Horribly Frustrated!!!

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sambustem
sambustem Posts: 83
in Fitness and Exercise
I finally got my heart rate moniter in and all figured out yesterday. So, I wore it when I did my Insanity work out last night - Plyo Cardio, I believe it was - and at the end of 38 min, sweat dripping EVERYWHERE, panting and exhausted - the stupid thing said I only burned 213 calories???? My heart rate stayed between 140 - 164 during the workout - with the exception of stretching - how is this freaking possible???? OK, so *if* I was 110lbs, totally believable....but I'm about 150lbs OVER that!!! When I do the calorie counter thing on here - I list it as High Impact Aerobic, because it IS and it shows around 600 burned. HOW CAN I ONLY BE BURNING 213?????????? I'm so frustrated!! How can I EVER get an accurate idea of what I'm doing???? I checked my moniter and the weight input is correct and in the correct form (as in not metric). And it was calorie output, not kCal output - so I don't get it.
Any ideas?????

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    What type of HRM?
    Does it have a chest strap?
  • Mamapengu
    Mamapengu Posts: 250
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    Is your min and max heart rate correct? (hard to know exactly but if it's set too high or low the cal will be wrong.
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    What kind of HRM do you have? I got a Bowflex one first and it was junk. My Polar is WAY better and more accurate. I'm not pushing Polar, I'm just saying, maybe it doesn't record accurately ... that does sound low! :frown:
  • rcrews4
    rcrews4 Posts: 46 Member
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    You may need to replace the battery in the chest strap? My HRM was doing the same thing and that solved the problem. Good luck
  • bob_t
    bob_t Posts: 12
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    That is frustrating! As I began reading your post - the first thing I thought of was not inputting your age and weight...but looks like you did that.

    Is there anyway it stopped and started again. I know with mine, you have to hold the RESET button several seconds. So I doubt that would ever happen to me.

    I have a Timex (Iron Man) series and have been very happy with it. I feel like it give me accurate readings.
  • Lisiebird
    Lisiebird Posts: 45
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    My calorie burn was also only in the 200s through much of my Insanity workouts (more calories burned in month 2 though). That what the readout with my HRM with chest strap. Like you, I was working hard, in my target heart rate zone, and had puddles of sweat surrounding me when I was finished. I think in my case it was because I was already pretty fit to begin with and have a very healthy heart. Are you already in good shape?
  • klamont9
    klamont9 Posts: 59
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    What brand of HRM do you have? I have heard bad things about the ones they sell at Wal*Mart. So if your heart rate is around the figures you wrote, I would think you're burning more than 213. You can usually exchange a HRM within 30 days even if you've used it. Maybe you just have a bad one. Did yours come with a chest strap?


    I picked up the Timex Ironman from Best Buy three weeks ago because it was $30 off from $110. Seems to be pretty accurate & came with a chest strap.

    I burn around 580 doing Insanity - Plyometric.
  • Bunnzye
    Bunnzye Posts: 39
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    Thank goodness someone else noticed that - on MFP the number of calories burned far exceeds the information I get from other sources for the same exercise, same intensity, same amount of time. I'm kinda afraid maybe MFP's calorie burn information may be too high - I dont know.
  • luv_lea
    luv_lea Posts: 1,094 Member
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    I bought an HRM a while back and didn't spend a whole lot of money on it....and it was a complete WASTE of money. Batteries are fine, works fine, just isn't accurate! After running a mile and a half it told me I burned 12 calories...HAAAA! It does not have a chest strap, so now I'm saving for a really good one. Until then...I'm back to using MFP or the machines at the gym.

    I know your frustration. Good luck! :)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I bought an HRM a while back and didn't spend a whole lot of money on it....and it was a complete WASTE of money. Batteries are fine, works fine, just isn't accurate! After running a mile and a half it told me I burned 12 calories...HAAAA! It does not have a chest strap, so now I'm saving for a really good one. Until then...I'm back to using MFP or the machines at the gym.

    I know your frustration. Good luck! :)

    Usually the ones without the chest strap just tell you your calories burned when you push the button for HR, not for the full workout
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
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    You can not in anyway go by the calories that it shows on MFP. Its WAY over-estimated. I also have a polar and find it accurate...but what I burn is significantly lower than what MFP or the cardio machines say.
  • klamont9
    klamont9 Posts: 59
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    I'm not pushing Best Buy, but they have 25+ units available all in one location so you can compare. They ranged from $399 to under $60.

    They have Polar, Timex, Garmin, etc. Only problem is, no one there knew much about them so I did the research at home and then picked up the one I wanted.
  • jennyhynek
    jennyhynek Posts: 17 Member
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    Are you using a chest strap? I have a polar HRM and I've noticed when I'm doing exercises that have me in a horizontal position to the floor my HRM has a hard time getting my heart rate and thus isn't calculating calories burned.
  • sambustem
    sambustem Posts: 83
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    What type of HRM?
    Does it have a chest strap?

    Polar and yes
  • sambustem
    sambustem Posts: 83
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    I bought it online at heartratemonitorusa.com They had all the different ones and compared them. I can't remember the number of the one I got, but its supposed to be good. Maybe it is that with all the machines and this calorie count being so high, 213 is right. I just have a hard time believing that.

    Yes, the ranges are correct for my heart rate

    I'm in pretty good shape, considering my weight. My heart rate would go from 164 to 121 in a matter of about 15-20 seconds.

    I guess you just figure (and hope) when you're jumping, running, squating and moving all this weight around, you'd be burning a TON of calories instead of just tearing up all your joints!!!

    Thanks!
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
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    Give it a few days of the same workout. If it seems consistent, then it could be correct....which really stinks! I workout hard at the gym for an hour (40 minutes of cardio and 15-20 of weight training) and my HRM says I usually burn about 400 cals (give or take, depending what i do that day) Based on teh sweat dripping off me, I think it should be more,...but it is what it is I guess!
  • jamie31
    jamie31 Posts: 568 Member
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    I bought it online at heartratemonitorusa.com They had all the different ones and compared them. I can't remember the number of the one I got, but its supposed to be good. Maybe it is that with all the machines and this calorie count being so high, 213 is right. I just have a hard time believing that.

    Yes, the ranges are correct for my heart rate

    I'm in pretty good shape, considering my weight. My heart rate would go from 164 to 121 in a matter of about 15-20 seconds.

    I guess you just figure (and hope) when you're jumping, running, squating and moving all this weight around, you'd be burning a TON of calories instead of just tearing up all your joints!!!

    Thanks!


    Sounds about right to me acutally. I also do insanity as well as insanity asylum. I am 6'2" and weigh about 210lbs and normally only burn roughly 300 calories in plyo circuit. The better shape you are in and the more you do the workout the more the numbers in calories burned will drop. I have noticed that if i take a few weeks off from a specific workout then come back to it I will burn more calories than before. Hope this helps

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