Originally Posted by wuv2bloved (Post 4222565)

Originally Posted by deinekatze (Post 3416465)

To measure your heart rate either use a heart rate monitor (the easier way) or here is how:
Measuring Heart Rate

Measuring Heart RateYour heart rate can be taken at any spot on the body at which an artery is close to the surface and a pulse can be felt. The most common places to measure heart rate using the palpation method is at the wrist (radial artery) and the neck (carotid artery). Other places sometimes used are the elbow (brachial artery) and the groin (femoral artery). You should always use your fingers to take a pulse, not your thumb, particularly when recording someone else's pulse, as you can sometimes feel your own pulse through your thumb.
Manual Method

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Measuring Heart RateCarotid Pulse (neck) - To take your heart rate at the neck, place your first two fingers on either side of the neck. Be careful not too press to hard, then count the number of beats for a minute.
*

Radial Pulse (wrist) - place your index and middle fingers together on the opposite wrist, about 1/2 inch on the inside of the joint, in line with the index finger. Once you find a pulse, count the number of beats you feel within a one minute period.

You can estimate the per minute rate by counting over 10 seconds and multiplying this figure by 6, or count over 15 seconds and multiply by 4, or over 30 seconds and doubling the result. There are obvious potential errors by using this shorthand method. If you have a heart rate monitor, this will usually give you an accurate reading.

here is how you figure out the percentage you are in. First figure out your Maximum Heart Rate
Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - AGE
so if 100% is your MHR, multiply your HR by 100 and dive it by your MHR

NOW, here is WHY IP wants you to stay in the LOWER end of your HR

Healthy Heart Zone

* This zone is 50 to 60% of your maximum heart rate. This is an easy and comfortable zone to exercise in.
* You will be able to carry on a full conversation in this zone, although you may be breathing a little heavier than usual.
* Walkers are often in this zone unless they press themselves to walk faster. Fitness walkers may alternate days of walking in this zone with days of exercising in the higher heart rate zones, to give a recovery/easy day.
* Your workout in this zone is less intense and won't give the most cardiorespiratory training benefits. But studies have shown that it works to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol.
* In this zone, the body derives it energy by burning 10% carbohydrates, 5% protein and 85% fat.
* Healthy Heart Walking Workout

Fitness Zone

* This zone is from 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate.
* You will be breathing heavier but will still be able to speak in short sentences.
* You burn more calories per minute than in the healthy heart zone because the exercise is a little more intense - you are going faster and therefore covering more distance. The calories burned depend on the distance you cover and your weight more than any other factors.
* In this zone, your body fuels itself with 85% fat, 5% protein, and 10% carbohydrate.
* You get the same health benefits and fat-burning benefits as the healthy heart zone.
* Fat-Burning Walking Workout

Aerobic Zone

* This zone is from 70-80% of your maximum heart rate.
* You will be breathing very hard and able only to speak in short phrases.
* This is the zone to aim for when training for endurance. It spurs your body to improve your circulatory system by building new blood vessels, and increases your heart and lung capacity.
* Aiming for 20 to 60 minutes in this zone is believed to give the best fitness training benefits.
* You burn 50% of your calories from fat , 50% from carbohydrate, and less than 1% from protein.<--- notice the difference? the goal is to burn more fat on IP
* With the increase in intensity, you burn more calories in the same amount of time, as you are covering more distance in that same time. Calories burned depend most on distance and your weight. If you go further in the same time, you burn more calories per minute.
* You may not be able to achieve this heart rate by walking, you may have to use racewalking technique or switch to jogging to get into this heart rate zone.
* Aerobic Walking Workout

