Low Calorie Burn: HRM vs Body Media Fit

ashleybreuer
ashleybreuer Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone - I know that HRM's aren't always spot on but I have a Polar ft7 and a Body Media Fit and decided to wear them both while working out on the elliptical tonight to see the differences in reported calorie burns. My HRM stated around 370 calories for 52 of activity (the elliptical machine reported around this number as well, but not exact) but my BMF recorded a calorie burn of only 192. I know HRM's can be upwards of 25% off but that would still put me around a burn of 278 which still isn't close to what BMF is reporting. It's frustrating because I worked out (moderately) for a decent amount of time to find I only burned 192 calories. Have any of you noticed low calorie burns with BMF or would you think my HRM is truly overestimating? My heart rate stayed between 130 - 145 for the entire workout.

Thanks!
Ashley

Replies

  • ashleybreuer
    ashleybreuer Posts: 51 Member
    bump
  • enigmaneo
    enigmaneo Posts: 61 Member
    I bet the heart rate monitor is more accurate than the pedometer.
  • ashleybreuer
    ashleybreuer Posts: 51 Member
    I bet the heart rate monitor is more accurate than the pedometer.

    You mean the Body Media Fit?
  • tneedham78
    tneedham78 Posts: 14
    I find the BMF more accurate. I also use one, and I have tested it against the machines and other devices and I believe its correct. We do not burn as many calories as we think we do when working out..lol When I first started I thought I would burn like 500-600 calories in an hour...but its some like 200-300 at most and it depends on what I'm doing at the gym.
  • phjorg
    phjorg Posts: 252 Member
    is BMR removed from the burn total with BMF?

    You should be burning 100-200 calories.hour just doing nothing. And most calculators will include that as it technically does count as calories burned for that timeframe.

    It's also another reason to be careful eating back exercise calories as you can count on that 100-200 to double dip if you will. And it gives a false sense of your actual effort.

    But 200 calories for an hour of exercise with you heart rate that low does sound about right calorie burn. For a comparison from a metabolic chamber test I read, an average 170lbs guy running with a heartrate of 155 for an hour is about 430 calories burned. And someone tested going at a slow jog on a tredmill was about 180 calories burned. (don't know HR for that)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hi Everyone - I know that HRM's aren't always spot on but I have a Polar ft7 and a Body Media Fit and decided to wear them both while working out on the elliptical tonight to see the differences in reported calorie burns. My HRM stated around 370 calories for 52 of activity (the elliptical machine reported around this number as well, but not exact) but my BMF recorded a calorie burn of only 192. I know HRM's can be upwards of 25% off but that would still put me around a burn of 278 which still isn't close to what BMF is reporting. It's frustrating because I worked out (moderately) for a decent amount of time to find I only burned 192 calories. Have any of you noticed low calorie burns with BMF or would you think my HRM is truly overestimating? My heart rate stayed between 130 - 145 for the entire workout.

    Thanks!
    Ashley

    How long were you on the elliptical, and what number of calories exactly did the elliptical report? Did you program your weight into the elliptical?
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I found that the BMF reported essentially what my FitBit reported. And the FitBit is only a pedometer. So I don't think it is 100% accurate. I tend to burn around 500-700 calories per hour when I workout (but I also push myself pretty hard).
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I found that the BMF reported essentially what my FitBit reported. And the FitBit is only a pedometer. So I don't think it is 100% accurate. I tend to burn around 500-700 calories per hour when I workout (but I also push myself pretty hard).

    The Fitbit is not a pedometer.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I found that the BMF reported essentially what my FitBit reported. And the FitBit is only a pedometer. So I don't think it is 100% accurate. I tend to burn around 500-700 calories per hour when I workout (but I also push myself pretty hard).

    The Fitbit is not a pedometer.

    Well, essentially a pedometer/activity tracker. :)

    ETA: I'm not talking badly about the FitBit! I loved mine when I used it. Just trying to make a comparison.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I found that the BMF reported essentially what my FitBit reported. And the FitBit is only a pedometer. So I don't think it is 100% accurate. I tend to burn around 500-700 calories per hour when I workout (but I also push myself pretty hard).

    The Fitbit is not a pedometer.

    Well, essentially a pedometer/activity tracker. :)

    It's an activity tracker. It records and measures a great deal more than just steps.
  • aNewYear123
    aNewYear123 Posts: 279 Member
    Plug your numbers into the formula and see what you end up with:

    (from the journal of sports sciences)
    Men use the following formula: Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.2017) -- (Weight x 0.09036) + (Heart Rate x 0.6309) -- 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.

    Women use the following formula: Calories Burned = [(Age x 0.074) -- (Weight x 0.05741) + (Heart Rate x 0.4472) -- 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.
  • ashleybreuer
    ashleybreuer Posts: 51 Member
    Hi Everyone - I know that HRM's aren't always spot on but I have a Polar ft7 and a Body Media Fit and decided to wear them both while working out on the elliptical tonight to see the differences in reported calorie burns. My HRM stated around 370 calories for 52 of activity (the elliptical machine reported around this number as well, but not exact) but my BMF recorded a calorie burn of only 192. I know HRM's can be upwards of 25% off but that would still put me around a burn of 278 which still isn't close to what BMF is reporting. It's frustrating because I worked out (moderately) for a decent amount of time to find I only burned 192 calories. Have any of you noticed low calorie burns with BMF or would you think my HRM is truly overestimating? My heart rate stayed between 130 - 145 for the entire workout.

    Thanks!
    Ashley

    How long were you on the elliptical, and what number of calories exactly did the elliptical report? Did you program your weight into the elliptical?

    52 minutes / elliptical was at 340 and I programmed my age and weight prior to starting :)

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