Polar Problems, Weigh-inWednesday and a 35K Day

I'm a little tired today. I had a 35k day yesterday ... and that included a 40 min weight session that barely registered any actual steps. I started the day early, as #2 had to get to school early. I got the other kids off, then hit Zumba. Tuesdays, Zumba starts at 8:45, and it's right in my neighborhood. So I'm home by 10:00, often with 10K already. Then I hit the elliptical a few times, mowed the front lawn, did weights. After collecting kids after school, there was a 6:00 basketball game. No sitting for me ... I walk around a bit during the game while I catch video highlights. Then I still went to an evening Zumba class ... not because I felt like I needed any more activity, but because I just enjoy it!  I actually got some housework and laundry done during the day, as well as a couple blog posts up (alas, this isn't my only blog). 

I must admit ... I'm feeling it a bit today. Whether it was all the activity, or simply the weight workout (and DOMS), there is some stiffness and soreness in the body. Not that it stopped me from hitting my Zumba class this morning (and some elliptical and bike, gotta get it in as there are TWO basketball games to video this evening). 

As I headed out the door to Zumba, I happened to look down and realize, I didn't have the watch part of my PolarFT4 on. Duh! I did that last week. A heart rate monitor generally has three pieces ... the watch, the strap, and the transmitter, which attaches to the strap, which you wrap around your chest. You need all three parts for a HRM to work.

Not that my HRM has been working lately! I've been having POLAR PROBLEMS! The issue above is user-error, but the other stuff ... Polar, I'm not particularly pleased! My HRM seems to work almost flawlessly for about six months, but then, even with washing the strap, replacing the batteries, even using an electrode gel, I'm getting skewed readings. A big fact ZERO. Then suddenly a heart rate of 200, when I know I'm nowhere near there.

I mean, at this point, I do have my ChargeHR. 

I bought it because of the problems I was having with the Polar ... but even with it, I'd still use the Polar, because I wanted to see how close the readings were. They have been pretty close. Ironically, after buying the ChargeHR the Polar started working better than it had been in a bit. I wondered if somehow the Polar KNEW it was going to be replaced and was making a last ditch effort to show it's worth! ;)  Because electronics are alive ... (sometimes it seems that way though, doesn't it?)

I do like that the Polar display is ON during a workout. To see my heart rate on the ChargeHR, I have to press a couple of buttons. That isn't that easy as I'm bouncing around in Zumba class. My HRM readings aren't only something I'm interested in after, seeing how I did ... it's motivating to see the stats during class, so see that I'm getting it up there, or not, and knowing I need to push it some more.

But the issues mentioned above aren't the only Polar problems I had. It supposedly has a "comfort strap" ... and a little portion that flips to cover the connection to protect your skin. Still, I would have discomfort with the strap, and downright pain at one point. I finally checked it out a little closer, and it had actually broken the skin. Ouch!

I was able to cover up this traumatic injury with a band-aid, and also switch the strap so the connection was on the other side (of course then this just started happening over there).  Fitness struggles are SO hard, aren't they?

One other "problem" ... which is a good problem, and also a fixable problem (I just have to look at the instructions and see how to change some things) is that in some of my recent Zumba exercise, my "in zone" numbers have been low. It's because my heart rate has actually been TOO high. Now users can adjust this range to their own specifications, so I just need to figure out how to do that. Rather than a specific "in zone" reading, with a high limit, I'd rather move the upper end, so I can get a better accounting of all my minutes above a certain range, no upper limit (as I really don't ever have to worry that I'm dangerously high, I just don't do that! I struggle enough getting my heart rate up!)

I've had a couple wardrobe malfunctions as well, when the strap would suddenly come undone while dancing ... a couple times while I was up front leading of course too! But even with all these issues, I continue to plug along with my Polar.

Have you had any Polar Problems? 

Linking up with Workout Wednesday. 

I also thought I'd do a quick Weigh-In Wednesday mention. I usually don't actually do it on Wednesday, as Friday is my official weigh in. But as I mentioned in my Monday post, I was up FOUR pounds over the weekend. 155.6 to 159.6. Well, after being good on Monday, and my big day yesterday, I am down to 155.8 anyway. Hopefully I can lose a little big more so I can log a loss for Friday. Check back then!

