[konfyoozed]

i keep equating these with digital food scales, only for calories going out. i feel like if you know exactly what is going in, you should know exactly what is going out. and thus make your diet and exercise program much more effective for weight loss and maintenance.

that being said, i'm kind of broke right now and can't afford a fancy one. however, i will be getting some money back soon in the form of a tax return check. hubby and i have each decided we get $100 of fun money (maybe a little more depending on if we get a low income credit or a student credit or both) and i've decided to use mine to invest in myself with some gadgets to help me with weight loss. a couple of DVDs and a heart rate monitor are what i've got in mind.

any thoughts, recommendations, 'do not buy!' warnings, etc? i found one on amazon.com for about $30 that i was thinking of getting, it's a watch and chest strap. (clicky!) the only problem i'm finding is that it doesn't say how big the chest strap is and there's a review from a man saying they only make one size and it wouldn't fit his chest... and at 270 pounds my chest is probably as big or bigger. band size on my bra is 44.

i'm looking into doing my own research on this as well, but i figured getting first hand experiences is much better than reading reviews on a product page.

[Steph7409]

I keep thinking about buying one myself. I've heard good things about the Polar brand. I have a feeling the cheap ones aren't that good but the expensive ones are, well, expensive!

I wonder if something like a FitBit or a Bodybugg would be better.

[essbee]

I just bought the Fitbit (which is really more of a glorified pedometer) last Friday and I love it. I will say that the calorie burn estimation from what I've read is not as good as a HRM. The Fitbit does work closely with My Fitness Pal and yesterday I found that even that estimates higher at least based on my heart rate. I used the elliptical yesterday and it had a HRM on it so I knew for the majority of my workout what my heart rate was and I input it in a calculator somewhere online and it said that I burned about 100-200 less than My Fitness Pal. I guess the thing to remember that it's all an estimate. There's a science to it, but unless you're a lab rat or something, you won't have 100% accuracy.

Anyway! Back to pimping the Fitbit! I really do love it and it's easy to wear. The only thing I hate is that it's not waterproof. I do a lot of exercise in the pool and unfortunately I can't take it with me. However, it is right there at $100. I got mine at Best Buy and also bought the 2 year protection plan for an additional $15. If you decide to go with it and can swing the protection plan for a little more, I recommend it based on the reviews I've read about how fragile it is.

[smashley52683]

I'm looking for a good HRM myself. Subbing to this thread

[Espressowhip]

I have a Polar FT4, it's simple to use and makes my workouts much more efficient. It tells me when I'm moving too slow, and when I'm not using a treadmill, that's very helpful!

I also like that I can track my entire workout, including weights, or pilates, or a bike ride, much more accurately than entering speed and distance into a calculation. This thing knows how hard my body is working all day and night and tells me the calories burned.

I know it's an investment! I got it about 6 months ago and I don't regret buying it for a second! In addition to having a lot of weight to loose (meaning I'll get a lot of use from the HRM), exercise will be a part of my healthy lifestyle for as long as I am able - and I'm sure that when I get older, I'll prefer to work-out smart, than work-out long/hard, and the HRM is how it's done!

There's another thread in the "does it work" section about HRM.

[konfyoozed]

i posted this same thing on my fitness pal yesterday and got several responses in favor of the polar brand. primarily the FT7 and the FT4. they are cheaper than a fitbit (by about 30-40 dollars), i think they are water proof (at least one of them is) and they have the chest strap, which from what i've read across the board is more accurate.

if you are a member of MFP (i think you have to be a member to read the message board).... the link to that topic is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/s...-rate-monitors