If you have a HRM and weigh 180-170 please advise..

I weigh far more than you do so I'm not sure this response will help you, but I burn roughly 200-250 calories doing the 30 day shred. I enter it in as general circuit training because that amount seems to be about what I burn when wearing my HRM. Good luck!

I am 180lbs and when I walk 1 mile at 3.5 - 3.8mph my Polar FT7 reports about 110 calories.

I don't think MFP's calorie count is terribly accurate. Walking doesn't seem too bad, but it greatly exaggerates the number of calories I burn on the elliptical trainer. According to my HRM, I'm only burning about a third of what MFP says. Of course, I weigh considerably more than you do so my response may not be helpful.

So Im working on getting a heart rate monitor however my husband doesnt work and money is extemly tight so I have to prioritze what I get (first I bought a scale and container so I could start bringing my lunch to work, second will be some new running shoes cause Ive had mine for years and than I will be able to get the HRM prob. another 2months I can only buy one thing a month.) So I was wondering for those that are around my weight and have a HRM monitor how accurate is the MFP exercise caluculater? I walk 5days a week at work 1 mile each walk at about an avg speed of 3.5-4 mph and MFP usually puts my calories burned at 118-122 depending on how long it took me (normally 15-16 mins sometimes 13) and Im wondering how accurate this is? See Ive been researching the whole eat your exercise calories and that sounds all good and everything but Im scared to do so if Im not accuratly recording those workout calories thus resulting in over eating :-( any advice you have or excperince is mucho appreciated. If you have used your HRM while you walk or while you do the Jillina Micheals 30 day shred Id love to know how much you actually burn there, I know everyones differnet but a rough idea would help.

Please dont post that I should get a HRM cause I know that and Im working on it, I check the thrift stores and online every day its just $$ thats the problem right now.

Thanks
B

First off, thanks for your post. I wish all support requests/I need help posts included this kind of detail, because it eliminates the fluff (ex: I can't afford an HRM right now - we don't have to recommend that).

I also applaud your thinking. You are being careful, asking questions, trying to learn.

I think the MFP calorie counts can be wildly inaccurate for some things, but the walking entries are pretty close.

Remember, though, that this is all guesswork. The game is to narrow the guesswork as much as possible (which is what you are doing). An HRM is still only an *estimate* of calories burned. And some HRMs are better than others. Likewise, your caloric intake is an estimate as well, unless you are measuring everything to the gram and/or have exact calorie listings.

Good luck. Don't make yourself crazy with EXACTNESS. There are SO many other things to make yourself crazy about..

I do not have a HRM either. I am wanting one for christmas. If I come into extra money between now and then, I might get myself one.
However, I've heard that HRMs can be inaccurate as well. It's ALL an estimate. As long as you are moving and aren't eating crap, you will be fine.
You are getting closer to what you'd estimate on your own with either one.
MFP is not going to be as accurate as your personal HRM but depending on the day, what activities you did the day before, what you ate, how you feel, and how hard it is for you to work out that day... all of those things plus more go into how much you burn when you do something.
Some people take vigorous effort as meaning sweat dripping, can barely talk when doing it and it takes everything you have to do it, other people think that if it's hard it must mean it's vigorous... so, for most people HRMs are a great investment, and a cheap one will give you a good estimate... but it's not going to be 100% correct all of the time.
I take what MFP says as a good estimate, but I am also very honest with myself about what I eat; I track every morsel I put into my mouth.... and I make sure to be honest with myself on my workouts... if anything I under-estimate sometimes to make up if MFP over estimates the calories I burn. My problem is probably the opposite though; I probably am burning way more calories than MFP says but I'm losing weight so I think it works.