calorie burn confusion!

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misfitzchik66
misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
in Getting Started
hopefully I can get this confusion cleared up!

so I recently purchased the polar FT4 heart rate monitor that comes with the chest strap and it got some pretty good reviews so I ended up paying a pretty penny for it. also I exercise with an elliptical trainer. The problem is I have noticed that my calorie burn on my HRM is completely different than my machine is saying even though everything else is syncing up. So I made sure my height and weight and all that fun stuff was right for both the HRM and machine and the readings are

HRM= 35 minutes I burn 407 calories
machine= 35 minutes I burn 250 calories

now I have heard and done so much looking around and most machines most of the time actually estimate higher calorie burn then the HRM does which is not the case for me.

so what the heck should I be going with?!?

[ Edit] I weigh 187 pounds my height is 5'4 my work outs are pretty intense. my average heart rate during work out is between 160-170.

Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    HRM should generally be more correct. If your aerobic fitness level is low your heart rate will go through the roof when you're working out, which generally equates to a higher rate of calorie burn.

    407 cals in 35 minutes implies on the order of 170 bpm average. Seems awfully high unless you were pushing like an animal, but maybe your were.

    Or the HRM might be reading too high. Might want to check it against the ol' Mark I finger-on-the-pulse a few times.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    HRMs don't measure calorie burns.

    How far can you run in 35 minutes?
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    average heart rate today was 166 and my max was 182.

    I weigh right now 187 at a height of 5'4 so its not like Im fit at all. I actually just started using my elliptical trainer full time use 6 days ago.
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    I did something like 2.5 miles today at 35 minutes
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I did something like 2.5 miles today at 35 minutes

    I don't mean on the elliptical - I mean if you go out and actually run for 35 minutes, how much distance will you cover?

    And how much do you weight?

    Ballparking, you're looking at about 175 calories of burn, but need more information to nail the number down better.
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    I don't know because I haven't done it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Ok. For the exercise as described, I get about 1 calorie per pound bodyweight.

    You can take it from there - good luck!
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    average heart rate today was 166 and my max was 182.

    I weigh right now 187 at a height of 5'4 so its not like Im fit at all. I actually just started using my elliptical trainer full time use 6 days ago.

    I *kitten*-u-me you mean 166 average during the 35 minutes on the elliptical. Otherwise you need to see a doc :-D

    166 average is about 375 calories gross calories, or about 325 net (i.e, subtracting off the 50-ish calories you would've burned off hanging around watching TV). Given your lack of conditioning, that doesn't seem unreasonable. Not sure where that 409 came from -- that seems a big high-ish.
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    I was really pushing myself. the resistance on my machine was top level. It wasn't like I was just walking or jogging I was running my *kitten* off!!
  • mom2my4boys
    mom2my4boys Posts: 148 Member
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    Hi, im f/5"4/197lbs and burn about 350 calories in 30minutes on my elliptical going flat out.hope this helps some :)
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi, im f/5"4/197lbs and burn about 350 calories in 30minutes on my elliptical going flat out.hope this helps some :)

    that helps a lot thank you!
  • yewbic
    yewbic Posts: 37
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    i like using this calorie calculator based on your average heart rate: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    i put in your info and for the regular one it said like 379 calories for 35 min @ 167 average heart rate.

    but.... if you go here first: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx on the first form where it says "VO2max Calculator - Resting Heart Rate Based" just take your resting pulse for 20 seconds and input it. it'll give you your estimated vo2max -- remember this number.

    then go back to the first link and scroll down a little to the 2nd form where it says "Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator (for known VO2max)" and enter your information, this time with your VO2 max and i'm sure it'll be closer to 400 calories.. or something similar to your heart rate monitor.

    in any case i would always go with the heart rate monitor over the machine, as far as trusting which one has the correct calorie burn.

    i estimate how many calories i burn using that site and my average heart rate during exercise this way. I count all my calories precisely, I weigh all my food, eat back all my exercise calories, and consistently & very systematically lose 2 pounds per week, every week, exactly on the same day -- so i have to assume this way of estimating my exercise calories must be fairly accurate.
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
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    i like using this calorie calculator based on your average heart rate: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    i put in your info and for the regular one it said like 379 calories for 35 min @ 167 average heart rate.

