Heart Rate Monitors

[Zach M]

Picked up a few extra pounds during the holidays this year and I'm getting back into the healthy diet and exercise groove. I've done P90X in the past and decided to try Insanity. I've done it off and on for a couple weeks now, and I'm starting to buckle down and do it daily.

I finally got a new battery for my heart rate monitor and tried it out today during one of the workouts. When I finished the workout, it said that I had burned 890 calories. Can this be true? These workouts are intense, non-stop cardio. My heart rate was at 150 for the warmup and hovered between 170 and 182 during the majority of the workout (40 min total with warmup and cooldown). But I have no idea how accurate these things are. Could I really be burning almost 900 calories in 40 minutes?

[Tbonez]

I have read a bunch of information stating that heart rate monitors grossly over estimate the calories you burn. Most heart rate monitors only know your age, weight, height etc...They do a horrible job estimating V02 max.

The cycling community has done a great deal of research in this area. They state that you can typically cut 1/3 to 1/2 off of a heart rate monitor and be close to the actually calorie burn. There is a great deal of information on it and I bet you can google heart rate monitor calories cycling and find more information than you would like to know.



The following live strong article states that Polar (the most popular brand) is 75% accurate...If you enter your own V02 max and do not rely on the heart rate monitor you can get as close as 12%.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/490909-the-accuracy-of-calories-burned-in-polar-heart-rate-monitors/

[goofyboy]

Also, if it asks for your weight, the calories burned is also taking into account your basal metabolic rate calorie burn. So, it is a combo of things.

The good news is that you are working out again. Congrats!!

I'm currently following the primal blueprint for fitness:

www.marksdailyapple.com

After I am able to do his workout without scaling, i will go back to crossfit. I am also cycling.

[Nor*Cal]

I've gone paleo for about 80% of my meals. Going to try 100% for 30 days straight starting today. Been following http://robbwolf.com/ for details.

I'm also planning on starting at my crossfit box again. Even my 61 y/o Dad is thinking about starting crossfit. He's gone 100% paleo since the first of the year.

[vette74]

Nor*Cal, Back last spring I was heavy into crossfit and paleo. I went from 185-165 (I'm 5-7) over 2 months. Paleo had the most to do with it I was losing a lb a day.

[ontrider]

[JRW160]

Glad to hear there are some other crossfit/paleo people in here. I've been crossfitting for about 3 years. I'm about 70/30 paleo. My wife and kids aren't all that into paleo, so that makes it tougher for me to be strict about it.

[Zach M]

[Nor*Cal]

I don't track calories, but I'm a bit overweight right now... Unless you've plateaued in weight loss goals is it necessary to track calories from workout vs intake? It's almost like weighing yourself daily. I can understand tracking meals and calorie intake to meet an intake goal for gains or losses. I don't necessarily think there is much advantage to tracking calories from workouts. If you are meal/calorie tracking also track the workouts in that journal and some sort of rating for how you felt that day. From there you can see what intake levels and when worked out best for you.

As for the paleo... I was getting heartburn all the time but in the 23 days or so since I've gone mostly paleo, I've noticed I do not get heartburn on the paleo days. I have found it tough as I LOVE sandwhiches and burritos, I also tend to go to lunch daily so ordering salads seems lame but I've got goals that keep me focused.

Bit nervous about going back to the box as it is intense and I'm way out of it, probably take 2 months to feel like I'm making any progress... That and it's a 6am commitment and I am not an early riser.

[chavez]

[Nor*Cal]

chavez, hard to make the evening sessions with the variability of my work schedule late in the day. I know it's all about routine and did it for several months last year and everyday as a kid (4:50am USS workout and in college 6am water polo). Just more of a night owl.

[chavez]

I know your day isn't exactly set in stone in your career. I was messing with you. Still, I would love to somehow have any free time.

[goofyboy]

if you two are serious about wanting to work out and have very little time, look into the primal blue print for fitness. His workout takes about 20 minutes twice a week. I was shocked at how much just a body weight program hurts. All you need is a pull up bar.
www.marksdailyapple.com

The days you don't do heavy lifting (the body weight movements), just play. That includes walking, running around in the back yard with the kids, biking, etc. I hope to get back to crossfit, but with a 7 month old, it is a little difficult. This is holding me over and works really well for now.

[jason_ssr]

Im thinking of doing something similar. My wife is due any day now, and when she delivers, I get 3 months of paternity leave. I want to take that time at home to really begin to control my diet and get into an aggressive daily workout.

I was an athlete in college and Im still able to perform servicably on the basketball court. I turn 38 in a couple of weeks, but still feel Im physically capable of getting back in to college shape (Ive only had one minor knee surgery and slightly weakend shoulders from over a decade of way overloaded raleys). I feel great, but something in my head keeps telling me that college shape is no longer realistic.

Im looking for a good diet and have been considering the paleo thing. Also looking for some good workouts. I have always been against paying for motivation, like crossfit (or "wakeboarding lessons"), for myself. Im pretty self motivated and always felt that it was a waste of money for something I could do on my own. Considering getting a trainer to point me in the right direction, then turn me loose. I do still have a Supercat in my garage. It has been a wetsuit rack for some time now, so time to dust it off.

