Spoke to a friend last night who is very heavy into nutrition and personal health.
My finacee spoke to him about weight loss (those that have seen some of my threads know about my fiancées struggle with weight loss), she told him that she has always had a very low heart rate and her heart also skips a beat (even when exercising it never goes over 60bpm).
Even though she is eating right (I am also googling this and binging it) and doing 10,000 have any of you heard that sometimes it could be as simple as her not being to elevate her heart enough to get into the fat burning zone?
I've never heard of it myself, but if she's binging often, that could be a really big obstacle. It's also really easy to cover your calorie deficit with foods that seem healthy but are actually really caloric.
Is she still breathing heavily/tired? It could be that she's underestimating her capacity, and could be maybe alternating between jogging and walking instead of just walking her 10,000.
But you did mention her heart doesn't go over 60bpm. Maybe she has bradycardia? This would be something to consult with a doctor, it's definitely not a regular thing.
Shes not binging (to my knowledge) and we have discussed it in length so we have ruled out the usual suspect of thyroid and similar potential road blocks to weight loss. Shes on the same diet as me.
She is aware of her irregular heart beat and had at looked into as a child. The last time she said she lost weight was with stuff like kick boxing and zumba, it was just a throw around idea as we have been to doctors and naturapaths for solution with expensive tests that lead to nowhere.
As my mother often says "sometimes we look for complex reasons but in the end 9 out of 10 times its just simple thing that needs a fix", so if its that simple I am happy to look into it with her.
I have a FitBit Charge HR for myeslf (stress issues) so we were thinking of tracking her walking for 30 mins (just like I do and 90% of the time during the period I am in fat burn zone according to it)... so if thats the case maybe shes just not getting her body elevated enough to burn fat
This is interesting!! My heart rate usually falls between 60 and 72. My doctor has never said anything about it being negative. My blood pressure is right at 124 over 68. Maybe I need to work out more and get that heart rate up. I should ask my doctor.
OH binging! Like looking it up on bing haha sorry I thought you meant she was binging :P
Sounds like a good solution! If the doctors haven't said anything, then it doesn't seem to be something serious, thank goodness. You did mention she saw progress, though. I remember when I thought my calorie count was too high I tracked my exercise/nutrition for a week with myfitnesspal just to make sure I was doing okay, so maybe you could do both those tests! If she does have her calorie deficit of 500 everyday (exercise included), she should be losing about a pound per week or two weeks. If she is, then there's probably nothing to worry about. Something to keep track of for a little while, maybe?
A lower heart rate = more efficient body = not good for weight loss. A higher heart rate will always make weight loss easier because you’re burning more calories.
Are you sure it is 60bpm? That would be pretty low for someone who is overweight.
So if she's doing cardio or climbing stairs her heart rate doesn't go above 60bpm? Weird. That doesn't sound normal.
Also the "skips" are probably PVC's which feel scary but are usually nothing, I have them too. She should still see a cardiologist to have things ruled out.
She previously used to do kick boxing, zumba and so on but this is the first time shes just walking like I am.
She has known about her heart issues since being a kid and she said there is nothing that can be done its just the 'way she is'. I really hate that expression >_<
I was going to give the example based on myself - I go on my 30 min fatty lunch walks in the shopping centre. I log it on my fitbit and it includes steps, heart rate and so on. so in this example I am in fat-burn zone for 32 out of the 33 mins.
So if she borrows my fitbit (hers doesnt have a heart rate monitor and shes not in the burn zone for a simple 30 min walk then well its possible why she TONES UP and has increased muscle mass but almost 0 fat loss in months. Link attached to show what I am talking about
So I have bradycardia (high 40s to low 50s) and irregular beats as well. When I am truly exercising and sweating, sometimes it will jump up to the 130s to 150s for a while and then suddenly drop to 70s for a few but it always re elevates. If it drops to 70s and I'm no longer feeling that "push". I'll amp it up more.
Are you saying her heart rate never goes up? That would be extremely odd. I mean, I have to push it pretty hard to get it up, but I do get there and then I keep it.
If she never is able to elevate her heart rate; consult a specialist.
I also have bradycardia (low 50s) and a murmur, and while I don't check my heart rate while exercising as much as I probably should, I have been able to lose quite a bit of weight while having the condition. I know that I have to do quite a bit more exercise than my friends and family do to lose weight, but I'm not sure if that has to do with my heart rate or the fact that I'm more prone to eat back my calories. I suppose, all day long, my body is more efficient, so perhaps I don't burn as many calories?
I also get heart fluttering, but that's just part of my bradycardia. Anyway, if her heart is not getting above 60bpm, then perhaps she is not pushing herself enough during exercise? If she's exercising hard and not getting her heart rate above that level, then I would definitely see a doctor, as that is, well, strange.
Yes like me she is just walking (just normal walking) but my heart rate goe into fat burn zone where I dont think hers does.
We are going to try it next week because shes working on a few time consuming things this week and start AFTER Easter (Im Greek so our Easter is this week). We are both curious and will tell you guys when we try it out
You can lose weight without exercise, I've done it before and am doing it now. I've got severe ME/CFS and dysautonomia, so raised heart rate is the last thing I want. Everyone always says here, "Diet for weight loss, exercise for fitness," because it's very hard to lose weight through exercise alone. So perhaps she should separate them out: concentrating on fine-tuning the diet so that it works for weight loss, see a doctor about the bradycardia if need be, and find a form of exercise that she enjoys, is practical for her to do regularly, and that she feels physically comfortable doing. Some people do very well with anaerobic exercise such as weight training or gentle stretches, for instance.
Low Heart Rate Preventing Weight Loss?