    but.... if you go here first: http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx on the first form where it says "VO2max Calculator - Resting Heart Rate Based" just take your resting pulse for 20 seconds and input it. it'll give you your estimated vo2max -- remember this number.

    then go back to the first link and scroll down a little to the 2nd form where it says "Heart Rate Based Calorie Burn Calculator (for known VO2max)" and enter your information, this time with your VO2 max and i'm sure it'll be closer to 400 calories.. or something similar to your heart rate monitor.

    in any case i would always go with the heart rate monitor over the machine, as far as trusting which one has the correct calorie burn.

    i estimate how many calories i burn using that site and my average heart rate during exercise this way. I count all my calories precisely, I weigh all my food, eat back all my exercise calories, and consistently & very systematically lose 2 pounds per week, every week, exactly on the same day -- so i have to assume this way of estimating my exercise calories must be fairly accurate.

    I have been getting frustrated the last two weeks, I was losing weight fine just counting my calories, but then once I through in exercise I noticed I gained 3 pounds!!!!!!! I know its been only 1 week of exercise and I know its probably water weight. but its pretty upsetting seeing the scale not move! I use that site as well, and I have been following those numbers(which actually are pretty darn close to my hrm numbers) I'm hoping I start to see the weight drop off or else I need to re-evaluate my exercise routine.
  • yewbic
    yewbic Posts: 37
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    I have been getting frustrated the last two weeks, I was losing weight fine just counting my calories, but then once I through in exercise I noticed I gained 3 pounds!!!!!!! I know its been only 1 week of exercise and I know its probably water weight. but its pretty upsetting seeing the scale not move! I use that site as well, and I have been following those numbers(which actually are pretty darn close to my hrm numbers) I'm hoping I start to see the weight drop off or else I need to re-evaluate my exercise routine.

    yeah, there are 2 main things that can cause fluctuations in weight due to water retention:

    1. is when you eat foods that have alot of sodium/salt, especially eating out or take out food. Usually when you go over 2500mg of sodium for the day, your body can hold on to a few extra pounds of water retention. The way to avoid this is to drink a lot of water throughout the day (8+ cups) it will help flush out all the excess water.

    and

    2. After strenuous exercise your body can hold on to a few extra pounds of water weight, usually noticed on the next day. I think it has something to do with helping repair muscle tears, but im not too positive. In any case, this type of water retention is best met with giving your body a day or two of rest so your body can recover. Drinking a lot of water throughout the day will also help.

    also, you should always weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything, because your body can fluctuate in weight throughout the day.

    if you're frustrated about the scale, just weigh yourself on the day after the day you dont exercise, first thing in the morning--you will have given your body a whole day to recover and release excess water retention. On the day you dont exercise, just drink a lot of water throughout that day to flush out all the excess water, then the next morning you should see the scale move :)
  • misfitzchik66
    misfitzchik66 Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    I have been getting frustrated the last two weeks, I was losing weight fine just counting my calories, but then once I through in exercise I noticed I gained 3 pounds!!!!!!! I know its been only 1 week of exercise and I know its probably water weight. but its pretty upsetting seeing the scale not move! I use that site as well, and I have been following those numbers(which actually are pretty darn close to my hrm numbers) I'm hoping I start to see the weight drop off or else I need to re-evaluate my exercise routine.

    yeah, there are 2 main things that can cause fluctuations in weight due to water retention:

    1. is when you eat foods that have alot of sodium/salt, especially eating out or take out food. Usually when you go over 2500mg of sodium for the day, your body can hold on to a few extra pounds of water retention. The way to avoid this is to drink a lot of water throughout the day (8+ cups) it will help flush out all the excess water.

    and

    2. After strenuous exercise your body can hold on to a few extra pounds of water weight, usually noticed on the next day. I think it has something to do with helping repair muscle tears, but im not too positive. In any case, this type of water retention is best met with giving your body a day or two of rest so your body can recover. Drinking a lot of water throughout the day will also help.

    also, you should always weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything, because your body can fluctuate in weight throughout the day.

    if you're frustrated about the scale, just weigh yourself on the day after the day you dont exercise, first thing in the morning--you will have given your body a whole day to recover and release excess water retention. On the day you dont exercise, just drink a lot of water throughout that day to flush out all the excess water, then the next morning you should see the scale move :)

    thanks so much for the advice i will take all those notes into a count!

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