HRM calories burned question

NeuroticVirgo
NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
edited September 22 in Fitness and Exercise
So, I just got my heart rate monitor, and tried it out at Zumba. I stopped it to get my calories burned after the class, but my heart rate was still like 160...I think it was just instinctive....Class over...press stop, even if I was still panting haha. I checked the calories burned and it was around 780. Well, it stops my time, but it doesn't stop tracking my HR or adding to calories burned. (which i didn't know). So I get to my car, and I decide to go ahead and turn it off etc, and notice my calories are up by almost another 100 calories...so around 880.

It was seriously like a 10 min difference....so maybe my body was still trying to cool down? lol

MY question is...would you put down the 780, or the 880?

Replies

  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    I would put down 880 but I put down everything...
  • binary_jester
    binary_jester Posts: 3,311 Member
    The 880, mainly because with HIIT programs, there is a longer residual burn after and I am guessing your heart rate was still elevated.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    I leave mine on for 5 min cooling down. You are still burning with your HR up so high so allow it to go down some - then off. Awesome burn. Just returned from one hr of Zumba and Burned a bit over 300!
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    Ok thanks, playing with the HRM is new to me, and I wasn't sure what to do. lol
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I agree, because your HRM is for all the times that your heart rate is not where it normally is when you are going through the day...so if it is elevated for 10 minutes after exercise more than it is the other 23 hours of the day that you are not exercising, then definitely count it since MFP takes into account only normal daily activity when it calculates your minimum calories goal before adding the exercise.
  • RunConquerCelebrate
    RunConquerCelebrate Posts: 956 Member
    So, I just got my heart rate monitor, and tried it out at Zumba. I stopped it to get my calories burned after the class, but my heart rate was still like 160...I think it was just instinctive....Class over...press stop, even if I was still panting haha. I checked the calories burned and it was around 780. Well, it stops my time, but it doesn't stop tracking my HR or adding to calories burned. (which i didn't know). So I get to my car, and I decide to go ahead and turn it off etc, and notice my calories are up by almost another 100 calories...so around 880.

    It was seriously like a 10 min difference....so maybe my body was still trying to cool down? lol

    MY question is...would you put down the 780, or the 880?


    I am not sure about the HRM but just wanted to say that is awesome that you burned that many calories doing zumba. I started with Zumba but switched it for P90x, I am going to have to use the HRM and do Zumba one of these days to see how many cals I was burning before.

    I love zumba I have the CDs and the toning sticks and do it at home. Might have to try that tomorrow instead of p90x
  • Mollydolly10
    Mollydolly10 Posts: 431 Member
    Make sure you are subtracting your resting caloric burn - the calories you would've burned anyway from just sitting around - from the number your HRM shows you. the HRM shows you TOTAL calories burned, so it doesn't take these calories you burned from just.. breathing.. into account! Take a look at my blog post for how to do this!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Mollydolly10/view/hrm-subtracting-cal-burned-from-rest-total-cal-burned-from-exercise-alone-45676


    From this knowledge, I would say go with the lower number, and subtract your resting caloric burn (by reading the blog post above). After all, it is much better to underestimate how much you worked out, that way you can be careful not to go over your calories!

    Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions about the subtraction after reading the post! :)

    -Molly
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    Make sure you are subtracting your resting caloric burn - the calories you would've burned anyway from just sitting around - from the number your HRM shows you. the HRM shows you TOTAL calories burned, so it doesn't take these calories you burned from just.. breathing.. into account! Take a look at my blog post for how to do this!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Mollydolly10/view/hrm-subtracting-cal-burned-from-rest-total-cal-burned-from-exercise-alone-45676


    From this knowledge, I would say go with the lower number, and subtract your resting caloric burn (by reading the blog post above). After all, it is much better to underestimate how much you worked out, that way you can be careful not to go over your calories!

    Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions about the subtraction after reading the post! :)

    -Molly

    Ok...I THINK I got it...so MFP says my daily burn is 2490...there are 1440 minutes in a day...so I'm burning *roughly* 1.7 calories a min? So I would subtract 102 calories (or 119 if you count the 10 min walk to my car lol)...so ya...about what it was before lol. Did I do all that right?
  • Mollydolly10
    Mollydolly10 Posts: 431 Member
    Make sure you are subtracting your resting caloric burn - the calories you would've burned anyway from just sitting around - from the number your HRM shows you. the HRM shows you TOTAL calories burned, so it doesn't take these calories you burned from just.. breathing.. into account! Take a look at my blog post for how to do this!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Mollydolly10/view/hrm-subtracting-cal-burned-from-rest-total-cal-burned-from-exercise-alone-45676


    From this knowledge, I would say go with the lower number, and subtract your resting caloric burn (by reading the blog post above). After all, it is much better to underestimate how much you worked out, that way you can be careful not to go over your calories!

    Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions about the subtraction after reading the post! :)

    -Molly

    Ok...I THINK I got it...so MFP says my daily burn is 2490...there are 1440 minutes in a day...so I'm burning *roughly* 1.7 calories a min? So I would subtract 102 calories (or 119 if you count the 10 min walk to my car lol)...so ya...about what it was before lol. Did I do all that right?

    That is correct! You did it exactly right! :)

    You personally burn 1.7 calories a minute by just being alive and breathing on your own. So since your Zumba class was an hour then, since you would do 1.7*60mins = 102 calories to subtract from your total (or yes, 119 if you count the walk to the car haha, which I wouldn't personally).

    Nonetheless, that moves your numbers to either 678 (the number I'd use) or 761 calories burned (if you choose to use calories burned while you are in recovery).

    A 100+ calorie difference is like a snack to me, so it definitely adds up if you aren't subtracting it (and is especially helpful to know when picking what/how much to eat after you workout)! As you get more in shape, the amount of calories you burn at rest will decrease ever so slightly, getting closer to 1 cal/min - which goes hand in hand with the fact that the fitter you are, the harder you have to work out to burn the same amount of calories that you had burned when you were heavier.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    which goes hand in hand with the fact that the fitter you are, the harder you have to work out to burn the same amount of calories that you had burned when you were heavier.

    I am not looking forward to this part at all...I kind of like my weight handicap at the moment. I know it will be worth it when I get there, but all I can think is...geez....when I only need to lose like that last 20lbs I'll have to go to the gym for 10 hours a day. *sigh*
  • FairyGodMother
    FairyGodMother Posts: 10 Member
    NV - Put in the higher number and wait to stop the HRM until your heart has returned to your normal resting heart rate. This can be up to 30 mins after you've stopped the zumba class. There is definitely an afterburn effect from a cardio class like zumba. I burn anywhere from 630 calories during the class up to 750. I will burn another 100 calories in the afterburn while my heart rate gets back to normal.

    Molly where are you getting this theory to subtract your resting heartbeats? If you are exercising, you are exercising. You are ramping up your metabolism, you are burning those calories and there's no reason to discredit them. I don't understand the theory behind subtracting them. The HRM shows you what you've burned for the amount of time you have the watch in "exercise" mode. You're not resting so why subtract resting calories?
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    Does anyone know if colder weather makes you burn less calories...I went for a walk again tonight, same miles, same speed, and burned less calories than last night. The only difference is it was much colder tonight than yesterday, around 60 degrees. vs around 75 yesterday.

    Its not that big of a deal, but I was just curious.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    NV - Put in the higher number and wait to stop the HRM until your heart has returned to your normal resting heart rate. This can be up to 30 mins after you've stopped the zumba class. There is definitely an afterburn effect from a cardio class like zumba. I burn anywhere from 630 calories during the class up to 750. I will burn another 100 calories in the afterburn while my heart rate gets back to normal.

    Molly where are you getting this theory to subtract your resting heartbeats? If you are exercising, you are exercising. You are ramping up your metabolism, you are burning those calories and there's no reason to discredit them. I don't understand the theory behind subtracting them. The HRM shows you what you've burned for the amount of time you have the watch in "exercise" mode. You're not resting so why subtract resting calories?

    I thought she meant it had something to do with MFP and how it already has given you credit for your resting heart rate calories burned....so you have to subtract them (since MFP already gave them to you)....or and least I thought thats why, but I could be WAY off...my head is filled with so much info right now my wires get crossed a lot anymore. :laugh:
  • FairyGodMother
    FairyGodMother Posts: 10 Member
    Oh Molly means MFP calories, not HRM calories? Got it. If that's the case, then I'm totally lost.
    I have been working out with a Polar HRM since 1997 so if it tells me I burned calories I know it burned the calories because back then I was working for them as well. I got a new HRM this time last year and when I don't use it or it needs a new battery I feel lost.

    Stick with your zumba classes, do not give up. I just went back to your thread about them and I find them fantastic. I am totally addicted! In the past 6 weeks I have lost an inch off my waist thanks to zumba 3 times a week + the motivation of the terrific instructor.

