HRM? calories burned?

tracymayo1
tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,
This is a dumb question, but I honestly don't know the answer.
If I purchase a HRM how will that help me determine how many calories I am actually burning? Does it show on the HRM? Is there a calculation to do?

I am on medication to lower my heart rate and I am also on a diuretic (by prescription from my doctor) - so I was always curious how much it would affect my calorie burn - because obviously I cannot get my heart rate up as high as I could if I werent on medication.

When I started the meds on a higher dose and was going to the gym - I could never get my heart rate up over 95 bpm - so I was convinced I wouldn't get fit because everyone says how your HR should get over 120 BPMs I cant get there.. no matter what - so yeah, just wondering how that would work?

Because of the above, I was considering getting a fitbit to log calories burned etc... but they are rather expensive, and don't want to "waste" the money for the fitbit and bracelet if it won't be worth it..

Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    You can't wear a HRM all day and get an accurate calorie burn. It will measure calories pretty accurately if you're using one while doing steady state cardio like running, biking, etc. If you enter your gender, weight, max HR, etc. it will show you the calories burned right there on the device.

    I can't imagine you can't "get fit" just because your heart rate is artificially lowered. You're still working hard and you're still burning calories. You're going to get more fit just by continuing to do that on a regular basis regardless of what your heart rate is during your workouts.

    Everyone's heart rates are different. My sister and I are two years apart. We run half marathons together so we're basically doing the same training and we run the same exact race at the same pace. While we're running, my heart rate is in the 170s, hers is in the 130s. Like you, hers never gets very high, mine does. We're just different in that respect, she's not any more or less "fit" than I am.

    A Fitbit is great for measuring your general activity level and motivating you to take more steps on a daily basis. It's really just a glorified pedometer but great for what it does. If you think you'd benefit from one, then spend the money. I've had mine for over a year and a half and I still love it and wear it every day.
  • Tim_CNY
    Tim_CNY Posts: 25 Member
    I think a Fitbit is more of a pedometer than a HRM. I have a Polar FT7 I use while doing cardio and it seems to be fairly accurate for calories burned. It shows the calories burned right on the screen.

    As for the heart rate being lower, I had the same question when I started taking a beta blocker. It dropped my HR during workouts from 170 max to topping out at 135. The HRM should allow you to set your max heart rate so you get more accurate readings.

    Based on what I had read, I don't think your actual calorie burn will go down doing the same amount of exercise at the same intensity just because you have a lower HR from the meds.
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    Thanks guys for the replies!! Really good to know!

    I hear you wear a fitbit 24/7 (or one of the girls at work does) and that it can track how much you eat, calories burned and other stuff? Sorry I hadn't ever heard of one before joining this site, and I am curious about them.
    I would totally love something I keep on that can accurately show me what I burn in a day to day basis.
    Would make updating my log, and seeing the Max Calories to eat more accurate as well I would imagine...
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Thanks guys for the replies!! Really good to know!

    I hear you wear a fitbit 24/7 (or one of the girls at work does) and that it can track how much you eat, calories burned and other stuff? Sorry I hadn't ever heard of one before joining this site, and I am curious about them.
    I would totally love something I keep on that can accurately show me what I burn in a day to day basis.
    Would make updating my log, and seeing the Max Calories to eat more accurate as well I would imagine...
    The Fitbit gets to "know" you and how active you are as you wear it. I do wear mine 24/7 as it also tracks your sleep movements so I can get a good idea of how well I slept. I don't know how totally accurate it is but it does sync with MFP and gives you more calories the more you move around during the day. It will also take away calories from your goal on MFP if you don't move as much as you normally do. Your food diary entries will sync up as will any exercise you enter.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Talk to your doctor about the heart rate.

    If you want to buy fitness gadgets, that's great. You should!

    If you don't, just do not. They are not necessary to lose weight. The only gadget I bought was a scale (for me, not food) and even that wasn't necessary.
  • Booda101
    Booda101 Posts: 161 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

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