I never journaled on film my physical ability at its peak. As a kid it came so fast and easy to me that I assumed I would always have that ability. I held on to one HS game film and a college game film but they are old beta tapes that are so degraded you can hardly tell whats going on. I want to get something on film to show my kids before I'm too old to do it!

[goofyboy]

try the primal blue print. its working for me and it sounds like we are in the same boat.

[Tbonez]

My issue with all of these fad diets (like Paleo) is they tend to limit so extensively that they are impossible to make a lifestyle out of. I know dozens of people that did paleo and then gave up because it wasnt a realistic lifestyle. True nutrition is about learning the basics and doing the calculations of macro nutrients, adjusting your food groups to meet those macros and then adjusting your caloric intake to meet your goal. There is a huge movement of IIFYM (if it fits your macros). This basically says that if the food you eat fits within your macros and caloric intake then you will maintain a healthy lifestyle. If eating two lite meals and then consuming a hamburger meets your caloric and macronutrient goals for the day then that is what you SHOULD it and is healthy. In my opinion its the only realistic and healthy look at nutrition in the busy lifestyle we live today.

You simply cant lock out food groups based on the assumption they are bad. Many of the foods we label as "healthy" are awful due to the hormones, steroids, etc....You wont find a dietician alive that will state that the "toxins" in wheat (that the paleo diet says is so bad) are worse than the garbage that you are eating packed in the healthy food on the paleo diet. There is evidence that people have been eating grains for thousands of years..Where does the paleo diet get any justification that the new rash of disease is due to the items that are excluded from the paleo diet.

In the end anytime you eliminate food groups you almost certainly create unstainability due to cravings..At least that is what I have heard from nutritionist and I have spoken to the highest regarded nutritionist in the country due to my daughters condition. There main focus for a dietary guideline is what I mentioned above. Keep in mind these are University level dieticians who are dieticians from everything from sever diabetes to top tier athletes.

I've read a great deal of information on the paleo diet and its "research"..Most of it is laughable at best...If you take a group of pigs and feed them nothing but sugar they get fat. if you take the same group and feed them paleo they are healthier..This is what you are basing your diet on?...Well no duh..You can list out a dozen medical reasons why this occurs and none of them have to do with paleo outside of macros and calories.

Im not anti paleo because it can be a healthy diet..I just think its unsustainable and much of the research they base their glorious diet on is bunk..If you look at any diet like the zone, South Beach etc they are very close to each other..Each one leaves out a few different ingredients of the "acceptable foods" and then they package and sell it as the new "savior" of the people. If you look at the long term success rates of these diets (even amongst those that are focused on health) its down near zero. The only people that adopt these diets successfully have had heart attacks and have been scared into a diet like southbeach due to health reasons for LIFE. I've been suckered into these diets so I know how atttractive they are...Thats all it is, however, packaged hope.

[goofyboy]

You haven't really looked at paleo if that is what you believe. It promotes grass fed, natural meats. Have you had a grass fed steak vs grain fed? Very different things.

The thing i took from Paleo is that you don't have to be strict if you don't want to. Milk and cheese for instance is up to the person doing it. I took away that if something is processed (comes in a bag or a box), don't eat it. Know where your food comes from. Wife and i just bought a deep freeze. We are currently shopping for a quarter of grassfed beef (about 100 pounds). We are planting our own garden this year.

Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to a chinese buffet for lunch because I am 70% paleo, 30% fried, processed crap!

[Tbonez]

[goofyboy]

My apologies for assuming.

I still don't see what the problem is with practicing a paleo lifestyle of whole, non processed foods. Meat, veggies, and fruit, naturally grown are tons better for you than anything that comes in a bag or a box. How is that a fad? Sticking to it 100% maybe unreasonable. Is that why you label it a fad??

[jjaszkow]

My method of eating healthy is only eating items that are not in the aisles at the grocery store. Granted, I fall off of that bandwagon too often, but it's a pretty easy method based on most of the grocery stores I've been in.

[Tbonez]

[jjaszkow]

[jjaszkow]

[chavez]

goofyboy, can't eat 50-75% of the things the diet part of that calls for. Hell that goes for almost any "diet".

My situation is (medically) very different from pretty much everyone in that regard. Can't do low carb, hell can't do most diets period. I cannot eat most of the foods that are needed in those diets.

Anyhow, I'll have more time as time goes on. I just eat as well as I can and be as active as I can while the kid is at this age and my workload is as high as it is right now.

[Tbonez]

[Nor*Cal]

While a calorie is a calorie there are different enzymatic reactions to carbs vs. fats and so on. I think that's the general premise with primal-esque diets.

I've found that Dr. Cate (MD) is a good resource as well as Dr. Cordain (Ph.D.) but I also see the wisdom in avoiding grains and have had some digestive improvements personally since going 80/20 (allows me a nice breakfast burrito on the weekend). Mainly I find myself making better choices. Instead of pasta or pizza, chicken with vegetable. Realized I don't need to eat as much to get through the day as well.

jjaszkow, it's totally a cult. But the competition (I'm not going to let that brute of a female beat me) really makes the workouts fun.

[goofyboy]

chavez, There is also a work out on the same page. Was pointing you there for that, more than for the diet.