    As for the walk tonight in the colder weather, I've never known a major difference with the temperature but I do find that I burn less calories if I've eaten too close to the time I go walking or exercising of any type, including zumba.

    Can I ask what brand of HRM you got? If it's a Polar and you have more questions I can probably answer you or get an answer for you because I still have a friend who works there.

    FGM
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
    NV - Put in the higher number and wait to stop the HRM until your heart has returned to your normal resting heart rate. This can be up to 30 mins after you've stopped the zumba class. There is definitely an afterburn effect from a cardio class like zumba. I burn anywhere from 630 calories during the class up to 750. I will burn another 100 calories in the afterburn while my heart rate gets back to normal.

    Molly where are you getting this theory to subtract your resting heartbeats? If you are exercising, you are exercising. You are ramping up your metabolism, you are burning those calories and there's no reason to discredit them. I don't understand the theory behind subtracting them. The HRM shows you what you've burned for the amount of time you have the watch in "exercise" mode. You're not resting so why subtract resting calories?
    It's probably easier to explain it with basic numbers...

    Say your HRM says you burned 200 calories during exercise. If you would have burned 100 calories by just sitting around doing nothing, you still burned 200 calories while doing exercise BUT you only burned an additional 100 calories by doing the exercise.

    So if you're looking at weight loss and you think you burned 800 calories during an exercise session, but you would have burned 200 anyway, then you only created an additional deficit of 600 calories for which you should eat back. If you don't subtract and eat all 800, you're cutting into your deficit by 200 and hindering your weightloss.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    Oh Molly means MFP calories, not HRM calories? Got it. If that's the case, then I'm totally lost.
    I have been working out with a Polar HRM since 1997 so if it tells me I burned calories I know it burned the calories because back then I was working for them as well. I got a new HRM this time last year and when I don't use it or it needs a new battery I feel lost.

    Stick with your zumba classes, do not give up. I just went back to your thread about them and I find them fantastic. I am totally addicted! In the past 6 weeks I have lost an inch off my waist thanks to zumba 3 times a week + the motivation of the terrific instructor.

    As for the walk tonight in the colder weather, I've never known a major difference with the temperature but I do find that I burn less calories if I've eaten too close to the time I go walking or exercising of any type, including zumba.

    Can I ask what brand of HRM you got? If it's a Polar and you have more questions I can probably answer you or get an answer for you because I still have a friend who works there.

    FGM

    Ya, I haven't been seeing any major changes in inches...(which I really would like to go down some sizes and get rid of this tummy flab!)...so I'm hoping Zumba will do the trick! haha

    I have a sportline SX w/ chest strap....It was a impulse buy at walmart. I tried looking it up...but I'm thinking this is an older model (wasn't even on the sportline website or walmart website).

    This is all I could find on it: http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/10719755/sx-combo-heart-rate-monitor-reviews/reviews.htm

    So far I like it, and I hope it keeps working like it has been....not a fan of spending money on things that break.
  • Mollydolly10
    Mollydolly10 Posts: 431 Member
    NV - Put in the higher number and wait to stop the HRM until your heart has returned to your normal resting heart rate. This can be up to 30 mins after you've stopped the zumba class. There is definitely an afterburn effect from a cardio class like zumba. I burn anywhere from 630 calories during the class up to 750. I will burn another 100 calories in the afterburn while my heart rate gets back to normal.

    Molly where are you getting this theory to subtract your resting heartbeats? If you are exercising, you are exercising. You are ramping up your metabolism, you are burning those calories and there's no reason to discredit them. I don't understand the theory behind subtracting them. The HRM shows you what you've burned for the amount of time you have the watch in "exercise" mode. You're not resting so why subtract resting calories?
    It's probably easier to explain it with basic numbers...

    Say your HRM says you burned 200 calories during exercise. If you would have burned 100 calories by just sitting around doing nothing, you still burned 200 calories while doing exercise BUT you only burned an additional 100 calories by doing the exercise.

    So if you're looking at weight loss and you think you burned 800 calories during an exercise session, but you would have burned 200 anyway, then you only created an additional deficit of 600 calories for which you should eat back. If you don't subtract and eat all 800, you're cutting into your deficit by 200 and hindering your weightloss.

    Exactly, and exactly! :) MFP already accounts for the calories you would've burned anyways, and the HRM is giving you the grand total, so in order to make sure you aren't hindering your weight loss, as the poster above explains perfectly with numbers, it is beneficial to subtract these calories so that you are inputting calories burned from the exercise alone, and let MFP take care of the rest!
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