Hrm and fitbit

I use both and don't find it to be too much work. I got myself really frustrated by all the different calorie calculators out there (TDEE-20%, etc) that kept giving me different numbers. I mean, what exactly is the difference between light and moderate exercise??? Anyway, wearing the Fitbit for daily activity and the HRM for exercise gets me as close to knowing exactly what I burn each day as possible - no more guessing. Since I started using them together, my plateau finally broke and I think it's because I finally hit the right balance in my deficit. Just for reference, I typically eat back between 80-90% of my exercise calories, because I like to leave a little cushion for those occasions when I have to go over.

I considered the BodyMedia but wasn't thrilled to have to wear something strapped to my arm everyday. Not very pretty for wearing short sleeve business attire.

Yeah, that is the worst part about it, but BodyMedia is the only device that works for me, personally. I always wear something over it to hide it at work. I would rather not show off my fat arms anyway, lol.

BodyMedia tracks calories burned even when you are sitting, sleeping, or doing dishes. It is meant for daily life, whereas FitBit just tracks active calorie burns.

Tracks, or estimates?

BodyMadia does NOT measure, it estimates.

Sleeping is BMR calorie burn, non-moving and non-sleeping is BMR or RMR calorie burn depending on if the sensors for heat work well for you.

And arm movements totally throw it off, like washing dishes or typing.

But guess what FitBit uses for all non-moving time, your BMR calorie burn. So the difference between BMR and RMR is about 150-200 calories daily. Divide that out by hr of actual non-moving time - and you'll find it ain't that much a hit in the accuracy department.

You might want to read up on some studies of the BMF unit besides their marketing material, it isn't the next best thing since sliced bread.

Hmmm, did peanut butter come before or after that....

BodyMedia is the best! I would recommend that device over all others.

Why? I've found my BM Fit to be no different than my FB flex.

BodyMedia tracks calories burned even when you are sitting, sleeping, or doing dishes. It is meant for daily life, whereas FitBit just tracks active calorie burns.

Fitbit tracks the same things BodyMedia tracks. It's not just for exercise. It's meant for daily life too.

Wow, this is like Mac vs. PC! Who cares? lol I have a preference, you have a preference. The end.

Exactly, and up until that comment you were dissing one because of lack of knowledge on how either worked.

It works well for you - there ya go.

And for Jackson they both worked exactly the same.

And for me, the BMF was worthless.

Nah, I did tons of research. I bought a FitBit in February and hated it. I got BodyMedia and have been using it for months. I've lost 56 lbs so far. Must be doing something right.

Ah ok so is the fitbit just a glorified pedometer? I was hoping for some thing which would give me a more accurate calorie count so that I could make sure I wasn't creating too much or too little deficit for my goals?

I'm not sure how pedometers work, but that's probably not far from the truth. Accelerometer-based devices (like the fitbit) are, IME, pretty accurate for non-exercise based calories (regular daily life, if you will), but exercise burns are all over the board.

Exactly, which is why the HRM is great for that, which you can use for anything that isn't well tracked by a pedometer. I do boot camp and we do lots of intervals and weight lifting. On an interval day the fitbit tells me I was active for about 10 min (when class is 45 min) on a mostly weights day, it says even less, of course, but my heart rate is definitely up there because we still do some running between sets and things like push ups and squats, which can get your heart rate going. Plus I lift fairly heavy weights.

I just ordered an HRM today to compliment the fitbit and to have a more accurate assessment of my boot camp calorie burn.

Just as an FYI, an HRM isn't likely to be very accurate with things like weights and intervals. They are intended for steady state cardio. Intervals aren't steady state, and weights are neither steady state nor cardio.

Circuit training is cardio. Our weight days are circuits: squats w/weights, lunges w/weights, back rows, push ups, biceps, shoulder presses, triceps and run a lap. Repeat 4 times w/ about 30 seconds in between. I wouldn't bother to wear a heart monitor if I were just doing sets of isolated exercises. Basically, the answer to how do I get my cardio in? I lift weights faster. Plus, my whole body is working even when I'm doing something like a bicep curl--the rest of my body is blocked--has to be to curl a 25 lb dumbbell. Our other days are usually HIIT.

Ah ok so is the fitbit just a glorified pedometer? I was hoping for some thing which would give me a more accurate calorie count so that I could make sure I wasn't creating too much or too little deficit for my goals?

I'm not sure how pedometers work, but that's probably not far from the truth. Accelerometer-based devices (like the fitbit) are, IME, pretty accurate for non-exercise based calories (regular daily life, if you will), but exercise burns are all over the board.

Exactly, which is why the HRM is great for that, which you can use for anything that isn't well tracked by a pedometer. I do boot camp and we do lots of intervals and weight lifting. On an interval day the fitbit tells me I was active for about 10 min (when class is 45 min) on a mostly weights day, it says even less, of course, but my heart rate is definitely up there because we still do some running between sets and things like push ups and squats, which can get your heart rate going. Plus I lift fairly heavy weights.

I just ordered an HRM today to compliment the fitbit and to have a more accurate assessment of my boot camp calorie burn.

Just as an FYI, an HRM isn't likely to be very accurate with things like weights and intervals. They are intended for steady state cardio. Intervals aren't steady state, and weights are neither steady state nor cardio.

Circuit training is cardio. Our weight days are circuits: squats w/weights, lunges w/weights, back rows, push ups, biceps, shoulder presses, triceps and run a lap. Repeat 4 times w/ about 30 seconds in between. I wouldn't bother to wear a heart monitor if I were just doing sets of isolated exercises. Basically, the answer to how do I get my cardio in? I lift weights faster. Plus, my whole body is working even when I'm doing something like a bicep curl--the rest of my body is blocked--has to be to curl a 25 lb dumbbell. Our other days are usually HIIT.

I think you are missing the point, which is HRMs might give decent estimates of calorie burn for cardiovascular training, but they fall short (as does every device for that matter) when it comes to weightlifting. Sure circuit training turns your strength training into a cardiovascular activity but even the manufacurer of these HRMs will tell you they are not intended to measure calorie burns for that type of activity. All these devices make an estimate and all are better at one thing vs another. Fitbit is excellent for determining non-exercise calorie burn which is great for people like me who has a desk job. I can figure out how much I am actually moving when not exercising. It is also pretty accurate for running and walking although would tend to underestimate the intensity and calorie burn of the run.

Bump to read later, have same questions

I would not waste your money on a fitbit. My husband and I both purchased them. The fitbits made "funny" little comments, which made it seem more like a toy than a serious exercise tool. Support said we could turn that off if we wanted. It tracked my steps, but not calories burned for doing things like strength training. We found it to track our calories burned while we slept, but one night I did not wear it and I still "burned calories." It is definitely NOT a hrm and does not say it is, but we just felt like it was more like a gimmick and didn't feel that we could trust its output.
We sent both of them back and demanded a full refund, which we received.

We found it to track our calories burned while we slept, but one night I did not wear it and I still "burned calories."

Give me your age, weight, and height, and how long you slept, and I can make a pretty decent estimate of your sleeping calories too - and I'm not even in the same house.

BMR / 24 x hrs sleeping.

Hardly has to be on you when you aren't moving enough to matter in the scheme of things.
10 min total of tossing and turning in 7 hrs of sleep is only 2.4% of the time, and during that brief time, it's not like you are burning a whole lot more.