Using my HRM to accurately calculate BMR

I would say also wear it at night. I'm wondering though if this calorie burn from the heart rate monitor will be accurate for all activities besides cardio exercise (?).

Hi , for your HRM to give you a true reading you have to have your heart rate raised , so just by sitting around you will not get a true reading .

Could you explain why?

Hi CookieGem, okay here's the long and the short of it. your BRM is calculated by your height, weight, age. If you want me to do it i can work it out for you, and work out the calorie goals, add me and i will explain more about why you might be getting confused. Because wearing a HRM won't give you an accurate BMR, thats not what they are designed for.

Hi CookieGem, okay here's the long and the short of it. your BRM is calculated by your height, weight, age. If you want me to do it i can work it out for you, and work out the calorie goals, add me and i will explain more about why you might be getting confused. Because wearing a HRM won't give you an accurate BMR, thats not what they are designed for.

That still doesn't give you your exact BMR, just a generic one, not every 5ft 2 female that weighs 120lbs (example) is going to have the same BMR.

OP, I believe there are tests doctors can do to determine your true BMR but I have no idea how you'd go about getting one.

For a start though you don't log consistently, until you have done for a decent period of time I don't think you can really see why you're not losing.

You would definitely need to include some sleep time. If you don't wear it to bed, you'd end up using a calculator of some sort to estimate sleep calories (but they are the very things you're questioning!)

I am interested in other's replies because I have thought of doing that in the past.... but I did conclude that, for my own knowledge, it wasn't worth it really. Since I don't physically doing the same things every day, I figured I was going to end up with a figure that is no less general than taking the average figure of all the online calculators, in my opinion. So, for me, I bought a fitbit and learned to trust that and it seems to have worked for me.

Interested in your results though - please come back and let us know!

it won't give you an exact BMR down to the final digit, but it gives you a good estimate, and if it didn't work, then I wouldn't have lost 20lbs using that method.

It might not give you a good estimate if you fall outside of the "norm".

You mentioned an under-active thyroid and haven't been able to lose weight when you dropped your calorie intake. If I were you, I would talk with a dietitian who works with people with thyroid difficulties. All of the public formulas assume a normal metabolism - and normal thyroid hormone levels. Because it's a medical issue, your insurance may cover part of the appointment.

If you are very intent on knowing your BMR, they could send you to an indirect calorimetry laboratory. You lay down on a bed and they measure how much C02 you produce over a period of time.

Brad3k, you clearly live in america or somewhere where the health service is better. Here in the UK we don't have the luxury of seeing a dietitian unless we pay big money, which is such a shame as I thiknk that is prob what i need to do

Thanks for the reply.

That's not true. You can go to a dietitian or see your nutritionist in your local medical centre. I started my journey by frequently visiting my nurse who was trained for this sort of stuff, and she helped me alter what I ate and gave me lots of helpful advice. And I've been to a dietitian on the NHS before.

Brad3k, you clearly live in america or somewhere where the health service is better. Here in the UK we don't have the luxury of seeing a dietitian unless we pay big money, which is such a shame as I thiknk that is prob what i need to do

Thanks for the reply.

How can you POSSIBLY say health care in the USA is better than the UK. We get nearly everything for free. Have you asked to be referred to a dietician. If not you can contact a freelance one. Many work using email/ phone consultations.

If its a health issue then the NHS will pay. If not, then a couple of sessions from a professional,will surely be worth it, if its important to you.

Brad3k, you clearly live in america or somewhere where the health service is better. Here in the UK we don't have the luxury of seeing a dietitian unless we pay big money, which is such a shame as I thiknk that is prob what i need to do

Thanks for the reply.

If you want to accurately know your RMR / BMR then you won't be able to do it with any kind of accuracy using a HRM - they are simply not designed for that purpose.

However, you can get your RMR professionally tested using indirect calorimetry at some gyms / sports facilities etc. It is relatively cheap £75.00 - £100 or so.

It might sound a lot but given the certainty it provides you it is far better value than any fitness gadget.