Charged!

A review of the Fitbit Charge and Charge HR.

I'm a Fitbit Fan. I've had one for five years now. I started with the original Ultra and upgraded to the One a couple years ago. Everyone in my family got on board, and we added more Ones, a couple Zips and a Flex. Then the Charge came out. My oldest son wanted to try it (after going through a Jawbone, Flex, and a Zip) ... and I figured we needed one in the family. The ChargeHR came out not long after, and I had my eye on it for a bit before I plunged and purchased. 

My oldest son was leaving the country for two years on a church mission and we didn't think he should take the Charge (I got him an inexpensive pedometer and he sends me his steps each week). We passed the Charge down #4, my 11-year old. He'd been wanting a wrist one, but didn't want the Flex (which doesn't show the stats on the device). So now that we've been wearing them a while, I thought I'd do a quick review about how the Charges compare to each other, and to the other Fitbit wearables. So far so good! Just Thinking Out Loud and sharing my thoughts on these gadgets.

You can see from the picture above, the Charge and Charge HR don't look very different at first glance. So what IS the difference, besides the $20 (the Charge runs about $129, the ChargeHR $149) in the price tag? Two things, the strap closure and the heart rate monitor.  Whichever your reason, I would definitely recommend upgrading to the HR over the regular Charge. $20 isn't that much more, and the HRM function is so nice to have, and the watch-strap closure is much more secure than the tabbed Charge/Flex.

Here's a few features I'll touch on in my review ...

• HRM: I bought the ChargeHR for the heart rate monitor. I have a PolarFT4 which I'm fairly happy with, but I really do NOT like the chest strap, I would always take it off the moment my workout was done.  I'm not used to wearing a watch, but the ChargeHR been quite comfortable. I wear it all day. I track my Zumba workouts (starting and stopping the timer to get a specific reading) and then just randomly check it during the day at rest and during other quick workouts.  I haven't adjusted to sleeping with it at night (which is intended, to track your sleep and resting heart rate). I've still worn my Polar along side the Charge HR for many workouts, and the data is generally quite close. I've been impressed with it's accuracy there.
• STEP COUNT: I've still been wearing my One too (I have a hard time giving up my old devices!) and the ChargeHR has been coming in consistently lower in steps. On the Fitbit boards, others seem to be complaining of the opposite, of it picking up hand-movements and over counting. I have not found that to be the case. I was happy that it picked up my elliptical just fine, whether I am using the the moveable arm bars, or gripping the center stationary ones.
• SLEEP: I was looking forward to seeing the sleep feature ... and comparing it to my One's readings. The Charge and ChargeHR have an "auto"sleep function, so you don't have to set your device for sleep or manually enter the times like you do with the One or Flex. As mentioned above, I have a hard time sleeping with something on my wrist (I wear my One clipped on my jammies, not in the wristband they provide). I tried it a night or two, and wasn't sure about the times it said I fell asleep and awakened - also, I couldn't see that I had the power to adjust/change it either. 

• WORKOUT FEEDBACK: I really like feedback from my individual workouts. The ChargeHR provides a snapshot showing the ups and downs of the heart rate, the average, the high, the time in the various zones. It shows the steps and estimated calorie burn. What I do NOT like, is that if I forget to stop/start the timer, I can't adjust that afterward (I can do that with the One).
• DURABILITY: Being an avid Fitbit user, and having multiple Fitbits in the family, overall I've been quite impressed with quality and with the company customer service. That said, I've seen broken cases and straps pretty often too. I'm a little worried about how the strap part will hold up, as the electronic part isn't able to be swapped into a new case like with the other styles.
• CHARGING: I haven't had any battery issues yet, but as I'm not wearing mine to sleep, I stick it on the charger each night. My son will wear his for several days, or just put it on the charger for 15minutes every other day while he showers. We occasionally get an email notice that my son needs to charge his Charge, which is also a nice feature. One complaint, as others have mentioned if you've been reading reviews ... why not make it charge with a universal charger? It's frustrating to have yet another proprietary charger around and to try and not lose. 
• CALL NOTIFICATIONS: Honestly, I rolled my eyes at the "call notification" feature. Big whoop. I have my phone, why do I need my Fitbit to tell me if it's ringing. I must say ... I love this feature! I actually DO miss calls on my phone fairly often. I've forgotten to turn on the ringer, or it's buried in my purse, or in the other room. Now, I know I've got a call. It's a feature I never would have asked for, but now I'm very glad I have.

