Heart rate monitors, and Ride Yourself Lean

[rollinat]

A couple of questions for you lovely people here:

I have a HRM (fairly cheap one, a Timex I think) and wondered how accurate in general you felt they were in terms of calories burned. I'm about 40lbs overweight but have been exercising pretty consistently for a year or more, so my fitness level isn't too bad (though it doesn't feel like it when faced with hills on my bike!). Just did a ride of 15 miles which took 1hr 15mins and my average HR was 140bpm - I know that is like a slug compared to lots of you but felt like a nice, sustainable pace to me. I didn't feel particularly out of breath apart from the one or two hills I encountered. Anyway, my HRM told me I burned 1300 calories which seems an awful lot. I'm trying to lose weight still so want to balance diet and exercise, but don't want to end up eating too much thinking I've burned a bunch more calories than I actually have, or eat too little to support the exercise I'm doing. Any words of wisdom would be great!

Also, I have the Ride Yourself Lean book and am going to start the "Big Weight Loss" program - 15 weeks, which would take me up till my birthday, hopefully I can make good inroads into the remaining weight I have to lose by then. Has anyone else done any of the programs in the book, and how have you found them? Would be interested in hearing anyone's views

[goldfinch]

Heart rate monitors that calculate calories burned are notoriously optimistic and unreliable. There are just too many variables and stacking variables upon variables increases the inaccuracy.

[rollinat]

Thanks - I suspected as much!

[TrekTheKaty]

I do weight watchers and I find cycling very hard to track. Always go on the low end. I track my rides as low intensity, even though, realistically, they are medium based on HR and sweat loss. I try not to eat my exercise points, unless it was a long ride day. Eating healthier, like avoiding soda, drinking more water and picking better snacks (string cheese, handful of nuts, fruit, yogurt) has made the biggest difference in my weight loss. Cycling alone doesnt keep it off (for me). It is a motivating factor--losing weight and eating healthier give me more energy for riding--and riding makes me feel like eating healthier

Good luck on your goals

[Catrin]

I do weight watchers and I find cycling very hard to track. Always go on the low end. I track my rides as low intensity, even though, realistically, they are medium based on HR and sweat loss. I try not to eat my exercise points, unless it was a long ride day. Eating healthier, like avoiding soda, drinking more water and picking better snacks (string cheese, handful of nuts, fruit, yogurt) has made the biggest difference in my weight loss. Cycling alone doesnt keep it off (for me). It is a motivating factor--losing weight and eating healthier give me more energy for riding--and riding makes me feel like eating healthier

Good luck on your goals

This is good advice. Also make certain your HRM is set with your current weight. I do use the calories from my HRM report - but automatically knock off about 15% of the calories. If you can fit in any kind of strength training that would be helpful as well. Muscle burns more calories and will also help you on the bike.

Right now I am frustrated by a weight plateau...but I keep slogging away at all of the above. With my activity level I am not about to cut back on calories any more than I have.

[surgtech1956]

+++++++1 for Weight Watchers. I've lost 51.5# since last October - with having a broken ankle too. I also track my cycling as low intensity. With WW you make better food choices. Good luck