Buying a heart rate monitor for small weight loss goal

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  • buildingdreams
    buildingdreams Posts: 173 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • Kristy528
    Kristy528 Posts: 63 Member
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    Can anyone tell me if a HRM is going to work for something like Les Mills Body Pump?????

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