Zone minutes

[Jocrab]

My ionic has updated this morning to include zone minutes. My fat burn zone is set too high, even with intense exercise my pulse does not go that high. I've set custom zones but it has not altered the fat burn, cardio or peak zones making them all impossible for me to reach. I am already pushing myself as much as I can, getting fitter and losing weight so it is not encouraging me to do more as that's not possible. I don't understand how it can be personalised as my pulse never gets this high. Please advise as feeling really disheartened that I will never recieve any zones minutes or be able to complete bingo (which is the only reason I'm a premium member)

[SteveH]

With the new calculation your fat burn zone starts at (0.4 x heart rate reserve) + resting heart rate, where your heart rate reserve is 220 - age - resting heart rate

So, if I've got this right, if you have a high resting heart rate then your fat burn zone will be higher. Is your resting heart rate quite high?

The new heart rate zones are confusing but there is a help file at https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1565.htm that might help understand what's happened

[Jocrab]

Thanks for your reply. My resting heart rate is 59 consistently. My maximum heart rate is 184 as I'm 36 years. My current expected minimum fat burn zone is 109 bpm. Yesterday I reached over 3 hours in fat burn zone yet my maximum pulse for the day reached 104 so this new goal is impossible to reach.

[SteveH]

It seems to be calculating the new fat burn zone according to the calculations documented in the help file so the rate of 109 is as expected. The old method of calculating the fat burn zone was 50% of max which comes out at 92 in your case.

It does seem to be quite a step up (17 bpm) and I have seen several posts with similar concerns. Hard to know whether it's a bug or what Fitbit intended.

[Jocrab]

It just seems like an unrealistic goal. I've just been for a 90 minute uphill walk but my pulse only reached 104 so received 0 zone minutes. My pulse hardly ever goes higher than this despite what I do so this calculation just seems ridiculous as I can't possibly push myself further than I am. Looks like they'll be losing a customer. Thank you for your help though.

[Heather-S]

@Jocrab I agree with you.  I feel like it's very hard to reach these new zones with the new algorithms.  I can take my dog on a walk for an hour and get 0 active zone minutes.  It's very discouraging.  

[Heybales]

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@Jocrab wrote:

Thanks for your reply. My resting heart rate is 59 consistently. My maximum heart rate is 184 as I'm 36 years. My current expected minimum fat burn zone is 109 bpm. Yesterday I reached over 3 hours in fat burn zone yet my maximum pulse for the day reached 104 so this new goal is impossible to reach.

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Your tested HRmax is 184?

Or your calculated HRmax is 184?

There is a major difference.

One is estimated, and for women it's a huge bell curve where you have more chance of being outside 10 beats of calculated.

The other is reality.

Mine is tested 190. Calculated 169. Tell me that won't make a huge difference in zones, in HR-based calorie burn, in training, ect.

Sounds like you have a genetic diesel heart, whereas mine is Honda heart. And some are about right on.

You could try some other HRmax calculators (yep there are many and all are estimates to your genetic HRmax) and set it.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm

http://www.calculatenow.biz/sport/heart.php?

Or rough but at least tested:

http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/determine-your-mhr-with-a-1-mile-walking-test/

Or if Dr approved:

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/balketread.htm

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/treadmill.htm

[Jocrab]

Using the calculation 220 minus my age gives me 184. In reality my pulse never gets anywhere near this and it's rare that I'll even see it above 130. I take beta blockers so my pulse never increases too much nor would it be safe for me to push myself any more than I'm currently doing. I feel that if it's truly a personalised calculation then it should take things like medication and health conditions into account.

[Jocrab]

@Heather-S it's very discouraging. I'm on around 150 active minutes currently but yet to receive any zone minutes so my Fitbit bingo is just a waste of me paying for premium

[Heybales]

It's impossible to take meds or health into factor - the amount that happens to effect you would be totally unknown, and different for other people getting different effects from them.

I mean this is only a HRM - Heart Rate Monitor - it reads the heart rate, that's all.

Everything else beyond that is based on stats and research and formulas, and when all is said and done those things are still an estimate anyway.

Best you can do is that walking test if interested, or just set it to say 150 as HRmax figure.

It's estimating things - you might as well too!

Those settings do have a bearing on calorie burn during exercise too since it uses HR-based formula at that point. And as you've said - meds cause the body to react different, and will invalidate that calculation based on stats of average healthy people.

[Jocrab]

Thank you so much for this reply, I did the test after you sent the link and my max heart rate worked out at 155, much lower than the calculated 184. My fitbit has now updated accordingly and my fat burn goal is now a much more achievable 97+ thank you for your reply, very much appreciated 👍

[julianaxl]

@Jocrab, I agree with you. My Versa Fitbit constantly shows heart rate 'below zones' after updating the firmware yesterday. I'm extremely disappointed.