HRM help/advice

ameredith83
ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
edited December 16 in Fitness and Exercise
I purchased a HRM yesterday, but it is the watch type. I have recently started the C25K program. I used my HRM for the first time yesterday afternoon while doing C25K. My question is when should I actually push the button to start counting my calories? I pushed it as soon as I started my first 5 min brisk walk. The calories were adding up really slow, but once I started the running part, they started to add up quickly. By the time I had finished the 30 minutes, it said that I had burned 550 calories. My current weight is 164.6. Do you all think that this calculation is accurate? Thanks for any advice in advance. I really want to get this weight off, but I don't want any extra calories if this is wrong. Please help!!

Replies

  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    Anybody?
  • fypspirit
    fypspirit Posts: 109 Member
    I don't have a HRM (gonna get one though sometime) but I do have a fitbit and yesterday when I did my 2.36 mile jog walk I did it in half an hr and burned 236 calories. So if you jogged most of yours I would think 500 calories would not be out of the question. Cause I have just started jogging like last wk and I jog from one telephone pole to another and walk then jog again alternating from pole to pole and each time I jog more I burn more calories. Hope this helps some.
  • lunamare
    lunamare Posts: 569 Member
    When you setup the HRM did it ask you for Male or Female? I ask because mine doesn't so it always logs my calorie burn high. I put the values into an online calculator to determine the calories burned when I get home.

    I start my HRM as soon as I start the treadmill, so I log my warm up, run and cool down. Yesterday I did a 5 minute warm up, 6 minute cool down and 33 minutes of jogging at around 4.75 mph average (I know slower than most - cope) My total calorie burn was 444 calories. I'm 145 lbs if that helps.
  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    It did ask me if I was male or female. With the C25K, you do a brisk 5 min walk for the warm up. I was on day 2, week 1, so that means after the 5 min warmup, I jog for 60 seconds and then walk for 90 seconds. I alternate between the 2 for 20 minutes, then walk for a 5 minute cool down. My resting HR is around 85. I checked it once about half way through and it was already 160 something. I tried to check it again once I finished my workout, but it wouldn't check it, so I don't know if my HR was too high to be detected or what. LOL! But, most people that I have seen are only getting about 230-400 cals for 30 minutes, but most of them weigh less than I do, so I didn't know if that made a difference. So, I think that I may only count 350 cals for my workout and maybe just not eat those back in case it is not accurate.
  • jddykstra
    jddykstra Posts: 19
    Does your HRM give you an average of your HR over the time of your workout? If so, you could check it against this website: http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm

    I use that website to calculate my calories because I don't have an HRM that gives me calories burned - just my average HR over the length of my workout (I start my HR as soon as I start working out - so I would include the 5 minute brisk warm up walk). My husband has an HRM that calculates his calories burned, but they are higher compared to the above website, so he goes with the number on the website.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
    18cal/min is quite extreme for that length of time. It would say its over estimated by a lot.
  • kaned_ferret
    kaned_ferret Posts: 618 Member
    I think it sounds a bit high. I've been logging my c25k sessions just using mfp and inputting the amount of time jogged and the amount of time walked over a session, and I might be getting 200 calories burned - and that's in week 5! I've got me a hrm coming soon though so who knows, maybe I've been wildly underestimating up til now, still that's better than overestimating calorie burn imo :)

    It could be that high if you're super out of shape maybe? I know when I started the programme I was getting out of breath much easier, and taking much longer to recover a resting hr after each jog, so my calorie burn was probably higher then.

    Does your hrm have a chest strap?
  • sdrawkcabynot
    sdrawkcabynot Posts: 462 Member
    I think it sounds a bit high. I've been logging my c25k sessions just using mfp and inputting the amount of time jogged and the amount of time walked over a session, and I might be getting 200 calories burned - and that's in week 5! I've got me a hrm coming soon though so who knows, maybe I've been wildly underestimating up til now, still that's better than overestimating calorie burn imo :)

    It could be that high if you're super out of shape maybe? I know when I started the programme I was getting out of breath much easier, and taking much longer to recover a resting hr after each jog, so my calorie burn was probably higher then.

    Does your hrm have a chest strap?


    I bought a watch HRM to start and returned it the next day and bought a Polar FT4. It comes with a chest strap and I swear by it!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    If it doesn't have a chest strap then you need to return ASAP.. Ones that don't have a chest strap are crap at estimating calories burned. Reason being that it bases the calorie count off only when you touch.. So you touched it once and read 85, it's going to base the calorie count off that 85 until you touch it again.. So you touch it a second time and it reads 160.. it's going basing the calorie count off that 160 until you touch it again.. and since it wouldn't read at the end, that means it's still using the 160.

    Bottom line, get one with a chest strap.. you'll be much better off.
  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    I purchased this one at Wal-mart, and I looked for one with a chest strap. They didn't have one in the store. I don't want to spend a whole lot of money for an HRM. Any suggestions on where to get one with a chest strap or what brand? One that isn't super expensive either.
  • LittleMissNerdy
    LittleMissNerdy Posts: 792 Member
    I bought my Polar FT4 through Bodytronics for around $60.
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    I purchased this one at Wal-mart, and I looked for one with a chest strap. They didn't have one in the store. I don't want to spend a whole lot of money for an HRM. Any suggestions on where to get one with a chest strap or what brand? One that isn't super expensive either.

