my cardio as MFP said (about 40 cals out) so if I was to be eating back exercise cals then I would have over eaten. As the other poster said - I love using the watch to tell me when I am "in the zone" as this is when you are really burning some fat as it were. Can't wait to try it out when I am on my bike next to see if I actually get "in the zone" or whether I am wasting my time cycling for half hour! You can use it as a watch too so after you lost the final bit of weight it has another use ;-)
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
    I had less than 20 lbs that I wanted to lose and use it all the time. I want to know my exact calorie count vs a much higher guess fron mfp.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    i had a small weight loss goal too and i bought a hrm but i got a cheap one a mio classic, about 30 bucks. it works great and helped me reach my goal. I wanted a polar to begin with too and i figured why do i need something fancy or expensive?
  • tgibbons1935
    tgibbons1935 Posts: 85 Member
    I have a Polar FT7 and love working out with it. Like the others, I like to know what zone my heart rate is in and how many calories I am burning as accurately as possible. The machines at the gym are always about 40 calories or so above what my HRM says. I think it is well worth the money if you work out a lot. Good luck.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I jsut ordered the Polar FT4 and I am within 10 pounds of my goal. I bought it for two reasons - to see how many calories I burn so I can log properly, but also to get a better estimate as to how many calories I burn in a day so when I get to maintenance level I can be as accurate as possible.
  • jahilmer
    jahilmer Posts: 47
    I own the HRM-7 and the Fitbit and love them both. My Polar HRM is also a watch and though not the prettiest...it lights up at night too. So....you are getting a watch. I agree with above posts that it is important to know your actual calories burnt. MFP was giving me a much higher number and if I went with their number, I might not have lost weight as quickly because it is just a "guesstimate".

    My monitor holds up to 100 exercises in it's data section....very easy to use. I use it for walking and for biking. You want to get the best workouts you can so you need to know how much time you are spending in "fat-burning" mode and how much in "cardio-fitness modes" and the watch breaks this down for you. You can vary your workouts if you understand what your heart is doing and how your body is burning fat. It is important to watch your heart rate and this is not an "age" thing....it is to get the best workout. Hope this helped. Jane in Montana
  • LuckyMe000
    LuckyMe000 Posts: 55
    i just bought my ft4 yesterday and i only have 12lbs left....i believe it will help keep me motivated...and its harder to lose weight when you have so little to lose.....so i feel it's gonna help me out to get accurate numbers!

    and i agree the MFP over estimates! by alot!
  • SkinnyForMinnie
    SkinnyForMinnie Posts: 68 Member
    I just got the FT4 and LOVE IT. It is a good price point, and will remember your last 10(?) workouts. AND, it isn't too fancy. I used to have the more advanced FT60 a few years ago and never used half the bells and whistles on it. Basically, I needed something that would accurately measure my heart rate and tell me how many calories I burned every time I worked out and that's it. I then record that data onto MFP and done. FT4 is great, you will enjoy it without being overwhelmed. :wink:
  • lirr10185
    lirr10185 Posts: 37 Member
    Heart rate monitors are never a bad decision. Even after you lose the 15, it can be a great tool for maintenance. I love mine and would be lost with out it.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    I'm not trying to lose weight at all but I still wear mine every run. I use it to judge my intensity level because it's not always easy to tell if you're working too hard or not.
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025 Member
    I have the FT4 and i love it. I had 10 lbs left to lose when I boughtit and it was the best decision. I still wear it for all my workouts. I like to know whe I stand.
  • Kristy528
    Kristy528 Posts: 63 Member
    I have a FitBit and I just ordered a Polar FT4 it came in the mail yesterday and I am extremly excited to use it. As you can see below I am about half way through my weight loss journey that was 20 lbs, and I am just now getting one. I take a lot of group classes and MFP doesn't have them in their exercise database, and with only about 10 lbs left to lose calories in and out are even more important. I will still use this HRM after in order to maintain the weight that I desire. I think its defintly worth the money to buy one.
  • Sharla_G
    Sharla_G Posts: 72
    If the entertainment/novelty of it motivates you to work out, then that's good.

    Are you trying to justify the cost?
  • NatsukoG
    NatsukoG Posts: 104
    I ordered a Polar FT4 today and am collecting it tonight. I hadn't realised that it couldn't be used for lifting/pilates etc. Why's that?

    I have about 20lbs left to lose and I've got it into my head that smaller targets need more precise calorie management so I want to be really sure when I'm eating back exercise calories that I'm not eating too many.
  • FrugalMomsRock75
    FrugalMomsRock75 Posts: 698 Member
    I think they're a great tool whether your goal is large, small, or maintain.

    Here's what I'd get: http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/90036747-h1.html

    With the code HEART8, it's down to 72.68 with free shipping (only a few dollars more than the ft4).


    ***you can get a fitbit from them too. I got the fitbit one yesterday for 86.99, free shipping using that code. I am going to continue to use both my HRM and my fitbit together to see if I can get out of a funk I'm in.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Gadgets keep me motivated.

    HRMs in general can't accurately monitor any exercise which isn't just cardio. They measure heart rate, pilates is great for overall fitness but doesn't get the blood pumping in quite the same way and thus they can't calculate it.
  • gmil
    gmil Posts: 1
    If you want to know calorie burn, try a Bodymedia Core or Link. I have found it to be accurate and great to use and provides a lot of really good information (depending on whether you'd like to get the data over Bluetooth or by plugging it in via a USB cable into your computer). One piece of information it doesn't provide is heart rate, though. It also integrates seamlessly with MFP, so you enter your food as usual on MFP and Bodymedia will plug in adjustments as exercise on MFP automatically.

