Calories burned

BigVeggieDream
BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so for the first time I used RunKeeper which many people on MFP seem to like. It told me I burned 270 calories. Out of curiosity and trying to gauge accuracy I checked a few online calculators and got between 260 and 283. Okay, it seems to be pretty accurate. Then I tried to use ones that also includes heart rate, which I checked using the good old fashion checking pulse on underside of wrist. I'm pretty confident in my ability to check my pulse. I've probably done it a thousand times. Anyways, the ones that use my average heart rate were between 509 to 960. I'm not sure what to believe. here's my stats.

Male
age 41
260 lbs
walking
duration - 33 mins 29 seconds
Avg Heart rate: 230/min

Yes, my heart rate is sky high, but I am severly overweight and very much out of shape.
What should I trust?

Edit:
I forgot to add
1.9 miles at 17:35 minute miles or 3.41 mph

Replies

  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    You're heart rate was not averaging 230 bpm while you were walking. You'd probably be dead if it was. Your pulse taking is inaccurate. If your eating back those calories I'd start with just 50% of then as they are all estimates
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    Yes it was 230 and no I wouldn't be dead. It's very possible, though possibly dangerous, to get a heart rate that high. And my question wasn't about eating back calories. It was about which calculator is accurate.

    A Read this article. It's proof that 230 is possible.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/389691-is-a-heart-rate-of-230-abnormal-during-treadmill-running/

    Also I had a stress test and my heart rate got that high.
  • portermb2009
    portermb2009 Posts: 5 Member
    How are you still alive?
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    How are you still alive?

    Did you not read my 2nd post?
  • tmjdunn
    tmjdunn Posts: 77 Member
    I used to get heartrates around 200 when I was training for triathlon years ago. I was terribly out of shape so my heart rate was really high. It isn't as abnormal as one migh think. I would go with the lower estimate though as the ones based on heartrate seem pretty high for walking 2 miles. I am by no means an expert though.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I seriously doubt your average heart rate was 230.

    Male
    Age 31
    238 - was 250+ when started running
    Duration 30ish minutes
    Avg heart rate - 180-185ish

    That being said when I first started jogging (walking fast) i would have an average at 185ish with peaks at 197/198 over a 30 minute period and I would burn more like the 5-600 calorie mark. I tracked this with my HRM w/ Chest strap. Polar FT4

    If you want a more accurate measurement I reccommend any Polar HRM w/ chest strap.
  • amyk225
    amyk225 Posts: 154
    i think you should get a hrm ,least its more accurate plus them run keeper apps arent as accurate,also if your over weight i reckon you probably burned alot more than that, im slim and at my goal weight but i can still manage to burn over 400 cals walking at that speed in an hour, i often used my runkeeper app plus my hrm and my hrm always showed alot more calories burnt:)
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    How are you still alive?

    Did you not read my 2nd post?

    Given that you posted your second post at 2:08, and he posted his at 2:09, odds are your 2nd post didn't yet exist when he loaded the page and read your first post and responded.
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,356 Member
    Can you slow down to maybe 2 mph/hr.? What is your resting heart rate? My understanding is that fastest heart rate isn't the best for weight loss. I have a defibrillator. I would have been zapped long before that. However, I don't think anyone who answered is a cardiologist (I'm not either) so please talk to yours or at least your family doctor and find out the maximum you should do. It may have gotten high during a "stress test", but that is because they are trying to stress your heart in a controlled situation. I am 63 (so quite a bit older) and I try to keep mine between 99 and 108 (112 max.) That is considered "fitness level" for me. I see a pictures of two beautiful children. Don't risk them losing you in your effort to lose weight. You'll lose the weight without having to kill yourself.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    Can you slow down to maybe 2 mph/hr.? What is your resting heart rate? My understanding is that fastest heart rate isn't the best for weight loss. I have a defibrillator. I would have been zapped long before that. However, I don't think anyone who answered is a cardiologist (I'm not either) so please talk to yours or at least your family doctor and find out the maximum you should do. It may have gotten high during a "stress test", but that is because they are trying to stress your heart in a controlled situation. I am 63 (so quite a bit older) and I try to keep mine between 99 and 108 (112 max.) That is considered "fitness level" for me. I see a pictures of two beautiful children. Don't risk them losing you in your effort to lose weight. You'll lose the weight without having to kill yourself.

    My resting heart rate is 121, again, I know is not good. I had my stress test about 7 months ago and the cardiologist said I passed, no blockages, but he was concerned that my exercise heart rate was that high. I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was surprised at my rate and had already prepared to slow down Saturday when I go out again.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    I seriously doubt your average heart rate was 230.

    Male
    Age 31
    238 - was 250+ when started running
    Duration 30ish minutes
    Avg heart rate - 180-185ish

    Just because your heart rate was down around 180, doesn't mean that everyone else's is there. My health may be worse than yours when you started. Weight is not the only indicator of health. If that were true, nobody with healthy weights would have heart attacks. I have complete confidence in my ability to take heart rates. I've been a nurse for two years, so i know what I am doing.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    Thanks to the people who gave me advice and didn't call me a liar. Your advice was helpful.
  • SarahWSU36
    SarahWSU36 Posts: 19 Member
    Yep, I would just slow down a bit and at that rate you could be burning that many calories. Good luck to you and good for you getting out to excercise. I am in the contemplative stage of that one right now. :)
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    I'd use the rates for the lowest calculator (unless you get an HRM)

    Best of luck - and be careful! Those are two cute kids!!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    if you are that heavy, and at your age, having been sedentary for a long time, i'd believe you that that is your heartrate.

    but that doesn't mean that that is healthy. i'd go see a doctor with this information. you might have a condition. but he'll probably also tell you to just keep exercising, that your heart rate will go down as you lose weight and get healthier.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    If you keep in mind that calories are units of energy you will see that calories cannot be measured by heartbeats.

    The HRM calorie estimates are based on averages and as your heart rate is way different to average it's pointless to try and use either a HRM or estimators that are based on heart rate.

    Online calculators that use weight/speed/distance for walking/running should be accurate enough.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    I seriously doubt your average heart rate was 230.

    Male
    Age 31
    238 - was 250+ when started running
    Duration 30ish minutes
    Avg heart rate - 180-185ish

    Just because your heart rate was down around 180, doesn't mean that everyone else's is there. My health may be worse than yours when you started. Weight is not the only indicator of health. If that were true, nobody with healthy weights would have heart attacks. I have complete confidence in my ability to take heart rates. I've been a nurse for two years, so i know what I am doing.

    just because people that aren't overweight have heart attacks doesn't mean anything. correlation ≠ causation
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    just because people that aren't overweight have heart attacks doesn't mean anything. correlation ≠ causation

    You're actually making my point. I was saying that there was no causation. There are many factors.

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