    Sports Authority has a large selection with a decent range of prices. The only caveat is that you have to deal with the manufacturer if you have a problem with it. They don't accept returns on HRMs that come with a chest strap. They carry Polar, Timex and another brand that I can't recall. They range from around 60 up to 150 or so depending on brand and other bells and whistles.
  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    I am super out of shape. LOL! I leave my house at 6:55 in the morning. I don't get home from work until 5:15-5:30. I have a 6 yr old and 8 yr old at home, not to mention my husband. It is very hard for me to find time to exercise. I like my sleep, so getting up at 5:00 in the morning to do so would be very hard for me. In the last week, I have been making time, at least 30 minutes to get in a brisk walk and then I started the C25K. I figure it's better than nothing. So I am just starting out, but I am very excited to see results. We are going on our 3rd cruise in October, and my goal is to be in a bikini by then. :happy:
  • thekarens
    thekarens Posts: 254 Member
    I have the Polar FT40. I am pretty overweight and out of shape and I've just started the C25K. I am on week one and generally "run" at about 4.3 (yes, I know I'm slow) and I generally burn around 200-250.
  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    I have the Polar FT40. I am pretty overweight and out of shape and I've just started the C25K. I am on week one and generally "run" at about 4.3 (yes, I know I'm slow) and I generally burn around 200-250.

    I am slow too. Thanks for the info. Think that I will look into finding another HRM.
  • jddykstra
    jddykstra Posts: 19
    I bought mine and my husband's on kohls.com. Both are Timex and have the chest strap. Mine doesn't calculate calories burned, his does. Mine was around $45, his was around $55. However, you can use all kinds of discount codes to get them cheaper. I think I ended up paying around $30 for mine and $40 for his after discount codes and free shipping.

    We love them!
  • ameredith83
    ameredith83 Posts: 25 Member
    I bought mine and my husband's on kohls.com. Both are Timex and have the chest strap. Mine doesn't calculate calories burned, his does. Mine was around $45, his was around $55. However, you can use all kinds of discount codes to get them cheaper. I think I ended up paying around $30 for mine and $40 for his after discount codes and free shipping.

    We love them!

    Thank you so much. I wish that I would have seen this yesterday. I hadn't checked to see if I had any more comments. I actually have a 30% off right now. Woo Hoo!!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I purchased a HRM yesterday, but it is the watch type. I have recently started the C25K program. I used my HRM for the first time yesterday afternoon while doing C25K. My question is when should I actually push the button to start counting my calories? I pushed it as soon as I started my first 5 min brisk walk. The calories were adding up really slow, but once I started the running part, they started to add up quickly. By the time I had finished the 30 minutes, it said that I had burned 550 calories. My current weight is 164.6. Do you all think that this calculation is accurate? Thanks for any advice in advance. I really want to get this weight off, but I don't want any extra calories if this is wrong. Please help!!

    What did it say your average HR was? I would say NO that's not accurate. I'm doing C25K right now and am FAR more overweight than you. In 30 minutes I burn between 300 and 400 calories. I'm on week 4.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I bought mine and my husband's on kohls.com. Both are Timex and have the chest strap. Mine doesn't calculate calories burned, his does. Mine was around $45, his was around $55. However, you can use all kinds of discount codes to get them cheaper. I think I ended up paying around $30 for mine and $40 for his after discount codes and free shipping.

    We love them!

    Thank you so much. I wish that I would have seen this yesterday. I hadn't checked to see if I had any more comments. I actually have a 30% off right now. Woo Hoo!!

    Don't buy TImex! They are awful at estimating calories burned!

    Look on Amazon for a Polar.. you'll be much better off!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I love my Polar FT7. An FT4 is probably cheaper and Amazon is great. I was impatient though and bought mine at Target. Cost more, but oh well LOL.
  • najla56
    najla56 Posts: 195 Member
    mine does that too!! over estimates calories too much. I just use it to moniter my HR mostly. but i switch on the thing only after i have reached my target HR range.
  • jddykstra
    jddykstra Posts: 19
    I bought mine and my husband's on kohls.com. Both are Timex and have the chest strap. Mine doesn't calculate calories burned, his does. Mine was around $45, his was around $55. However, you can use all kinds of discount codes to get them cheaper. I think I ended up paying around $30 for mine and $40 for his after discount codes and free shipping.

    We love them!

    Thank you so much. I wish that I would have seen this yesterday. I hadn't checked to see if I had any more comments. I actually have a 30% off right now. Woo Hoo!!

    Don't buy TImex! They are awful at estimating calories burned!

    Look on Amazon for a Polar.. you'll be much better off!

    Right... I bought mine simply because I wanted to pay attention to my heart rate and was disappointed to find out it didn't also calculate calories burned, so I found this website: http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm and i plug my average HR number and length of workout into that to find my calories burned. My husband's Timex does calculate calories burned, but when compared to that website it is high, so he uses the website as well. For us it was a matter of expense - I knew a Polar would be a better product, but was able to get the Timex's for such a good price and they are sufficient for what we need.

    If you do go this route, I think they're are only available online.
  • lunamare
    lunamare Posts: 569 Member
    jddykstra - I do the same thing. I hate when people here are "You wasted your money on the Timex - get rid of it and buy a Polar" Um, no, I hate the look of the Polar, I don't want one of those. I know that the Timex estimates high so I use a calculator. As long as the HR is correct and it tracks what I want it to I'm fine. Mine was only $25 at the outlets, so, I'm pleased with my purchase - AND - I think the Ironman is a better looking watch than the chunky Polar plastic huge things that I've seen. Personal preference.

    Is the brayden site working for you? The last few times I've gone in to use it I hit calculate and nothing happens. I've bounced around looking for another site but I really like the brayden one. Hmm....wonder if he'd lend me his code to put on my blog....
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