Polar HRM chest strap and MapMyRun - calories question

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awesomocity0
awesomocity0 Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all. I recently got an elliptical machine (because... going to the gym while overweight can be... not a great experience). Anyway, I also invested in a bluetooth HRM (Polar H7, I believe). In the two weeks I've had it, along with diet and exercise, I've lost ~14 lbs. I weigh about 300 (I'm ashamed to say, but hey, I'm starting to do something about it).

Now, I've been using the MapMyRun app and connecting it to the HRM. On the elliptical, I'm up to being able to do about a 25 minute work out, and my machine tells me I've gone a bit over 3 miles in that time. I'm sweating buckets here, but I'm doing it. When I plugged elliptical into MapMyRun and do the exercise, it told me I'd burned about 800 calories in those 20 minutes, and it tells my my average heart rate hovers between 170-176 (of course, far less at the beginning and end). I'm wondering if this is accurate. It seems like a lot to me. Especially when, if I plug it into a calculator and say I'm running outside, it tells me I've only burned 400 calories with that heart rate.

I'm asking, because I want to make sure I'm doing my nutrition plan appropriately (and yes, I can do it, because I'm an RN).

So... is the MapMyRun app using the heart rate and improperly doing the calculation for the elliptical? Should I be using a different app? Or is it really possible that I'm burning that many calories?

Thanks in advance. I'm trying to do things the right way here, but getting varying results is quite discouraging.

Replies

  • serrazee
    serrazee Posts: 30 Member
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    I don't know about MapMyRun and I don't use ellipticals so I can't weigh in on those parts of your question...

    However, I also have a Polar H7 HRM, and I use the app Digifit. I think it costs around $4 to allow the HRM to sync with the app, but so far I really like this app, and it logs directly into MFP. I don't know if MapMyRun does that or not. Maybe trying a different app might work? Might be a good way to troubleshoot if there is a problem or not.
  • serrazee
    serrazee Posts: 30 Member
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    In the two weeks I've had it, along with diet and exercise, I've lost ~14 lbs. I weigh about 300 (I'm ashamed to say, but hey, I'm starting to do something about it).

    Also, no shame! You are here doing the right thing, and you've made progress! Way to go! :D
  • awesomocity0
    awesomocity0 Posts: 5
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    I like MapMyRun, because it does sync on here automatically, and it gives me a nice read out on my heart rate and heart rate zones. I guess I can give that app a go and see what results it gives me after a work out, and I'll also try the Polar Beat app that the HRM recommends. Then I could compare the results? Although if they give me wildly different ones, I don't know which to go with.
  • jimboodee2
    jimboodee2 Posts: 26 Member
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    I also have put a post up today regarding my H7 I have been using whilst doing spin but have been using polar beat app and I like the app great visuals. I am to overweight so wanted to make sure it was given me the correct feedback. So I downloaded the mapmyfitness app and ran the two apps together when I was doing an insanity class today. The mapmyfitness was double the calories burned (840) then the polar beat(370) it's a big difference so I am going to download a 3rd to see which one is more accurate. Mapmyfitness seems very high :-/
  • awesomocity0
    awesomocity0 Posts: 5
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    I also have put a post up today regarding my H7 I have been using whilst doing spin but have been using polar beat app and I like the app great visuals. I am to overweight so wanted to make sure it was given me the correct feedback. So I downloaded the mapmyfitness app and ran the two apps together when I was doing an insanity class today. The mapmyfitness was double the calories burned (840) then the polar beat(370) it's a big difference so I am going to download a 3rd to see which one is more accurate. Mapmyfitness seems very high :-/

    Let me know what you come up with, and I'll do the same.
  • jimboodee2
    jimboodee2 Posts: 26 Member
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    Let me know what you come up with, and I'll do the same.
    [/quote]

    Will do I have downloaded the digitfit so will keep you posted ????
  • awesomocity0
    awesomocity0 Posts: 5
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    http://i58.tinypic.com/10wtmb5.jpg

    I replicated everything about the work out that gave me the crazy amount of calories burned. I used iCardio, MapMyRun (this time using gym equipment misc instead of elliptical, since that meant less calories burned), and Polar Beat. Polar Beat and iCardio produced VERY similar results. I guess I'll stick to iCardio then. Thanks for the idea of comparing! :)

    I have a screenshot above of the results side-by-side.
  • jimboodee2
    jimboodee2 Posts: 26 Member
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    That's good to know thanks . I will continue with polar beat but will look into the subscription of digifit too. Thanks
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    I'm having the opposite issue.. I have mapmyfitness and icardio (digifit) both synced to my polar monitor and both match as far as heart rate goes. However Digifit always estimates about 100-200 more calories burned than Mapmyfitness at the end of a workout.

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