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Old 05-29-11, 11:50 AM  
glamgal
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Please recommend an accurate device to track calories burned...Fitbit? BodyBugg?

Now that I've started Zumba, I'm interested in tracking my calories. I was reading on another thread that Zumba exercisers have burned anywhere between 600 - 1000+ calories per hour and I'm curious to know what Zumba is doing for me. I've looked a Fitbit before and like the price ($99). Is it pretty accurate? Can it track calories burned during Zumba or does it just track steps taken?

If you can't recommend the Fitbit, can you recommend a reliable device that can help me determine how many calories I am burning in my workouts?

I am so excited...Despite having been a member on this forum for a while and participating in threads, I've not really had the motivation to really keep a consistent workout schedule. Nor have I had the desire to actually track what I am doing. Now, it's like a whole new world has opened up for me. I've found an exercise that's FUN and that I love doing (Zumba) and I want to do it all the time! Now it's time to start tracking my calories in versus calories out (hey, even though it's fun, I don't want to be doing an hour of hard work and sweat to burn off half a donut!).

Even though I want to track calories burned during Zumba and walking, I am still planning on incorporating my Tracy Anderson Meta although I feel that her muscular structure workouts may not pack a big calorie punch. I want to make sure I am toning while losing weight.

Thanks so much for any guidance you can provide. Hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend!
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Old 05-29-11, 12:19 PM  
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I have both a Fitbit and a HRM, and the HRM (Polar F7, I think) is def. better at estimating calories burned during a specific activity. Fitbit just estimates calories based on how many steps you are taking during a given period, factoring the stats. you provide (i.e., your weight.)
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Old 05-29-11, 01:01 PM  
slysam
 
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Hi, remember all devices that give calorie burn are giving an estimate as it is not really possible to measure directly outside a lab. I have both fitbit and an hrm (mine is a Polar F11) and like both for different reasons.

I love my fitbit as it is small and discreet so I forget I am wearing it and no one sees it (unless I decide to show them). It is good for tracking activity and steps throughout the day, having an idea where you fall on the sedentary, "moderately active", "very active" scale of things, having an idea how many calories you burn throughout the day, etc. It is pretty good at giving an estimate for calorie burn from walking, running and to a certain extent dancing as you take a lot of steps in a dance activity like Zumba. I like seeing the breakdown by hours/minutes of my activity throughout the day so it is useful if you are wanting to increase your overall activity.

For measuring calorie estimates from specific activities, a hrm might be better. I actually enter in the calorie burn for some exercises into my fitbit site as I think the estimate from my hrm might be more accurate. I really don't know which one is, but when I do this the activity points seem more accurate (it gives me more activity points and more calories burned from a comfortable but brisk walk than an intense dance class or intense workout dvd. But I am certain the other activities are more intense and most likely burning more calories. I think a walker/runner might be happy with just fitbit for the calorie estimate but for some of my activities I need to also use my hrm).

I've been very happy with my progress since I started using the two together (fitbit for daily activity and hrm for aerobic exercise). But for what you want, maybe start with a heart rate monitor?
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Old 05-29-11, 01:05 PM  
slysam
 
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Glamgal, not to conflict with my last post but... Fitbit would probably work for you as well though. The calorie burn it estimates seems a little lower than my hrm but the difference isn't really that great so it might still be good especially if you are motivated by seeing numbers (like activity score, number of steps, distance walked, number of calories, etc). Either one could be useful for you, whatever you prefer.
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Old 05-29-11, 02:28 PM  
Just_Jo
 
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I would have written everything Slysam wrote, almost identically!

I do love my fitbit though and I think it's a good, convenient choice. I trust my HRM just a tad more for the calorie burn. Workouts like rebounding do not work on the fitbit, it shoots the steps sky high and gives a super high calorie burn. That's when I wear my HRM. Floor work, though, step aerobics, etc., comes in pretty darned close to the HRM readings.
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Old 05-29-11, 02:37 PM  
Nuggie's Auntie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Jo View Post
Floor work, though, step aerobics, etc., comes in pretty darned close to the HRM readings.
I've actually found the Fitbit estimates my calorie burn MUCH higher than my HRM. I once did an hour-long Cathe step workout. My HRM estimated a burn of 400 calorioes, the Fitbit estimated 600! Obviously, I like the Fitbit number better, but I'm not confident it's accurate.
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Old 02-21-12, 04:45 PM  
bfit
 
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Can you wear a Fitbit or anything like it for exercise in the water like swimming or water aerobics? I am thinking about getting one, but a fair amount of my exercise is in the water.
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Old 04-19-12, 10:42 AM  
Cammie-Cam
 
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Oy! Wrong thread.
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Old 04-19-12, 11:05 AM  
slysam
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bfit View Post
Can you wear a Fitbit or anything like it for exercise in the water like swimming or water aerobics? I am thinking about getting one, but a fair amount of my exercise is in the water.
I don't think the fitbit or bodybugg are waterproof. Some people do put their fitbit in the little waterproof pouches meant for mp3 players, I am afraid to try it and unsure how accurate it would be. I wear my waterproof heart rate monitor sometimes for water exercise. Then I log the activity on my fitbit account using the calorie burn from my hrm. It gives me the calorie burn and activity minutes, but no steps during this time.

And there is an accelometer watch intended for this purpose and tracking swimming laps called Poolmate (http://www.amazon.com/Swimovate-Dist...4851327&sr=8-1) This would not be useful for non-swimming as near as I can tell though.

I've heard the Jawbone up is waterproof. I don't know about the Fuel, I think I heard you can wear it in the shower, I don't know about swimming.

ETA: In the summer I like to go to a water exercise class where we do exercises with or against a current at the local pool--things like walking lunges, cross country skiiers, skater jumps, running, etc so I always think it would be great to get the step count so every summer I research waterproof pedometers hoping to learn their is a cheap one on the market and have yet to find one.
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