anyone put their HRm/FitBit etc on for 24hrs?

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littledumplings
littledumplings Posts: 223 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
There's so much talk of people lowering their metabolism through low cal diets...has anyone worn their HRM/FitBit or other gadgets to see if it matches mfp or other sites BMR (with whatever activity level added on)

I've got a HRM, just wondering if it's worth trying, to see if I have a 'damaged metabolism' (lower than the calculations) after years and years of yoyo and very low cal dieting

I know all about repairing metabolism and the importance of not eating below BMR, I was just interested to see if the various gadgets gave an accurate calculation of 24hr calorie burn

Thanks :)

Replies

  • KnittingSoo
    KnittingSoo Posts: 42 Member
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    Unfortunately, none of those devices will tell you if your metabolism has been messed up as they all assume a normal metabolism and all of their calculations start with that base assumption.
  • StarkLark
    StarkLark Posts: 476 Member
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    For what it's worth, I wore my Polar FT7 for 24 hours and I ended up with a total calorie burn that was very close to my calculated TDEE.

    However, I have read that in general HRMs are not accurate when worn for non-cardio activities (aka wearing it all day).

    So give it a try and let us know how it matches up!
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    Unfortunately, none of those devices will tell you if your metabolism has been messed up as they all assume a normal metabolism and all of their calculations start with that base assumption.

    Yeah, they all use the same sort of equations as the online BMR estimators.

    If it helps, I just read an article yesterday that said that researchers found that the estimators were actually pretty accurate for all the people they tested. There was no notation of any 'damaged metabolisms from dieting' or anything.

    I also read (in articles, not forums) that the 'metabolism damage' is due to lower lean body mass after dieting. It's unavoidable to a certain extent. As you get smaller you just can't keep the same muscle size (nor do you need them) or the same BMR. But it's also something we can minimize through resistance training.

    Eating below your BMR doesn't damage anything and metabolism effects are small and temporary, if you ask me.
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
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    I wear my fitbit 24/7. I just use it for motivation. To make sure I get my 10,000 or more steps a day. I don't count the calories burnt.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Unfortunately, none of those devices will tell you if your metabolism has been messed up as they all assume a normal metabolism and all of their calculations start with that base assumption.
    It owuld be interesting to see any evidence or measurement of this phenomena.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    There's so much talk of people lowering their metabolism through low cal diets...has anyone worn their HRM/FitBit or other gadgets to see if it matches mfp or other sites BMR (with whatever activity level added on)

    I've got a HRM, just wondering if it's worth trying, to see if I have a 'damaged metabolism' (lower than the calculations) after years and years of yoyo and very low cal dieting

    I know all about repairing metabolism and the importance of not eating below BMR, I was just interested to see if the various gadgets gave an accurate calculation of 24hr calorie burn

    Thanks :)

    I have no idea about a Fitbit, as I have never possessed one, however, an HRM is useless if worn all day as it is specifically designed to be worn and used during exercise and THEN the heartbeat needs to get above 90bpm for it to start to record an accurate calorie burn.

    No idea regarding a Bodybugg either, never had one of those.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    I use a Fitbit. It is designed to be worn 24/7. It even has a sleep monitor, if you choose to use it.

    As said above, the calculations are based on the usual TDEE calculations, so if you have any anomalies, the device will be inaccurate. For me, it is helpful to see when I'm particularly sedentary vs more active and lets me try to adjust for these slumps.

    I think, for most people, the usual BMR/TDEE calculations are fairly accurate.
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
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    I wear my fitbit 24/7. I just use it for motivation. To make sure I get my 10,000 or more steps a day. I don't count the calories burnt.
    But isn't the point of walking those 10,000+ steps to burn calories? The fitbit site and MFP record calories burnt differently - fitbit includes your BMR (which I find extremely helpful) in your daily calorie count but MFP doesn't.

    When the data is transferred from fitbit to MFP, MFP automatically adjusts for your BMR so that you are not over estimating your calories burned.
  • NOLA_Meg
    NOLA_Meg Posts: 194 Member
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    You should be able to get a resting energy expenditure/metabolism test done at your gym/ applied physiology lab. It might cost a bit ($75 +/-) but you would know where you stand. As others posted a HRM and a FitBit won't be accurate. There are more factors that need to be measured besides HR, including temperature, VO2, etc.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,550 Member
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    I wear my fitbit 24/7. I just use it for motivation. To make sure I get my 10,000 or more steps a day. I don't count the calories burnt.
    But isn't the point of walking those 10,000+ steps to burn calories? The fitbit site and MFP record calories burnt differently - fitbit includes your BMR (which I find extremely helpful) in your daily calorie count but MFP doesn't.

    When the data is transferred from fitbit to MFP, MFP automatically adjusts for your BMR so that you are not over estimating your calories burned.

    MFP DOES utilize your BMR. Go to Home > Goals and see your TDEE (otherwise called calories burned from normal daily activity). This figure is a calculation of your BMR x activity facter (which YOU entered in your diet/fitness profile). As you lose weight, MFP reduces your calorie needs since your BMR goes down with your weight loss.
  • littledumplings
    littledumplings Posts: 223 Member
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    You should be able to get a resting energy expenditure/metabolism test done at your gym/ applied physiology lab. It might cost a bit ($75 +/-) but you would know where you stand. As others posted a HRM and a FitBit won't be accurate. There are more factors that need to be measured besides HR, including temperature, VO2, etc.

    Thanks everyone! Yes I forgot I entered the standard height/weight figures when I set up my HRM, and only temp, VO2, etc etc as above is gonna give a true indication of my BMR. D'oh lol x
  • candctaber
    candctaber Posts: 274
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    My Fitbit is broken and I am waiting for the new one to come in. However, before it stopped charging I wore it 24/7 & am lost with out it! It keeps me accountable for the steps I am taking and it is great to know how many times I really wake up at night!

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