HRM question

3foldchord
3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
heart rate monitor question- is this something on could borrow from a friend for a few weeks to try? or are they set up/calibrated for one person and it would bee too hard to change it to work for me for a couple weeks?
I think that is all I really want; is to get readings from a couple weeks just to check where I am with my part time job. I set my TDEE to the activity level of "workout 3 days a week" to covoer my part time job (whhich is 3 days a week and about 20 hours a week). I am always always hungry on work days. not sure how many cas I am really burning at worrk and if my hungry really is a need for more food or just feeling like I need boost after work. I think if I could borrrow a HRM for a cople weeks that would tell me what I need. I dont think I want to buy/own one and use it all the time.

Replies

  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
    A HRM won't be accurate for work unless it is seriously heavy work. It's expecting you to be involved in steady state aerobic exercise (jogging, elliptical, etc), not start and stop work.

    A fitbit or something similar would be more accurate.

    But if you're only working 7 hours a day, 3 days a week, you may just want to set your activity level to "lightly active". Then it will average out over the week.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I think the site I use with "works out 3 days a week" is considered lightly, but I'll check a few other TDEE places for thier "light activity" and maybe increase a bit for a couple weeks and check my scale and measurements. probably the best way to heck it, I guess. and thanks. I'll see if I have any local friends with a Fitbit they can let me borroww for a week or so.
  • DantheMan2517
    DantheMan2517 Posts: 134 Member
    I agree with the previous comment that HRM's won't be that accurate for work. That situation would be more suited to a fitbit or another device like that. HRM's batteries usually only last as long as a triathlon or marathon cut-off time is. For instance, my watch battery cut out (after being fully charged) after 6 hours on a long bike race because six hours was the cut off triathlon time.

    In other words, HRM's aren't going to give you the info you want because of the long heart rate and activity fluctuations. Go fitbit or something like that.:happy:
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Another shout for pedomoter.
    You can get apps for smartphones to do this.

    HRMs are only really useful for sustained periods of higher heart rate.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    thanks all! I am pretty clueless in the HRM/Fitness device area.
    I dont even have a smartphone..hey, will a fitbit work with my non3/4G iPad (just has wi-fi)
  • xidia
    xidia Posts: 606 Member
    Fitbit Zip would do what you needed and should be pretty cheap. The One is much more capable, but it sounds like you don't need its full capabilities.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    You can get a pedometer with a calorie counter for a few quid/dollars on ebay.
    I don't think the fitbit etc do much more than these - apart from send the data to another device.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    You can get a pedometer with a calorie counter for a few quid/dollars on ebay.
    I don't think the fitbit etc do much more than these - apart from send the data to another device.
    These..and the Fitbit Zip.. How can they tell me my calorie burn without info like age, weight, heart rate? Does that info really make it more or less accurate? Maybe I will just up my calorie goal for a few weeks and see what happens. Might be easier..unless it makes me gain 10 pounds..LOL

    I'll keep researching, thanks for the tips and ideas.
  • Paula5130
    Paula5130 Posts: 27 Member
    I always use my HRM for exercising, don't use it for work as watch would get in the way. I've calibrated it for my height and weight, it's prob set less than I weigh now, as it was set to my October 2013 weight which was at least a stone lighter but it pushes me to burn calories, I keep eye on pulse whilst exercising and try and keep them above 115-145, 145 is about my maximum without wheezing and gasping. I couldn't do without it now
  • Paula5130
    Paula5130 Posts: 27 Member
    Ps I have a polar FT4 - people on this site recommended it, and I fully agree with their verdict, I would def but another when this one dies.
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    HRM definite for workouts, not for all day mapping start and stop movement. My approach to all of this is set my profile at sedentary then log exercises, eat back 50-75% of exercise calories. I really like my Polar HRM recommend it. Definitely recommend chest strap/watch version (forget the model number and it is downstairs). I personally feel like the fitbit is nothing more than a glorified pedometer I know many people think it is the bomb, but I feel like it is a waste of money … if you want to know how many steps you take all day a pedometer runs about $10 new.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    You can get a pedometer with a calorie counter for a few quid/dollars on ebay.
    I don't think the fitbit etc do much more than these - apart from send the data to another device.
    These..and the Fitbit Zip.. How can they tell me my calorie burn without info like age, weight, heart rate? Does that info really make it more or less accurate?

    I have a Zip. I was prompted to enter my info (height, weight, age, stride length, etc) on their website when I set it up, and from that it calculates my burn. It appears to be pretty accurate (have had it since early January of this year and worn it every day since). Everything is an estimate anyway - from calories to burns - just some estimates are more accurate than others. In the long run it pays to remember that bit, it's good to strive for as close to 100% accuracy as possible, but you're not going to ever actually achieve true 100% accuracy and have to be able to live with that (not saying you're not, just pointing it out, heh)
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    They should take age, height and weight in to work out calories.
    Again, there are no consistent models for working out calories burnt when your heart rate is low which incorporate heart rate.
    It's presumably just as accurate to purely count steps.
    While when you get to a higher heart rate, the models are accurate enough to justify using it as a factor.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I ordered a 12$ pedometer off amazon (pedusa?) and will be reconstructing my workouts with activity level. I don,t do much cardio and people keep telling me HRM are not accurate for weight lifting. (I mostly just do weights and yoga), so the step count should help me gauge activity level, I think.... then I can add my minimal exercise.

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