Fat Burn v Cardio - which is best for weight loss?

[Jodylan]

Hi,

Please can somebody explain: 

Walk today: 2 hr 42 mins - 59% cardio

Walk yesterday: 2 hr 42 mins - 87% fat burn

Why do my walks vary sometimes using more cardio than fat burn and visa versa? (I do a steady 22 min mile) and walk between 4 and 9 miles a day but cannot see a pattern as to when I use fat burn or cardio!  Also which is best for losing weight?

Thanks in advance!

[JohnnyRow · Accepted solution]

The classification of fat burn v cardio is based on your heart rate.  I expect your pace is such that you are usually near the border between the 2; if any hills, you might get into cardio up hills and fat burn going down.  Even at the same pace, your heart rate can vary somewhat day to day depending on the weather, how rested you are, etc.

If you are exercising right at the edge, there's not really much difference between the 2 zones.  For weight loss, it is calories burned that count.  For physical fitness, it is good to get into the cardio zone at least part of the time, which you are doing.

But the best exercise is whatever you will keep doing.

If you want to look closer at the zones, subtract your age from 220 to get your max heart rate. The change from fat burn to cardio is at 70% of your max heart rate.  Those calculations, including max heart rate, are just approximations which vary among different individuals so it's not really a precise boundary between zones.

You can look at your heart rate record and see where your zones were;  on some fitbit models, the display changes to show which zone you are in.

[Jodylan]

Thank you so much for this information, very helpful indeed and explains a
lot. x

[Heybales]

Just to add to great advice...

Weight loss is accomplished through eating less than you burn, if done right just fat loss.

So the only thing exercise is going to do in that regard is allow you to eat more in general and still lose weight.

For instance would you rather eat 1500 daily and be sedentary burning 2000, or get to eat 2000 while burning 2500?

Both will cause that 1 lb weekly loss rate on average.

Of course if your exercise to burn 500 calories makes you so hungry you eat right past your deficit, or you don't but it leaves you feeling hungry - then that level of workout wasn't useful to your weight loss.

And most side effects of exercise are water weight gain for many reasons, up to a max.

During the workout the % of fat burn is immaterial compared to the other 22-23 hours of the day.

In the end for the day as a whole, it all leads to the same amount of fat loss due to eating less than you burn in total.

It's whatever allows you to adhere to your deficit and sustain that way of eating.

Oh - I'd have different advice if your purpose for the cardio exercise sounded like more than just wanting extra calorie burn, like doing races or long stretches - that's probably down the road.