Heart Rate and Weight Loss

[samarhefka]

Hello there!

So I was looking over my stats lately and started wondering. My RHR is around the 80's and my zones through the day say that I spend way more hours, the other day it said over 8 hours, in the fat burn zone. Granted I am usually running around doing stuff, while dealing with some stress, so I wouldn't be too surprised. Now, I have never been able to successfully lose weight, no matter diet or exercise, for years and years. So, my question is this: since I spend so much time in that fat burn zone does that mean I need to work harder in my exercise and get into the cardio zone for longer time periods? I just can't help wondering if by staying in that zone most of the time if that is where my body has grown to function meaning if I want to lose weight I have to push past it or maybe even drop my calories down further. Any thoughts would be helpful and are appreciated! 

[WavyDavey]

Hi @samarhefka,

I would definitely recommend cardio for you. It will burn more calories to encourage weight loss, as well as get your heart fitter. This will bring your resting heart rate down, and you'll see the time spent "naturally" in the fat burn zone decrease (which is a sign of improving fitness).

Even though we are burning a higher proportion of fat during fat burn zone, the number of calories burned is far fewer than work in the cardio zone. Later, adding a little peak zone time can further stoke the fires.

[GershonSurge]

My three part answer will be a little complex.

First the warning never to reduce your calorie intake less than your basal metabolic rate (BMR). It's sometimes called Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). If you can't reduce your calorie intake by at least 500 calories per day below the number of calories burned according to the Fitbit, you will need to increase your exercise so it is possible. Due to inaccuracies in the Fitbit measurements, you may need to go to a 750 or a 1,000 after a few weeks. Looking at your step count, a gradual increase would be helpful.

Second. Your body burns 70% fat and 30% carbs at a heartrate BELOW 180 minus your age. Above this heartrate, the ratio reverses quickly to 70% carbs and 30% fat. Or bodies do not have the mechanism to convert carbs to fat, so you don't have to worry about how many complex carbs you eat -- just don't cover them with fat. The trick is to eat far fewer calories in fat than you burn a day. My way of eating is only about 8% fat. Then mostly exercise at a heart rate below 180 minus your age. Feel free to work harder at times for fun, but depending on the intensity, you will likely lose fewer fat calories per minute.

Third. The time to prevent diseases of all types is before they manifest. They are all related under one heading -- poor nutrition. There is only one scientifically way of eating that has been proven to prevent, arrest or reverse the 15 most common things that kill people. That is a whole food plant based diet. I suggest studying "Whole" by Dr. Colin Campbell to get more information. You will find references to other sources in the book.

[Dominique]

I wouldn’t overthink the heart rate zone thing: just because your Fitbit monitors your HR 24/7 doesn’t mean you should "optimize" time spent in each HR zone. If losing weight is your goal, it is not determined by spending x amount of time in zone A, y amount of time in zone B etc. It’s primarily determined by energy balance: your total intake during the day vs. your total energy expenditure. The HR monitoring feature of your Fitbit can make estimating expenditure more accurate, though keep in mind it’s still an estimate.

Create yourself a balanced and sustainable workout routine, regardless of what HR zone your various workouts put you in. As your fitness increases over time, you’ll notice your HR is lower for the same activity, and you’ll be able to increase the intensity and spend more time in the higher zones. Likewise, you’ll probably see your resting HR come down and your cardio fitness score go up.

[emili]

if you want to lose weight and improve your heart health, you have to eat less move more and add some heart healthy activity into your day. whether you choose to do cardio, hiit or any other form of exercise that elevates your heart rate, diet plays a huge role in losing weight. measure, weigh and count to ensure you are burning more than what you are eating. find a comfy deficit and exercise routines that fit your lifestyle and watch the magic happen.