Anaerobic Zone - Threshold Zone

* This zone is 80 to 90% of your maximum heart rate.
* You will be unable to speak except a single, gasped word at a time.
* This intense exercise will improve the amount of oxygen you can consume - your VO2 maximum.
* This exertion level takes you to the limit where your body begins to produce lactic acid. Racewalkers use this zone to build their ability to go even faster.
* Workouts in this heart rate zone should be in the 10 to 20 minute range, or part of an interval training workout.
* You burn more calories per minute than with the lower heart rate workouts, as you are covering more distance per minute.
* The body burns 85% carbohydrates, 15% fat and less than 1% protein in this zone. <--- IP is already very low carb... so imagine doing this to yourself
* You may not be able to achieve this heart rate by walking, you may need to use the racewalking technique or switch to jogging/running.
* Anaerobic Threshold Walking Workout

Red-Line Zone

* The top zone is from 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate. You can't go any higher, and most people can't stay in this zone for more than a few minutes.
* You will be unable to speak except for gasping single words.
* This zone should only be used for short bursts during interval training, where you work intensely for a minute and then drop back down to a lower intensity for several minutes, and repeat.
* You should consult with your doctor to ensure you can work out at such a high heart rate safely.
* While you burn lots of calories per minute in this zone, 90% of them are carbohydrates, 10% fats, and less than 1% protein.

Hope that answers your questions on that

Originally Posted by DanafromAustin (Post 4263441)

I have found in the past few weeks that increasing my workout days to five days per week, which is mostly strength training with some light cardio, that my muscle mass has increased and my body fat is finally really starting to move down. Being in my mid 50's was making it hard to loose body fat even with this diet and only working out here and there during the week. Yet my daughter, who is only 23 lost body fat with no problem just by diet alone. I may have to work harder at this then my 23 year old daughter, but boy does it feel good to be in my body now.

Originally Posted by mooselover (Post 4282469)

I started walking (about a 3.0 mph) about a week ago and I have have felt horrible ever since. I used to exercise all the time before IP. I am going to stop and see if I start feeling better again. This really surprised me :(

Originally Posted by MustangMolly (Post 4282876)

I had been on IP about a month and I returned to my Curves workout...I had been doing Curves for at least a year before starting IP...anyway, I was careful to keep my heart rate in the 60-70% range and added the extra packet and not only did I feel horrible my weight loss came to a screeching hault and I started adding weight. I understand that building muscle can add weight but lets face it, I wasn't exactly weight lifting. Anyway, I stopped the Curves and things got back to normal. I have now added some "wall" pushups, situps and basic stretching and that has been good. I think I will add some tai chi or yoga next.

Originally Posted by izzycracker (Post 4291314)

I do the treadmill run, jog, walk for like 45 minutes a day then push ups, crunches. sometimes I use the elliptical and do weight machines. Someday my lazy days I go for a nice long walk outside. I try to mix it up. I do use the wii I should add. I have fitness coach and zumba. Those can be fun sometimes. I try to burn about 500 to 600 calories with the work out. I am getting ready to start kickboxing which will help alot. I used to do it but then moved from the area.

Originally Posted by Momto2cs (Post 4291627)

I found some weeks too much exercise caused my losses to slow, although that was closer to goal...just remember tat if you burn 500 calories in an hour, you would have burned 200-300 just lounging around...it is not additive. Just an extra 200 or so

Originally Posted by Momto2cs (Post 4296198)

No, but just remember you are always burning calories, so the monitor does tell you what you burned, but that includes you no exercise burn too...

I never stopped exercising. The first week was tiring, but not impossible.

Originally Posted by licaba (Post 4291366)

Hi Izzy,
i was reading through the many exercise posts in this thread and was happy to find yours from today. We have very similar stats!! I have been working out with a trainer since before starting IP in January but in the past 2-3 weeks we have stepped it up a notch and she estimates I am burning 5-600 calories a session. Today at my weigh I stayed the same. After reading through the thread I am concerned my exercising is doing more harm than good. Are you strictly on IP? Do you eat differently on days you exercise? Any info would be helpful. I eat an extra pack, half before and half after, beginning to wonder if its enough.:)

Originally Posted by qsuzi1 (Post 4321244)

Originally Posted by yowzer (Post 4409524)

I have been on IP for 4 weeks with a 20 lb. loss. I haven't really exercised, as suggested. But I am feeling the call to work my kettlebells, maybe some light hiking. I was told to add another packet or a hard boiled egg after working out. I want to keep up my weight loss...but I am so happy with my momentum, as silly as it sounds I don't want to jinx it at all. Backpacking is my passion that I haven't done for at least 6-7 years, as I vowed to be carrying the extra weight in a pack, not in my body. But I am feeling very positive and hopeful and can see it in my future.

