pulse rate monitor and calories burned

Does anyone know:

Is my pulse rate monitor's calories burned number more accurate than the numbers listed here?  Is it based upon the same principals?

Also, I'm not burning as many calories as I used too but am doing the same types of things and feel like i'm working just as hard, is there any reason for this? 

A recent post might shed some light on your first question.

As for the second - if you have lost weight, you will burn less calories doing the same activity. Also, if your body gets used to an activity, it requires less effort to do, and therefore burns less calories. You can make most things harder, just depends on what you are doing. Lifting weights? Lift heavier. Walking or running? Go faster, longer, or steeper.

You'll always burn some calories doing an activity, but you have to keep challenging yourself. Taking a break from your routine and trying something new is good.

thanks!  I figured but hoped my monitor was broken!

One small correction:

"if your body gets used to an activity, it requires less effort to do, and therefore burns less calories."

There are a couple of issues with this statement. If you are doing a "skill based" activity like a group exercise class, then improved coordination and mechanical efficiency will most likely reduce the overall effort (and thus calorie expenditure). However, that improved efficiency should also help you to work harder and more focused, and thus may actually increase caloric expenditure.

For a more structured cardio workout on a typical machine, or running/walking outside, the energy cost of the activity does not change. As your fitness level improves, the workload represents a small percentage of your maximum so it feels easier, and your exercise heart rate for that workload level will decrease...but...you would still be burning the same number of calories. It's just now your max aerobic level has increased and you can now work harder and burn more.

If one is using a heart rate monitor and did not change any of the settings, then, yes, you would see your HRM calories go down. One of the keys to getting the most out of an HRM is that you must change the VO2max setting if your fitness level improves.

It is important to emphasize that, for simple activities, the energy cost of a particular workload is relatively "fixed" and it is the same for everyone.

PS: thanks for the compliment of referring to my earlier post.

azdak, thanks for the clarification.