Can I Get Round Buying A Heart Rate Monitor??

holly3585
holly3585 Posts: 282 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am beginning to feel like I am the only human being left on the planet that is extremely into working out/ controlling my weight that DOESN’T own a Heart Rate Monitor. I am 5’ 116lbs, and anything (machine, website calculator, ext) that ‘estimates’ my calories burned is completely out there. I do not want to ‘fool’ myself. I WANT to know exactly what I am burning….but is there any way to do this without buying a HRM?? I would if I could, but I don’t have a penny to my name, or anticipate funds any time in the near future. Are there EZ ways to monitor your HR and/or figure out a better estimate of what I am burning…….or am I doomed to dream about a HRM until Christmas when I can talk someone into getting me one?! :)

Replies

  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
    i think you're close enough to your goal that you dont need to be %100 accurate on your calorie burns ..... its fattys like me that need to be exact
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    I am one of those who cant afford even the simple little luxuries of a HRM so I am hoping for my birthday in Aug or even Christmas. You are not alone. I have been just using what I can until I can get something to be a little more accurate.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I don't own one. I broke my old one and decided not to worry about it. I have found that on machines where they allow you to enter in your weight, the calorie burn is generally in the right ballpark, so basically what I do is take that and what MFP suggests and enter whichever calorie burn is lower. I also only eat back about half of my exercise calories anyway, so I make sure that I've got a surplus there.

    I've gotten to know my body pretty well to where I can tell what zone I'm working in, so I don't worry much about the HRM :) Good luck!
  • Teksavvy
    Teksavvy Posts: 133 Member
    You aren't alone. Like the previous posters I assume that MFP is at least 50% accurate. I don't think knowing how many calories I exactly burn is necessary. I wouldn't wear it all day. In addition, I don't weigh my food so for the non-processed food, it's only an estimate anyway.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    If you are keeping active and achieving what you want do you really need the exact figures? You're better spending your money on healthy fresh foods if money is tight.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    i think you're close enough to your goal that you dont need to be %100 accurate on your calorie burns ..... its fattys like me that need to be exact

    This. ... and me too :D
  • nkyjennifer
    nkyjennifer Posts: 135 Member
    I've actually made a decision not to get one because I'm afraid I'll get obsessed with it. As long as I'm still losing steadily, I'm not really worried about being 100% accurate on everything.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    No, I don't think buying a heart rate monitor will make you round. :happy:

    Seriously, I've never owned one and I've never seen a need to. ALL estimates, whether you have an HRM or not, are just estimates. In order to EXACTLY know how many calories you're burning, the machine would have to know not just how hard you're working, but also your current hormonal cycle, how much sleep you got last night, how much muscle mass you have on your body, your current altitude... there are a hundred variables that affect the exact number of calories burned in a workout. All you can ever do is get a rough estimate. So I think using MFP's database works just fine for most people. Long as it's in the ballpark, I don't worry about it.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I've actually made a decision not to get one because I'm afraid I'll get obsessed with it. As long as I'm still losing steadily, I'm not really worried about being 100% accurate on everything.

    I totally agree, when I had one, I was obsessed with every single calorie. I think I was stressing myself out too much with it, honestly. This doesn't ring true for everyone, though, many people find it a very useful tool. It was just another source of stress for me, personally.
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 360 Member
    i think you're close enough to your goal that you dont need to be %100 accurate on your calorie burns ..... its fattys like me that need to be exact

    ^^^^^^^^^ THIS

    you're already 116 lbs and 5', it's not like you need to lose 20 more lbs, you're already there, i wouldn't waste the $$ unless you really feel you must.
  • eprissel
    eprissel Posts: 92 Member
    There are some apps out there for the newer smart phones that work with bluetooth so you only need to buy the chest strap and transmitter which I think runs about 10-30 bucks depending on where you get it. I know C25K works with the Polar Chest Strap Transmittter so you dont need the watch.
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    i dont think they are all that helpful, i have never used one. Learning what you do on a daily basis, and what you take in is more important that your heart rate. If you lose weight, its working, if not, eat less, or move more......very simple. Plus 90% off the people who use them refuse to eat back the calories anyway, so that kind of defeats the purpose of knowing exactly how many calories you burn.
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    You don't need one. You have had great success without it. I really like having one though...
  • imnotyourpal
    imnotyourpal Posts: 162 Member
    So, I felt exactly like you, so I spent money I didn't have on one. Guess what.....it can't possibly be right. It estimates SO low. My girlfriend who is probably 70 pounds lighter than I am, gets the same calorie burn that I do when I'm dripping with sweat and she looks like she just stepped off the runway! WTF? (love ya, Shannon!)

    Also, now I'm lifting more, and you can't use one for lifting because they (supposedly) overestimate. So yeah, I wasted all of this money for nothing. Save your money, doll.
  • pukekolive
    pukekolive Posts: 237 Member
    Take your pulse when you have been relaxing for a while (not after exercise - 1st thing in the morning is good while you are still in bed).

    Do this a few times to find your 'resting heart rate' (RHR)

    Walk a mile as fast as you can without stopping (don't go so fast you get nauseous or faint) , then take your pulse (at the wrist or neck) for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to give beats per minute - this will give you an indication of something close to your 'maximum heart rate' (MHR)

    There are quite a few websites that will help you to work out your 'zones' from these figures:

    Examples:

    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm
    http://www.thewalkingsite.com/thr.html
    http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/training-heart-rate-monitor-basics-28838/
    http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardioworkouts/a/ex_intensity.htm

    After you have worked out what heart rate you need for each zone then exercise and check your pulse and try and remember what each zone feels like - or at least the 'fatburning zone' up to 65% of MHR and the next zone to 85% of MHR.

