Heart Rate Monitor or Smart Phone? Which helps more?

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suerun11
suerun11 Posts: 136 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Here is the Deal,

I just won a biggest loser competition against family and won a couple hundred dollars... I started out at 160 pounds less then four months ago (I am 5'4.5''), with diet and exercise I am down to 137 pounds. I still want to lose 10 more pounds then maintain it....Which do you think would help more to achieve my goal long term?

Heart Rate Monitor is pretty self explanatory, a Smart Phone would be to get the MFP app and be able to look up foods and choices BEFORE I make bad decisions on the go.

So my question is, Which helps more?
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Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Congrats on winning the competition and on your weight loss! Awesome!

    Tough decision on the phone or HRM, I rely heavily on both!

    But after giving it some thought, I would say the HRM - you can use it for all your workouts, and while the ability to look up food choices on the go is very handy, it's something that you could eventually nail down as you discover what foods are better than others, best choices at restaurants, etc - whereas the HRM is a tool you'd keep using, as your calorie burns will change from workout to workout and as you continue to be more fit!

    So I'd go for the HRM!
  • iwillwin1313
    iwillwin1313 Posts: 55
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    Hard to tell, really.
    They have their ups and downs (as I'm sure you know). I use a HRM for cross country training and it really helps me because I know if I'm running too fast, slow, etc. just by how high my heart rate is. It also gives a very accurate calories burned measurement.
    I'd say, if you're more of an impulse eater and you're more likely to eat something without knowing the calorie intake and not excersize it off, get the smart phone. I'd say, from my personal experience though, the HRM is way more useful.
    Good luck and congrats on the weight loss. :)
  • suerun11
    suerun11 Posts: 136 Member
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    Can I ask one more question, if you pick one over the other can you give me a brand or type you like and why:) Thank you so much!
  • bisland
    bisland Posts: 245 Member
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    I have thought about buying a HRM, but decided against spending the money. I work for a cardiologist who is also heavily into fitness & running (has done the Boston Marathon a couple of times). I asked him a few months back about HRM for a beginner runner (me) & he told me not to waste my money. I was finding success at pacing myself just fine. So I vote for the smart phone. I have one that uses virgin mobil and love, love, love it. The apps are awsome & I down loaded a c25k & MFP app I use all the time. I actually graduated from c25K, but still use it as I love the music I have on it.
  • joy31021
    joy31021 Posts: 216
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    apps on a smartphone are so much help with miles/minutes walking or running, food logging,etc. There is a great (free) app (Fooducate) that grades your foods (scan or type in). Restaurant nutrition app (free) gives info from almost anywhere
  • 78brownie_wechanged
    78brownie_wechanged Posts: 291
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    apps on a smartphone are so much help with miles/minutes walking or running, food logging,etc. There is a great (free) app (Fooducate) that grades your foods (scan or type in). Restaurant nutrition app (free) gives info from almost anywhere

    Thanks for sharing
  • laceybrobie
    laceybrobie Posts: 495 Member
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    I have both and I totally rely on both!

    I say go for the HRM. you already have access to the website and know what you cannot and should not eat.

    I have the polar FT7 womens HRM. there is a polar FT4 thats just as good.
  • mynameiscarrie
    mynameiscarrie Posts: 963 Member
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    Smart phone. I recommend an HTC phone, personally. Or an iPhone. I would have one but they're not available on my carrier. I say smartphone because it helps with a lot more than just weight loss. I rely on mine to make healthy food choices though. Or you can use the internet on it to see the healthiest options at a certain place without fiddling through MFP entries. Things like that.
  • sunnyshine1313
    sunnyshine1313 Posts: 116 Member
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    I just purchased and HRM and also have a variety of fitness apps on my smart phone. If I had to chose one or the other, I would definitely pick the smart phone, some foods will surprise you, and it's nice and handy to have. I like knowing how many calories I burn with the HRM and such, but there are different places on the web that can help you calculate calories burned according to your workout, weight and such. Smartphone for sure.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Smart phone and it's not even close. A smart phone, whether Android or iPhone, does so many things well while a HRM only does one thing....and doesn't even do that one thing well.

