Eat More 2 Weigh Less

Join

Should I invest in a HRM?

Options
sugarsquare
sugarsquare Posts: 60 Member
in Social Groups
Hello all. I have been looking into this eat more to weigh less for a few weeks and I have finally dove in! I have been on WW since Jan 1 and I lost 18ish pounds, but then it came to a screaching halt! In March/April I did not lose any weight and I grew to be extremely irritable, hungry, exhausted and just a generally mean person! I don't know exactly my calorie intake pre mid-April because I was not logging into MFP. I started doing MFP because WW was 20 per month and I just wasn't seeing results so I cancelled it! When I was logging in MFP and in WW the calories were in the 1200s, so I can assume I was eating 1200 to 1400 at best everyday since Jan. 1st. So I have realized I was starving myself. For a week and a half I have been eating 1950 calories and today I have bumped it up to 2100. My BMR is 1371 and TDEE is 2221 according to Fat2Fit and BMR1425 and 2208 according to scoobys workshop site. I run 3 times per week (C25K) and this is the last week so I will be running 3 miles 3 times per week from now until I bump up my milage. I was doing a Jillian Michael's DVD (30DS, Shred it with Weight and just added 6 week 6 pack) rotating 5 days per week. I am going to tone that down to 3 days per week on non run days with one rest day. After all of this long winded info. my question is to be successful with this should I buy a heart rate monitor? I know MFP over estimated calories burned and I have NO clue really how much I actually burn. Any input on anything mentioned would be great!

Replies

  • sugarsquare
    sugarsquare Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    BTW I am doing 2100 as "maintenance" for the rest of the month and then I will re-evaluate weight loss and inches lost etc. before I start a 15% cut.
  • FaithHopeBELIEVE
    FaithHopeBELIEVE Posts: 626
    Options
    I LOVE my HRM. I love knowing it is a more accurate count of my calories than MFP because it knows my heartrate and MFP does not.
  • nutritionwhiz
    nutritionwhiz Posts: 221
    Options
    I LOVE my HRM.

    What kind do you have?
  • sugarsquare
    sugarsquare Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    I just want to make sure I am not eating below BMR when I do cut.
  • rebekahgo
    rebekahgo Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    i have a polar ft7. LOVE it!!

    i even wore it on a mud run, and it survived beautifully :)

    i love gadgets. i love knowing my calories burned. i <3 my HRM.
  • VCWildberger
    VCWildberger Posts: 35
    Options
    I LOVE MY HRM POLAR FT7!!!
  • sugarsquare
    sugarsquare Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    I was thinking about the Polar FT7 or spending a little more for the FT40 I think. Is the FT7 pretty accurate for calorie count purposes.
  • HeidiHoMom
    HeidiHoMom Posts: 1,393 Member
    Options
    If you wear it all day will it give you a count in the same way that the body media fit does?
  • rebekahgo
    rebekahgo Posts: 235 Member
    Options
    I was thinking about the Polar FT7 or spending a little more for the FT40 I think. Is the FT7 pretty accurate for calorie count purposes.

    For my happiness and peace of mind, I'm going to assume yes.

    (but I do think it actually is)
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Options
    I have the Polar FT7 too and like it very much. It was $78 on Amazon.

    I would definitely get one since it would be a much more accurate reading of your calorie burn than ANY of the "calorie burn calculators" online.

    When I got my HRM, I was shocked at how much LOWER my actual calorie burn was~ it was a shot in the gut but now that I'm used to the newer numbers, I'm OK knowing it's a true reading and not an estimate.

    Get one, you won't regret it.....
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 814 Member
    Options
    I've got the Polar FT4. I love love love love it.
  • mommamuscles
    mommamuscles Posts: 584 Member
    Options
    I think a HRM is a great tool to have to figure out if you are really burning all you think you are. However, for me they made me really obsessive over the numbers. I have done much better mentally after figuring out the hours per week/intensity I work out at, and then figuring out my TDEE from there. I have my calories set up to TDEE - 15% and I dont enter my exercise on MFP, I just put it in on the newsfeed so I can share it with my friends. Its worked out well for me. We have to remember that all these gadgets are great, but its all really an estimation. For me, I was constantly second guessing whatever I was using to figure out workout calories, and it was driving me nuts. Now, I dont really think about it, and I feel like I am able to give me workouts my all and not stress so much over the numbers. But thats just me. :)
  • rachmass1
    rachmass1 Posts: 470 Member
    Options
    I have a FT7 and it tells me I burn about 80 calories an hour walking at 1.5 MPH. Well hello, I walk 1.5 miles which according to the research I have done for calories per mile is at least 90 calories per mile, or 135 minimum. My Fitbit hits me at about 100 calories per mile, which is what the average person uses from what I understand. I have no idea which is correct! FTR I have a treadmill desk so my walking is necessarily slow so I can work. My heart rate simply does not get very high, maybe 80 at best, so I think the HRM thinks I am just sitting around even though I am moving. Just not fast...

Categories