    Do a few more workouts and check that you are working at the right level by checking your pulse - it will become second nature to you to recognise each zone after a while.

    There is also a 'talking test' (see the last link above) whereby you recognise the zone by how well you can speak during
    exercise

    ** Once you have worked out your zones, after your workouts check the MFP calorie counts on a site such as this which calculates based on average heartrate:

    http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/
    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    **** Shapesense has heaps of calculators for fitness and calories***:

    http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/

    Hope this helps
  • StephanieEmpson
    StephanieEmpson Posts: 170
    Do you have smart phone?? there are apps for that...
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    So, I felt exactly like you, so I spent money I didn't have on one. Guess what.....it can't possibly be right. It estimates SO low. My girlfriend who is probably 70 pounds lighter than I am, gets the same calorie burn that I do when I'm dripping with sweat and she looks like she just stepped off the runway! WTF? (love ya, Shannon!)

    Also, now I'm lifting more, and you can't use one for lifting because they (supposedly) overestimate. So yeah, I wasted all of this money for nothing. Save your money, doll.

    the more fit you become the less calories you burn.
  • kellybean14
    kellybean14 Posts: 237 Member
    The calories burned estimate on here is WAY OFF.

    For example, MFP told me I was burning 350 calories for 30 min of Tae Bo. Reality? Under 200.

    I wasn't losing weight like I was hoping to, and just took the plunge and bought a HRM. It is TOTALLY paying off and so worth the $60.

    (I got mine in hot pink and it makes me feel super sassy working out now.)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I don't have one and don't want one. It's pretty easy to figure out if the estimates for calories burned work or not... just go by your results!

    For me, using estimates provided by MFP, runkeeper, or gym machines worked exactly as predicted. I ate most of my exercise calories and lost weight accordingly.
  • elysecea
    elysecea Posts: 161 Member
    just do it!!! I had to for myself to get definite numbers
  • imnotyourpal
    imnotyourpal Posts: 162 Member
    So, I felt exactly like you, so I spent money I didn't have on one. Guess what.....it can't possibly be right. It estimates SO low. My girlfriend who is probably 70 pounds lighter than I am, gets the same calorie burn that I do when I'm dripping with sweat and she looks like she just stepped off the runway! WTF? (love ya, Shannon!)

    Also, now I'm lifting more, and you can't use one for lifting because they (supposedly) overestimate. So yeah, I wasted all of this money for nothing. Save your money, doll.

    the more fit you become the less calories you burn.

    Which is precisely why I should be burning MORE than her, no?
  • jacquagirl
    jacquagirl Posts: 5
    I was in the same predicament and decided against it, when I learned that it only really accurate when it applies to exclusively cardio workouts -- versus the heavy circuit training workouts I do, which involve a lot of squatting, lunging with weights. I just estimate with MFP and it seems to work okay!

    I've lost 70 pounds and kept it off for 15 years -- just trying to lose 5-10 pounds that crept up on me recently - only saying this to show that I have had weight loss success! It's only recently that I considered using a heart rate monitor for exercise. I used to do weight watchers and had a lot of success with that, but I've been using MFP for about a month to help me lose this 5 - 10 lbs and it's good too.
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 751 Member
    I jut go the Polar FT7 yesterday and already swear by it! It's not necessary to have one, but it is an added addtional for tracking. If you do get a HRM make sure you get a good one, cheap is not best. I purchased a cheap one 3 times and returned them the next day because they didn't work correctly! Also, make sure it has a chest strap for more accurate reading.
  • rodakowe
    rodakowe Posts: 20
    I am beginning to feel like I am the only human being left on the planet that is extremely into working out/ controlling my weight that DOESN’T own a Heart Rate Monitor. I am 5’ 116lbs, and anything (machine, website calculator, ext) that ‘estimates’ my calories burned is completely out there. I do not want to ‘fool’ myself. I WANT to know exactly what I am burning….but is there any way to do this without buying a HRM?? I would if I could, but I don’t have a penny to my name, or anticipate funds any time in the near future. Are there EZ ways to monitor your HR and/or figure out a better estimate of what I am burning…….or am I doomed to dream about a HRM until Christmas when I can talk someone into getting me one?! :)

    I don't have one, I might ask for one for my birthday in a few months. But I really wanted to know how much I was burning during Insanity. So i found this formula on livestrong and it calculates how many calories you burn based on how long and how high your heart rate is. So when I was on a water break during insanity i would take my heart rate for 15 seconds 3-5 times during the workout. Then at the end i would average them together and put it into the formula and it seems pretty accurate to me!

    [(-20.4022 + (.4472 x heart rate in beats per minute) + (.1263 x weight in kilograms) + (.074 x age)] / 4.184.

    Once you get the number multiply it by how many minutes you worked out! It seems complicated but it really isn't

    to get your weight in kilograms divide your weight in pounds by 2.2
  • 2012asv
    2012asv Posts: 702 Member
    Is knowing the number of calories your burning going to change how much you work out? If you can only dedicate a certain amount of time to your workouts than I wouldn't worry about getting one... but if your goals are specific to how many calories you're burning than it "would" be a good idea.

    Also, I've seen HRM's that don't cost an arm & leg. When I bought mine, I had a coupon from a sports store nearby- which saved me ~$10. Not a lot but every bit counts. And, there are places where you can buy second hand equipment for much less.

    Good luck!
  • sl1ngsh0t
    sl1ngsh0t Posts: 326 Member
    I don't have a HRM....yet. I'm sure I'll buy one at some point.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    I never got one and work out almost every day. I can't stand wearing a watch and I think it would annoy me.
    I managed to lose 10 lbs without one. I'm only 5ft 1, 125 so I don't feel the need to be obsessive about every
    single last calorie.
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    Try this:

    http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm

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