tracking exercise through using dvd's

I was told to get a heart rate monitor and enter that info under what you did - like walking. Instead of looking for the dvd, look for the exercise of what you did instead.

I just looked under the exercise tab, chose cardiovascular, typed in dancing, chose aerobic, ball room and twist and found calories burned for so many minutes of aerobic exercise.

I would still get a HRM just to be on the safe side. I had an issue with my elliptical, and it's a very common one in the forums from what I've been reading, that the treadmills and ellipticals are geared to a certain stature, and since not everyone is the same, your calories might be way off (mine was MFP said I was burning 600 on a 35 minute elliptical exercise while the elliptical said only 250). Seriously, the top notch ones are only 40 at the most. I wouldn't rely on either unless you absolutely had no other route to go.

Better safe than sorry, especially when you think you're burning more calories because you trusted MFP's exercise equation or you trusted your treadmill, and then you end up putting on more weight. Both are good judgments to a certain extent but the HRM will be the most accurate.

I have no idea how to use a blood pressure device, so I don't want to comment and tell you the wrong thing lol.

Good luck!

The one I bought was from heartratemonitors.com on sale for about $40. It's just a watch and you look down at the calories screen to "log" it off. I wouldn't trust Wal-mart's to be honest, because, well it's Wal-mart lol. I would go to Academy or some other sporting goods store to buy one.

Surf around and I"m sure you will find one you like

Ok say you walked for 30 minutes (there's a formula you can use to find out the speed, but I usually do the 3.0, walking dog because I am walking my dog lol! There are descriptions that give you an idea what 2.0 mph is vs. 5.0 mph): Under the exercise tab, there's a link that says "Add Cardio" search whatever you did, in this example, it's walking. There's a box to the side that you can enter your time and there's a box under it that will fill in by itself, but you can change it depending on what the HRM says. Everyone is different so in your walking 30 minutes, you may burn 400 cals, whereas I could burn 350.

It'll alter the programmed formula to you so the ratio will start staying the same if you walk again, i.e. for you, 30 min at 3.0 = 400cals, so that ratio will replace what was in there originally, so that if you walked for 45 minutes at 3.0, it'll determine it given the new ratio...it's the easy route, but I'd still double check with the HRM.

Even if you want to trust MFP or the treadmill, it's never a bad idea to have a HRM anyway.

I hope that made sense LOL It's so ungrammatical.

Ok say you walked for 30 minutes (there's a formula you can use to find out the speed, but I usually do the 3.0, walking dog because I am walking my dog lol! There are descriptions that give you an idea what 2.0 mph is vs. 5.0 mph): Under the exercise tab, there's a link that says "Add Cardio" search whatever you did, in this example, it's walking. There's a box to the side that you can enter your time and there's a box under it that will fill in by itself, but you can change it depending on what the HRM says. Everyone is different so in your walking 30 minutes, you may burn 400 cals, whereas I could burn 350.

It'll alter the programmed formula to you so the ratio will start staying the same if you walk again, i.e. for you, 30 min at 3.0 = 400cals, so that ratio will replace what was in there originally, so that if you walked for 45 minutes at 3.0, it'll determine it given the new ratio...it's the easy route, but I'd still double check with the HRM.

Even if you want to trust MFP or the treadmill, it's never a bad idea to have a HRM anyway.

I hope that made sense LOL It's so ungrammatical.

Yes it did and thank you for the info! I will see what I can come up with! Thanks again!

Just got a hrm just to see if i would really use it before getting one more expensive. got it at ( hate to say it lol) walmart for about 47. i use the chest strap while doing my dvd then i use the create exercise button add in the dvd ,time , and cals burned. after that, it shows up on my list of exercises:)