Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Confused about eating calories burned? And HRM Recs?
First, does anyone have any HRM recs? I'd like to stay at or under $50 if possible. I'm assuming chest strap ones are better?
I'm kind of new to working out (at least on a continuous basis, where I don't work out for 2 weeks and quit!). I feel like I'm finally in the mindset where I'm not going to quit this time, I'm tire of the way I look and I finally have the willpower to do something about it. I'm not terribly overweight, I'd like to maybe lose 7-10 pounds, and just tighten my body up a bit. I still have a lot of the baby tummy and butt, I am 5'2 and I weigh about 138 right now.
I just started the insanity program, so I do feel like a HRM would be important for me to have, since my first workout with it, I really did feel like I overdid it. I have no clue where my MHR is.
If I get a HRM, and let's say I burn 500 calories during a WO, how important is it that I eat those calories back? I guess this is all really confusing to me. Wouldn't I want to just continue to eat the way I'm eating now to start to lose weight? If I burn 500 and I eat 500, wouldn't I just be maintaining the weight I'm at? I just don't understand how this all works - can someone please help clear this up for me?
Thanks - as a newbie to working out you've all been a huge help to me 
Re: Confused about eating calories burned? And HRM Recs?
I have a Polar FT4 (bit of an older model, but should be in the price range you're looking at). It has a chest strap, and you're right that that's a pretty essential piece of having an accurate HRM.
I think a HRM is a helpful tool -- at least, it has been for me.
I think the question of if to eat calories back depends on what caloric deficit you're eating at, if at all. If you're eating enough calories to maintain your current weight, then no, don't eat them back...but if you're eating at a deficit (so less than your BMR), then you would want to eat some calories back, within reason.
Well for the past 1-2 years I've kept a very consistent weight, so I'd say right now, eating the way I do, I eat to maintain. So I'm hoping if I continue to eat the way I do and have the for the last 1-2 years I'll lose the lbs. I want to. But, I don't want to starve my body either, especially doing a higher level workout like Insanity.
Are you counting calories now? I have found this is really helpful in knowing how much to eat to lose weight. Using your BMR and activity level, you should be able to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. Once you know how many calories you need to maintain, I have heard it suggested that subtracting 500 calories from that number is a safe way to lose weight.
So, if when you workout you burn enough calories to go below the number of calories you need to lose weight (your number that you found when you subtracted 500 calories from your amount of calories needed to maintain) you need to eat back some calories to stay safe.
HTH!
You might want to track your calories to get an idea of what you're currently eating and that might help you decide whether you need to eat more/less calories a day generally, and give you insight on how many calories to 'eat back' from exercise.
I do not currently count calories. I just signed up for myfitnesspal, so hopefully that will help - I still need to explore the site a bit, but hopefully it'll help me to know where I should be. Thanks!
I have a Polar too and love it. The chest strap ones are definitely better.
Also, you definitely want to track your calories. You want to figure out what your maintenance caloric need is, subtract 500 and NET that amount for a loss of 1 pound a week. So, if you're eating 2500 to maintain, you want 2000 to lose a pound a week. If you work out and burn 1000 eating how you do now you're only netting 1500 and that's not enough. You'd want to eat back 500 of those exercise calories.
Good luck!