Frustrating Results

[Fitkiwi60]

I am a 62 year old female, 20 kg overweight and 6 weeks ago started hiking bush trails for 90 minutes each time, 5-6 times per week to increase my levels of fitness and to lose weight.  Walking pace including hills is at moderate and intense level. My resting heart rate prior to walking was 52, it is now 45 and after exercise I can sometimes feel quite dizzy. I am struggling to get my heart rate above 62 when hiking despite the intensity so the results show no cardio, no fat burn, no peak. Assume my fitness levels are improving but I'm reluctant to increase intensity further given my already low resting heart rate. Plus I am puffing when walking at the intense level. There has been no weight loss to date despite the exercise and a moderate diet. Any advice?

[GershonSurge · Accepted solution]

In my opinion, this is a good time to see a doctor. 

Anytime you feel dizzy, I suggest sitting or laying down immediately. This will prevent injury if you pass out suddenly. 

[emili]

@Fitkiwi60.. I am actually a little confused about your post. if your resting HR goes down, then your fitness is improving, but if you are huffing and puffing at a heart rate of 62 then I would think that is the opposite. huffing and puffing for most folks starts at about 90 and progresses from there. Feeling dizzy after a work out where your HR didn't hit fat burn.. is very troubling. I think a visit with your doctor is for sure in order. Either you stats from your fitbit are wrong or there are some underlying issues that need to be resolved quickly. as far as weight loss goes.. that is mostly in the kitchen. I am not sure what moderate diet is, but losing weight is in vs out. what you take in is less than what you put out. That is measured by figuring out what your BMR is, what your deficit should be and eating to those calories. Visit the weight loss discussion board topics specific to calories and weight loss, it will give you lots of ideas. 

[Fitkiwi60]

Thanks for your advice - it looks like I've been having some problems with my fitbit not recording accurate Heart Rate. Last hike recorded average 123 BPM and I was not as puffed as when it recorded 62.  Weird!

[bikerhiker]

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@Fitkiwi60 wrote:

Thanks for your advice - it looks like I've been having some problems with my fitbit not recording accurate Heart Rate. Last hike recorded average 123 BPM and I was not as puffed as when it recorded 62.  Weird!

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It is normal for wrist based HR monitor to lag during intense cardio workout, at least for the older style.  So depends on which Fitbit model you have.  But I know the latest Garmin and Apple Watches are better in keeping up during intense cardio workout.  The key to exercising is burning calories in a steady state cardio workout.  There's really no magically fat burning zone for a normal soul.  Elite and performance athletes have the fat burning zone as their fitness level (VO2Max) are much higher than both of us can ever achieve, so even their lower HR burn a higher proportion of fat than we can and this is where the Zone 2 HR myth came to be.  The best is to focus on your caloric deficit after an exercise and maintain a diet low in refined sugar and do weight training at least 2x week will contribute more to loosing weight and keeping yourself healthy.

If you're getting dizzy after the exercise.  It could be that you are dehydrated or you are low in blood sugar or your blood pressure is lower than it needs be.  Low blood sugar can cause dehydration and dizziness and low blood pressure can be a sign of some unrealized medical condition.  Nevertheless, 5 to 6 times a week of aggressive cardio workout can especially take a toll on a 62 year lady.  Exercising is creating fitness potential, while resting realizes that potential.  If you are not allowing your body to rest, then what you are creating is a deficit and your body will eventually weaken at its weakest link.  

[Fitkiwi60]

A lot of what you have written makes sense to me. I have Charge 2 but have noticed as my heart rate should increase, I get two lines and no reading and it only comes back to a reading once I ease off the pace. I also have low blood pressure and I’m not measuring that as I walk but that might explain the dizziness. I’m taking rehydrating powder with water to keep hydration levels higher as plain water doesn’t seem enough. That’s making a difference. Thanks

[bikerhiker]

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@Fitkiwi60 wrote:

A lot of what you have written makes sense to me. I have Charge 2 but have noticed as my heart rate should increase, I get two lines and no reading and it only comes back to a reading once I ease off the pace. I also have low blood pressure and I’m not measuring that as I walk but that might explain the dizziness. I’m taking rehydrating powder with water to keep hydration levels higher as plain water doesn’t seem enough. That’s making a difference. Thanks

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Depending on which rehydrating powder you use, some of them contain "glucose" or at least something with the ingredient pertaining to sugar.  You might want to investigate this powder to check the glucose/carbohydrate content.  

[Baltoscott]

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@Fitkiwi60 wrote:

A lot of what you have written makes sense to me. I have Charge 2 but have noticed as my heart rate should increase, I get two lines and no reading and it only comes back to a reading once I ease off the pace. I also have low blood pressure and I’m not measuring that as I walk but that might explain the dizziness. I’m taking rehydrating powder with water to keep hydration levels higher as plain water doesn’t seem enough. That’s making a difference. Thanks

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I hadn’t heard of rehydrating powder  until your post.  Agree with @bikerhiker that you should check the ingredients.  It likely includes some variety of sugar (added calories) which could be offsetting the calorie burn you get from your hiking.

In any event, I would not rely too much on exercise as a method of weight loss.  Dial it back a bit such that plain water is enough to hydrate you.  As you get fitter and lose weight you’ll be able to do more without resorting to energy drinks. To lose the weight work on your diet — add things that will fill you up but don’t have a lot of calories (add veggies to every meal as a start).