fitbit or polar ft7

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Replies

  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    I'm glad I saw this, I was talking to a trainer at my gym and because I'm not having luck losing weight, he recommended getting a HRM and wear it all day, over several days with different activities, to determine the average amount of calories burned so I can figure out how many calories to eat to lose. He recommended the Polar FT7, said it always worked well. So I got one, wore it all day yesterday (from 5am until 8pm, including during my walk/jog and my training session with my regular trainer) and it said that I burned 4500 calories during that time, and I know that can't be right.
    So I guess I need to get a fitbit of some sort to wear to find out my calorie count per day and wear my FT7 during my workouts (I think I will do a day wearing both just to see the difference too)
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I'm glad I saw this, I was talking to a trainer at my gym and because I'm not having luck losing weight, he recommended getting a HRM and wear it all day, over several days with different activities, to determine the average amount of calories burned so I can figure out how many calories to eat to lose. He recommended the Polar FT7, said it always worked well. So I got one, wore it all day yesterday (from 5am until 8pm, including during my walk/jog and my training session with my regular trainer) and it said that I burned 4500 calories during that time, and I know that can't be right.
    So I guess I need to get a fitbit of some sort to wear to find out my calorie count per day and wear my FT7 during my workouts (I think I will do a day wearing both just to see the difference too)

    Fitbit doesn't determine your calorie count per day as it has no means of measuring your vitals. It is a pedometer, nothing more. It converts steps taken into calories to promote walking as exercise. There is no ACCURATE way of determining that through a device. The best you can do is use one of the many TDEE calculators available on the web as an estimate. And if you feel you need to be more exact than that estimate, then you are going about this with an attitude that is going to get you in trouble. NOTHING will determine exactly your calorie burn per day.
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    I'm glad I saw this, I was talking to a trainer at my gym and because I'm not having luck losing weight, he recommended getting a HRM and wear it all day, over several days with different activities, to determine the average amount of calories burned so I can figure out how many calories to eat to lose. He recommended the Polar FT7, said it always worked well. So I got one, wore it all day yesterday (from 5am until 8pm, including during my walk/jog and my training session with my regular trainer) and it said that I burned 4500 calories during that time, and I know that can't be right.
    So I guess I need to get a fitbit of some sort to wear to find out my calorie count per day and wear my FT7 during my workouts (I think I will do a day wearing both just to see the difference too)

    Fitbit doesn't determine your calorie count per day as it has no means of measuring your vitals. It is a pedometer, nothing more. It converts steps taken into calories to promote walking as exercise. There is no ACCURATE way of determining that through a device. The best you can do is use one of the many TDEE calculators available on the web as an estimate. And if you feel you need to be more exact than that estimate, then you are going about this with an attitude that is going to get you in trouble. NOTHING will determine exactly your calorie burn per day.
    I never said I was looking for an exact, I was looking for an average (these are two different things, last I checked.) I did the TDEE on each of the calculators that I've seen posted on the message boards, they all came out with similar answers, I subtracted 20% (as instructed in the websites they come from) and followed them for 3 months... I have gained 10 lbs in those three months alone, after following what MFP recommended for 9 months (gained 15 lbs from that one.) So I would say that method was a fail for me. I am trying something new and gathering information on how to get an approximate calorie burn count for me so that way I can have some success with this. If that is the wrong attitude to take, then so be it.
  • LisaGod85
    LisaGod85 Posts: 47 Member
    I had/Have both - Fitbit Ultra and Polar FT7 & WearLink Bluetooth.

    Fitbit is ok, I got the older version NOT bluetooth, so I had to wait all day for an update. Also, changes made on MFP had made it very difficult to get a correct amount of calories to show up.

    It's basically a fancy Pedometer - if you walk or run, great. Most other activity isn't recorded right and you will not get a correct reading from the FitBit.

    I bought the FT7 so I could get acurate numbers of my burns - it showed me the FitBit wasn't great for anything but walking/jogging/running. It's a watch & chest strap and if very accurate.

    I recently upgraded to the Polar WearLink BlueTooth to work w/ my smartphone & use the app Endomodo to record data. Still has a chest strap, just no watch. Same great HRM as the FT7, just more modern to work with what I needed.

    Between the two devices - GO POLAR. A heart rate monitor will show you the burn of all of your workouts more accurately than the FitBit (with in mind some workout like weight lifting may not be the best w/ a "heart rate monitor").

    Plus, unless you score an older FitBit or go with the Zip model - the FT7 (or many of the Polar models) are cheaper if you hunt around the internet.

    Also - as others have stated, FitBit is for all day wear (i still wear mine from wake to sleep) - it tracks MOVEMENT, which can be deciving to a Pedometer (I used to sit on a balance ball and "bounce" - IT RECORDED THAT MOVEMENT). The Polar is more for wearing during a workout for tracking the calories burnt.

    If you want all day movement record - try that BodyMedia thing.

    THIS! i have a Polar F6 and could not recommend it more! Whereas I have an older version (would love to upgrade) this little beast has been with me through thick and thin and taken tons of abuse -- it's been my best motivational tool to keep me at the gym working hard.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    I'm glad I saw this, I was talking to a trainer at my gym and because I'm not having luck losing weight, he recommended getting a HRM and wear it all day, over several days with different activities, to determine the average amount of calories burned so I can figure out how many calories to eat to lose. He recommended the Polar FT7, said it always worked well. So I got one, wore it all day yesterday (from 5am until 8pm, including during my walk/jog and my training session with my regular trainer) and it said that I burned 4500 calories during that time, and I know that can't be right.
    So I guess I need to get a fitbit of some sort to wear to find out my calorie count per day and wear my FT7 during my workouts (I think I will do a day wearing both just to see the difference too)

    Fitbit doesn't determine your calorie count per day as it has no means of measuring your vitals. It is a pedometer, nothing more. It converts steps taken into calories to promote walking as exercise. There is no ACCURATE way of determining that through a device. The best you can do is use one of the many TDEE calculators available on the web as an estimate. And if you feel you need to be more exact than that estimate, then you are going about this with an attitude that is going to get you in trouble. NOTHING will determine exactly your calorie burn per day.
    I never said I was looking for an exact, I was looking for an average (these are two different things, last I checked.) I did the TDEE on each of the calculators that I've seen posted on the message boards, they all came out with similar answers, I subtracted 20% (as instructed in the websites they come from) and followed them for 3 months... I have gained 10 lbs in those three months alone, after following what MFP recommended for 9 months (gained 15 lbs from that one.) So I would say that method was a fail for me. I am trying something new and gathering information on how to get an approximate calorie burn count for me so that way I can have some success with this. If that is the wrong attitude to take, then so be it.

    If you eating below TDEE and gaining weight then you are doing one of two things:

    1. You did not input correct information (overestimating activity level is common) when calculating TDEE.

    2. You are eating more than you think you are. The fact is the TDEE is the amount needed to fuel your body through activity. Eating below that number and still gaining weight is scientifically impossible. Redo your calculations, measure how much you eat, and be honest with yourself about activity level when doing initial calculations. Eat above BMR and below TDEE.

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