    It looks like they're 30% off today. See: http://www.bodymedia.com/Shop/Armband-Packages
  • Luvmichnata
    Luvmichnata Posts: 186 Member
    I purchased the same one and I don't have much weight to lose either. I'm happy with the purchase and like to know what I am burning from each type of exercise so I know which is the most effective.
  • buildingdreams
    buildingdreams Posts: 173 Member
    Question, is a HRM precise in calorie burn., I have Hypothyroidism and have a slow metabolism to start. Would it be accurate to me
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    Honestly I don't think it should matter how much you have to lose...if you want it, get it. I find I like using mine all the time cause now I Want to see how my heart rate is, when I run outside, it's nice to know if I'm pacing myself or if I need to slow myself down (I have a Polar FT4)
  • shutterbug282
    shutterbug282 Posts: 588 Member
    I've got about 20lbs to lose, I have the Polar FT4 and I love it! :)
    It's easy to use and pretty simple, it also tells you the time you spent in the "fat burning zone". :)
  • andiechick
    andiechick Posts: 916 Member
    I started with around 18lbs to lose and bought myself a brand new Polar FS2 off ebay for £20. Best 20 quid I've ever spent, I wear it for all different kinds of activities including swimming
  • flynnfinn
    flynnfinn Posts: 209 Member
    I'm not trying to lose weight at all and I use mine all the time. I like to know where my heart rate is when I'm running and it's a perk to be able to see how many calories I've burned. A HRM is only for use during steady state cardio workouts like running, intense aerobics, cycling and not to be worn all the time or used for weight lifting, yoga, pilates, etc.

    there was another post about someone here on MFP who used her HRM while cleaning/vaccuuming around the house and she was astounded that she burned 400+ calories in 45 minutes. to that post, i replied that HRM are only for use during steady state cardio (as you stated above) and that her numbers could be inaccurate. then she jumped all over me for trying to "bring her down" and for being negative. but seriously...i truly believe she was misinformed as to what the purpose of a heart rate monitor is. an HRM is just that...it MONITORS your HEART RATE. the fact that you can see how many calories you burn is just a bonus. if it was just about calories, wouldn't it be called a CALORIE BURNED MONITOR?

    anyway, back to the OP. if you only have 10-15lbs to lose, focus more on the food you eat and how many calories you are consuming. your calorie output is a very small piece of the puzzle at this point. you'll get there and you will lose but it is going to be painstakingly slow. just stick to it for the LONG haul.

    as far as HRMs, i truly believe they are wonderful devices that measure progress in cardiovascular health. i personally like knowing that i can run faster/longer while my heart rate isn't escalating up to 90% of my max HR. i also use it to stay within a target HR zone. and yes, it has better accuracy for measuring calories burned. but like everything else, it is only an estimate. there will still be margin for error. i've read that HRMs can be up to 25% off.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
    I ordered a Polar FT4 today and am collecting it tonight. I hadn't realised that it couldn't be used for lifting/pilates etc. Why's that?

    I have about 20lbs left to lose and I've got it into my head that smaller targets need more precise calorie management so I want to be really sure when I'm eating back exercise calories that I'm not eating too many.

    This is just an example because the it's pretty detailed why this is the case. So, for lifting, you may be doing high rep sets in order to tone. However, your muscles get fatigued and you decide you want to wait 1-2 minutes between sets. In addition, when going to a different workout area in the gym, you casually walk over, then take your time to setup. So, there are 3 things happening here; lifting, resting, and non-exercise movement. When you lift, your energy expenditure is based on how the cells open from oxygen being provided to them. This has nothing to do with heart rate. So, the HRM is thinking you are doing a steady activity with spikes in heart rate. Therefore, you will be getting an overestimation of calories burned because although you may burn some calories during the lifting, non-muscle movement during your breaks doesn't burn calories...technically.

    You can still use a HRM for those activities, but it's more to monitor your heart rate and determine fatigue points for lifting or other similar activities. Keep in mind that weight lifting in a continuous fashion is technically a cardio activity. Hope this made sense...and I am sure some expert will enjoy correcting my mistakes, but this is to just give a very simple explanation that will suffice for most people. If you care about the science behind it, read medical books or talk to a sports doctor or someone who specializes in this stuff.
  • FrugalMomsRock75
    FrugalMomsRock75 Posts: 698 Member
    When I do strength training (I do heavier, not Barbie weights), I do it as an HIIT workout, and I do wear my HRM. My HR gets up to 160's. That's a workout. Therefore, it's valid. :)

    If someone is going to lift and their HR isn't elevated, then it would seem more of a waste to calc it... I guess.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have the Polar FT4 and I love it! I had a 30lb weight loss goal.

    One thing that isn't really weight loss related that I love about my Polar is using it to control my speed when running. I know I'm running too fast and I won't be able to maintain the speed if my heart rate is really high. I make sure my heart rate stays in a certain range.

    I also do a lot of Jillian Michaels DVDs so the HRM comes in really to know my burn on those instead of guessing.

    I got mine online for $60 with free shipping. I know it's tough to justify the expense but if you think it could really help you it might be worth it.
  • LeonnieH
    LeonnieH Posts: 209 Member
    If you plan to improve fitness in addition to losing the weight then I'd recommend you do get a HRM as it can keep track of your HR during aerobic exercise and by tracking trends you can see how your fitness is improving. I'm starting interval training with my running and the HRM will be useful to work out what pace I need to run at to get the maximum benefit from the programme.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    IMPORTANT TO KNOW: the Polar FT4 is for STEADY STATE cardio only i.e. only strictly aerobic/ cardiovascular activity, for example running or walking or an aerobics class where you do not take breaks. The Polar FT4 is not designed to measure calories burned throughout the day, it is simply another tool you can use to estimate calories burned but most importantly check in on your heart.

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