Originally Posted by yowzer (Post 4430635)

I have been on IP for 7 weeks. 30 lb. loss so far. I have been exercising approximately 40 minutes a day, alternating between light cardio and weights. I want to start putting in some longer bike rides...well long for me, 20 miles or so. I am also planning on some hiking in the mountains the next week or so. Any suggestions for supplementing with packets, bars etc...

Originally Posted by infoplease (Post 4430872)

In order to off suggestions, I need a little more information.
When you exercise the 40 minutes are you adding a non-restricted packet?
Are you eating a meal before or after?

How long are you thinking a hike or bike ride would be, an hour? 2 hours?

I would have a meal before the hike. Consider brining the mango pre-made drink (which tastes fine warm, in my opinion) or your favorite restricted or pack your shaker with ice & water and bring whatever your favorite drink packet is.

My coach would recommend only one restricted per day, but would suggest adding non-restricteds depending on the length of the activity or hard boiled eggs or jerky. Additionally, she would suggest that if you feel angry or extra hungry the NEXT day, add an additional packet.

You definitely want to add extra protein so that you don't end up burning your lean mass. It seems counterintuitive to add more calories when you are trying to burn them to lose fat, but you will likely find that it is what your body needs.

Originally Posted by yowzer (Post 4431463)

Sometimes I add an extra non-restricted packet and sometimes not. I always have a drink prior starting exercise. But I did lose 1 lb of muscle this last week, So I need to be more mindful of this...Question: my coach said that there is water in the muscle so there will always be a little muscle loss, which I don't quite get.

My biking will probably be 8 mph or so, but there are some hills so there are going to be some times where I will be a little out of breath. All total, I think the ride will be a little over 2 hrs. The hiking will probably be 4-5 hrs total, with breaks between and same as the biking, a little out of breath during steep parts. ( I live in washington so there are hills everywhere). You know, I won't be at my goal weight (and that is another story because I am not sure what that should actually be) probably until the end of the year. It's summer finally here and I feel so good I just want to get out there and get the endorphens flowing.

Originally Posted by infoplease (Post 4431800)

OK, hmm.
Good on the extra packet. I know sometimes it seems you need it and sometimes it doesn't. A typical loss is going to be 1 pound of lean mass for every 4 pounds of scale weight. 1 pound of lean mass is going to include water. So if you lost 4lbs at your last weigh in and 1lb was lean mass, that would be expected.

2 hour bike ride with some hard hills: I would have a breakfast of one packet plus 2 whole eggs, go for ride then have lunch. Consider flipping lunch and dinner so you have 8 oz protein at lunch. Bring an IP snack for the ride, and eat it if you need it. Definitely bring salt and water; have some salt if you are overdoing it and feel lightheaded. Have dinner and bedtime snack as usual.

For the hike, I would start off the same way, an IP and 2 eggs for breakfast. Bring at least 2 packets. Think about eating about every 2 hours, depending on how you feel. After/during hike have lunch, dinner and bedtime snack as usual.

The day after the ride and hike, evaluate how you feel (cranky? ravenous?) and have an extra non-restricted those days.

If you have overdone it, you can expect the scale will go up the next day. It is likely the muscle holding on to water. Your WI may or may not be different for the week.

That is my opinion based on when I started at the gym, and advise my coach has given to athletes. Hopefully people who have done long bike rides and hikes will also post.