Heart Rate Monitoring and Calories Burned

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LaurenRoseMD
LaurenRoseMD Posts: 39
in Health and Weight Loss
Who here uses a heart rate monitor with continuous monitoring? Also, how many calories does your HRM say that you burn on average in a 1 hour period of just sitting and watching TV or something comparable? 24 hour period including all of your normal activities?

I am just curious because my new heart rate monitor has continuous heart rate monitoring based on the chest electrodes and I programmed it with my height (5'10''), weight (380 lbs.), gender (female), and age (24). In just the last 2 hours it says that I have burned almost 600 calories...and I am just sitting.
I listened to my heart with my stethoscope for 10 minutes and watched the monitor for accuracy and it's spot on. My average heart rate for the last 2 hours is 78 bpm, and I am just sitting here typing, watching TV, and twirling my feet around. Could that 600 in 2 hours be right? I just don't see it. Based on my gender, age, weight, height, estimated VO2 Max (36 ml/kg/min), and heart rate average I should have burned about 390 calories...not 600. Thoughts????

Replies

  • melissatacker
    melissatacker Posts: 91 Member
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    I have a BodyMedia Fit which I wear 23 1/2 hours a day, I only take it off to shower. It say I burn about 2 calories every minute while resting and just watching tv...so the average would be around 120 calories an hour without any activity :)
  • fink21061
    fink21061 Posts: 53 Member
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    It all depends on your rate and your pulse. Someone heavier will burn more calories sitting still. I only use mine for workouts.
  • PaulC9554
    PaulC9554 Posts: 117 Member
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    Might be worth checking it again, 600 for 2hrs seems a tad high. I've just sat for 1 hr with my HRM on and it has shown 176 cals burned. Male 55, 6' 1", 308Lbs
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    Normal HRM's aren't meant to monitor regular activity. They are designed to only accurately track calories burned when your heart rate is elevated during times of vigorous activity/exercise. So I wouldn't trust anything it says outside of when it's worn during a workout. If you want to track your normal daily caloric burn during all times then you should look into a BodyMedia Fit kind of device since that's what they were designed to do.

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