So ... I'm a Fitbit Fan. I think I would recommend the ChargeHR over any of the other styles because it has the most features. Well, almost. The step up to the Surge adds in GPS (which I don't need as almost all my workouts are indoors), definitely not worth the additional $100 in the price tag for it. But Hubs ... he's eying the Surge (and I'm all for him getting it!)

If you are new to Fitbit, or considering getting one ... check out some of my previous posts. Wondering About A Fitbit is just a general review about what they can do.  Lost and Found showcases an app to help you locate a lost Fitbit (we've had to use it several times) and Reaping the Rewards (and followup posts on the various programs) will hook you up with different  programs that will reward YOU for your Fitbit activity data ( $$, store credit, prizes). 

Linking up late with Workout Wednesday ...

A HRM Hiatus

I own TWO Polar FT4 heart rate monitors. I bought my first one back in 2013, when I first started on my weight loss journey (again). I didn't love it. I didn't even wear it all that much. It took until July of 2014 before I even talked about it on my blog. When I started Zumba last year ... I started wearing it for that hour, and comparing the stats to those my Fitbit estimated (Zumba Stats). I did get a little addicted to the data, and to the motivation during the workout. I'd glance at the watch and check my heart rate, and if it wasn't high enough, I'd try to push myself a little harder.

But ... even though the Polar FT4 has really good reviews, it seems like after about 6 months of daily use, it just doesn't work as well. I'll admit, I'm not that good about washing the strap (it's recommended to rinse it after every use). I know at some point the battery would need to be replaced. I just ended up buying a new one. I'd started with the gray watch, then decided I wanted the pink after all. Sometimes when I'd work out twice in a day, I wouldn't want to put the soggy strap back on and ... a small part of me wondered if perhaps my original Polar was a bit wonky. So many people would say their HRM was giving them nice big numbers for a calorie burn. Mine wasn't. It's so hard for me to get my heart rate up. Maybe I'm super fit? Maybe I'm just a workout wimp? Anyway, I secretly hoped that with a new Polar FT4 I'd magically get better numbers. Yea ... that didn't happen. Pretty much the same.

My pretty pink Polar worked well for ... about six months. Then I started getting wonky readings. It wouldn't pick up a heart rate. It would, then it would drop to zero. It would seem to get stuck on a high or low number and not change. Grrrrrr.  Same as before. I ordered some new batteries and tried installing them in the old one (which had died completely) and got it up and running. Sort of. Still some struggles.

I wore my gray watch portion to Zumba last Friday. Later, when I was back home and went to record my stats from class ... I couldn't find it. Monday, I was feeling sick, and didn't go to Zumba. Yesterday, I went, but still feeling sick, I didn't think I could endure the tightness of the chest strap (I was having enough trouble breathing as it was!).  Anyway ... as I head out to Zumba today. I COULD strap on the pink Polar ... but you know what? I think I'm going to take a short HRM Hiatus. 

As motivating as the monitor can be ... if it isn't working right, it can be SO distracting. As I'm dancing along in class, I look and see it reflecting a big fact ZERO and what do I do? I STOP. I adjust the chest strap. I pause it and restart. I press it the transmitter more firmly into my chest. Then I give up and go back to dancing, but feel discouraged because I know it's not recording correct information.

Today ... I'm just going to dance.