    On my DroidX, I have an app that: tracks my runs and records my speed and distance then saves them to google maps, all my music and podcasts that I use to get thru my workouts, MFP (of course!), an app to log all my lifting sessions and lets me know when to go heavier, an indoor cycling app that I use to create my own spinning class when the room isn't in use by an instructor, an FM radio app, an HIIT timer, an app for my gym so I know when the classes are and who the instructors are, and my alarm so I get my butt out of bed to hit the gym every morning. There are a ton of others that I don't need that others would find useful. Couch 2 5k apps, yoga apps, stiup/core apps, 100 pushups/chinups/squat apps, etc.

    And you can get a HRM chest strap that will sync via bluetooth to your smart phone, if you must have one. But if HRMs really did what people on this site believe they do, the manufacturers would call them CBMs or Calories Burned Monitors. There's a reason they call them HRMs instead.
  • suerun11
    suerun11 Posts: 136 Member
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    Thank you guys! So excited to check stuff out and buy something...going to wait and see if I get anymore recommendation's and decide:)
  • jimgatewood
    jimgatewood Posts: 86 Member
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    I haved relied heavily on my Iphone. I log in everything that goes in my mouth at the time that I eat it. If I had to pick one it would be the Iphone.

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • Mels707
    Mels707 Posts: 101
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    Smartphone! It's great for exercise and nutrition...but also for everything else. It is so useful for a hundred things each day, from checking email, to directions, looking up store hours, quickly getting a phone number...and on and on. Nothing wrong with an HRM...but not even close!

    I have an iPhone and love it. You can get the 4 for $100 bucks less than the 4s, and there is barely any difference. If its not available on your carrier, I have numerous friends who love the HTC brand.
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
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    Smartphone. I had my iphone from the beginning of my time on MFP and only got my HRM in January. I love logging my foods as I go so I don't forget anything, and yes, checking things before I eat them. I exercise right with or without a HRM but eating right is easier with a smartphone.
  • emom3boys
    emom3boys Posts: 84 Member
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    Smart phone - I use it for everything. I have an iPhone which I love. I especially love the mfp app with the scanner, dwlz, endomondo, and then it has all my music to get going. I like to add things to it before I eat it and realize too late how much things are.
  • adaplas
    adaplas Posts: 17 Member
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    Smartphone with ANT+ chip. Then get an ANT+ HRM chest strap from Garmin, Timex, Suunto, etc. You can also use other ANT+ accessories such as a foot pod, bike cadence sensor, weighing scale, etc.

    I think a lot of Sony-Ericsson Phones (Active, Ray, Xperia Pro Mini, etc) and a few from HTC have ANT+ chips. The SE Active is especially meant for active people as it is waterproof and dustproof and comes with an arm strap.
  • suerun11
    suerun11 Posts: 136 Member
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    @adaplas-This is great the best of both worlds!!!! Thank you, I will look into this for sure!!!!
  • dixieangeln
    dixieangeln Posts: 26 Member
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    I love my smartphone.. I have a droid and I use the MFP app alot--as well as on my PC.... I also just bought a HRM--Polar FT4 and really like it.. but for your 1st investment I think you would get more out of the smartphone ;)
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I would say smartphone. A HRM is only useful if you plan to eat those calories back. If you don't and just want to track calories then the app is the better deal. With smartphone you can track all calories and even "guesstimate" on activities.

    I guess whatever works best for you. I don't eat back exercise calories so a HRM would be pretty useless for my fitness program. I do have one but just got it after 102lbs lost basically because it connects to my smartphone and I have this need to have electronic gadgets. I still will not eat back exercise calories but it's a toy.
  • Steph13RN
    Steph13RN Posts: 92 Member
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    I would personally chose the smartphone. I don't have a HRM, but do have the iPhone. As many already said, there are TONS of free apps that you can choose from; fitness, nutrition, C25K ... just so many.

    You can check out the apps if you download iTunes (free) and you can browse around the apps and have yourself a look.

    Whatever you choose, have fun with your new purchase!!

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