Now, I'm not cRaZY ... I'll still wear my Fitbit of course! Linking up with Workout Wednesday ... wish me luck, I'm still feeling under the weather. I actually felt pretty good during Zumba yesterday and was glad I had gone. I actually really didn't have a choice,  as I had committed to helping out with the class. The instructor had gone on vacation to Mexico and asked me and another gal to take over the class and lead the songs. The other gal didn't show ... it was all me! My first (and last? A Zumba Instructor?) time leading a Zumba class (I actually don't know/didn't have the music for that many songs, so we had to repeat a couple to hit the hour).

Heart Rate Monitors

I've been a pedometer person for over eight years. I discovered Fitbit four years ago. It wasn't until last year (Spring 2013) that I first invested in a heart rate monitor. I wasn't that impressed at the beginning, and I'm always anxious to take it off asap (unlike my Fitbit which I wear 24/7) ... but my HRM has become an integral part of my fitness feedback and tracking.

I had been perfectly pleased with my Fitbit, and wasn't really looking for anything new. As I joined MFP and started reading the forums there, it seemed heart rate monitors were highly recommended for calorie estimates during your workouts. I looked into some, was impressed with the reviews and price of the PolarFT4 and purchased it. 

Originally ... I didn't like it much at all and I very close to giving it away to someone who would appreciate it. Having to wear the strap (and moisten the strap, yuck!) was uncomfortable. I'd have to put the pieces together and put it on before every workout (as I would take it off immediately after).  I had to remember to actually start it (oh the frustration on finishing a workout only to determine I had not done that), and sometimes it had trouble finding my heart beat. Then of course, there were the actual estimates. They were LOW. Lower than the machine readouts, lower than the Fitbit. It seems like everyone else would say their HRM readings came in higher than their other estimates. If they were accurate, I guess that was good for me to know though.

As I'm on and off my elliptical multiple times a day ... I don't put on my HRM for it anymore (after a few times to see that I am pretty consistent, and consistently lower than the machine and Fitbit estimates). Same goes for the stationary bike. I would wear it if I walked or jogged, for my 30DS workouts, and most recently for Zumba. I'd still wear my Fitbit and then compare the estimates.

Beyond the calorie estimate itself ... a HRM can provide you with very interesting data DURING your workout. You can watch you heart rate go up and down, see what it takes to maintain it "in the zone", see how high it gets, see how quickly it can drop if you stop moving. I really use the feedback when jogging or during Zumba, and I purposely try to keep it "in the zone" (between 115-150 beats), increasing my intensity if I see it dropping down. Many will also dial it back if they get it up too high ... THAT just doesn't really seem to be a problem for me (I guess maybe I'm a bit wimpy). 

I am a numbers gal. I would LOVE to know for sure what my calorie burn (and intake) is, but I know it's all estimates (Exercise Estimates). Just to make the matter even more confusing, I keep reading that HRMs, while probably the best estimator for steady-state cardio, are NOT good for tracking other exercises (weight training for example).   Heart Rate Monitors and Strength Training & Heart Rate Monitors and Calorie Estimation. I don't know how "expert" the authors are, but as I try to look into it, it does seem to be supported. I'm always interested in learning more and trying to get my numbers as accurate as possible.

So while I'll never look at my HRM and say "I just burned xx of calories" and take it as fact, I will appreciate any and all feedback. I'll take the calorie estimate with a grain of salt, but if it's higher than yesterday's calorie estimate for the same type of workout, I consider that a thumbs up. I'll watch my max, and my average ... at how fast my heart rate drops back down (that's a good thing, right? Your heart recovering quickly?)  I'm still learning myself!  Here's another article spotlighting the PolarFT4 and another good article about HRMs in general (The Real Facts about HRMs). So much information!  

Do you own a heart rate monitor?

What's your experience?

Thoughts on their calorie estimates?

Linking up with Workout Wednesday and the Hump Day Blog Hop.

Just for fun, going along with my topic today ... I thought I'd share a couple "heart beat" songs that I've been enjoying lately. Both have a great jogging beat (around 160BPM) and both are available for FREE download from Freegal (libraries all over the US participate in this, sign in with your library card and download the MP3s for free!) Linking up with The Thrifty Home.

 Song #1 is "My Heart Skips a Beat" by Lenka
Song #2 is "Pulses" by Karmin (which I couldn't find on Grooveshark to include here).