Took a 30 minute swim today at the Y...first time doing regular exercise since starting IP 5 weeks ago...hope it kicks up my weight loss!

Marilyn

The concern is putting your body into starvation mode. If you go into starvation mode you will not lose as much weight. At least this is what my coach told me and it make sense. I use to do a very intense workout 90%+ MHR and lost nothing...I did this for months 3 or 4 times a week. I started IP and have changed my workouts to a milder workout with an MHR of about 60% and have been steadily losing. This is what works for me but everyone is different, so find out where your comfortable and how it affects your results.

Walking isn't going to get your heart rate up into that high of a zone, unless you are really really really out of shape. However, walking 5 miles will take quite a bit of time, and that can add up. Here is how you calculate it manually:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5139_calcula...ing-heart.html

There is also the perceived exertion scale to go by as well so you don't have to stop and check your hr. Can you talk and hold a conversation when you are walking or is it so bad you can't do anything but pant? You want to be able to hold a conversation but be a bit breathless. Unfortunately, this didn't work for me in my intense workouts so I use a hr monitor.

I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out, so it does all my calculations for me. I unfortunately had been exercising way past my "moderate" level and had to cut back (I used to exercise a lot pre-IP), then I was exercising for too long at that moderate hr level and it really messed up with my weight loss as I threw my body out of sync (hence the gain week). My coach says there is an athletic protocol for those who workout long and hard which pretty much is more protein packs. I took the full week off from exercise last week and lost. This week I'll exercise probably on the weekend and look to add a 4th and possibly 5th protein supplement.

I understand why they say it also but like you, Aunt Sheshie, my weight definitely fluctuates until I get some cardio in.

It's 220 minus your age, then multiply by .60 & .70, respectively, to get the 60-70% range...

Thanks to everybody who replied & helped clear up my confusion about why exercise can interfere with IP... so far, I must not be doing too much, 'cause it's working... best wishes to all...

hugs :hug:

Aunt Sheshie: Thank you for answering my question about calculating your heart rate at 60% and 70%
Xanthia: Thank you for explaining the intensity required to elevate your heart rate to much; and for sharing your personal experience. The link is exactly what I needed to understand how to figure my heart rate. Now I can’t wait until I get back out there to find out how I have been doing. When I walk with a friend I walk slower, probably because we are chatting and it is difficult to walk fast and talk; but on my own I complete the 5 miles quicker.
jlewis88: Thank you for sharing what your coach has warned about going into starvation mode; and for sharing your personal experience.

SweetSheila: Thank you for starting this tread.

And thank you for everyone who has contributed their knowledge and experience. This forum is absolutely wonderful, everyone is so knowledgeable and willing to share and help.

Just wondering... what's y'all's favorite/best time of day to exercise?..

When I was working full-time, mornings worked best for me, 'cause by the time I got home, I was too tired... since I retired, I've tried various times... for the past 2 months, it's been about 11:30 a.m. or noon-ish... then a few days ago, I read something that said between 4:00 & 6:00 p.m. was the BEST time to exercise... so, yesterday & the day before, I tried that... omgawsh, that was awful!.. I couldn't make it through the whole workout that had been so easy for me when I did it in the middle of the day... I'm going back to mid-day...

To follow up on an earlier post, doing yoga after my NordicTrack & kettlebells is working out great... my muscles are warmed up, not as stiff, & those twists & bends are not quite so hard on this old body...

hugs :hug:

From About.com...

A new formula to calculate maximum heart rate for women. 206 - (.88 x age) = MHR

Read the whole article here... Fit Fact: Women Have a Different Heart Rate Response to Exercise

hugs :hug:

more on weight loss
 

Some info that is good for us all. Again, remember that on the IP protocol you are advised to stay on the lower heart rate zone but, as a personal trainer, I do advise you move and also add resistance training to your routine (but don't try to be a body builder). You can do all of it while still remaining in the appropriate zone.

Also with IP we are a bit under the minimum calories here suggested but that will be ok for a bit... just remember when you add your meal it is more than just the packets so it's not tragic ;-)

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To lose a pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. As I've said before, it's all about the math

You can only do so much resistance training without damaging your muscles and impeding your results. Additionally, you can't starve the weight off: If you eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, you will sabotage your optimal results. Therefore, cardio is weight loss extra credit. It allows you to burn additional calories without overtraining. This is one of the reasons some Biggest Loser players can still lose 20 pounds a week, even 7 weeks into the program.

Think about the math: If you are eating 1,500 calories a day — we assume your BMR without exercise is 1,600 (this is actually my BMR) — and you do two 1-hour cardio sessions that burn 500 calories each (one in the morning and one at night), the two sessions, along with your regular daily activity, will speed up your base metabolism to at least 2,000. As a result, you will have burned about 1,500 calories that day — that is, almost half a pound. At that rate you will be losing up to 3.5 pounds a week.

That said, you are bound to lose more weight during the first two weeks of any weight loss regimen because of the dramatic change in your diet and the loss of excess fluid. After that, it's all about crunching the numbers, and cardio is the key.

Elizabeth:

so based on your professional oppinion what should I be doing?

at this point this is what I am doing:

2 x 30 mins per week of weight training; it actually feels like cardio too because trainer moves between excercises so quick and wont give me a chance to recover or catch breath between them...as in I am sweating heavily withing the first 5 mins of it.

2X30 mins of walk/jog on treadmil comes to say >2 miles each time BUT at high incline of say 4 or so...this is always before my training session

3 days a week I take 4 mile walks around the hills of the neighborhood; the days I have no gym ofcourse.

sound good or lame? he asked me on tuesday that now that I have reached my goal weight, what is it exactly that I am looking for and the only response I had was "to get stronger".

I would probably do only 15 mins of cardio before the resistance training and do more of the cardio AFTER. You will do this as a warm up before lifting but not long enough to be tired for the weights.

To get stronger you may need to perhaps increase the weight you are lifting, slowly of course, the trainer will know.

I think you are doing great. For someone who wants to "tone" more I'd say do the trainer/weights stuff 3Xweek and the other days cardio/walking etc. If needed add more protein but I think you should be fine.

Way to go on reaching your goal! :carrot:

My resting heart rate is 56. Might have to do with consistently low blood pressure?? But if I use the formula above my maximum heart rate would be 146.6. Um, I think that's a tad high for someone in their late 60s, no?

And your avatar is [I]great[I].

Just read the URL cited above. Is this the formula you meant to include, instead of the one in your post???
New Formula

206 - (.88 x 49) = 163
163 - 65 (RHR) = 98
98 * 65% (low end of heart rate zone) OR 85% (high end) = 64 (65%) or 83 (85%)
64 + 65 (RHR) = 129
83 + 65 (RHR) = 148
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 129-148 beats per minute.

What I've been told is that after age 65 afternoon is the best time to exercise because the older you get the longer it takes to warm up muscles naturally. You can get progressively earlier in the day the younger you are. Of course, exercise specialists are now saying the stretching warm ups do more harm than good, especially if they're strenuous. So. . . ?

Hey I Need Everyone's Opinion. I Am Really Close To My Goal Weight And Seems To Have Stalled With My Weight Loss(since I Only Lost 1/2 B This Week And Was Really Good). I Am Really Thinking About Starting To Exercise And Was Wondering What Everyone Else Thinks About This?

Since I'm 61 & not 49, that one wouldn't work for me!!!.. but, yeah, that's the rest of the example equation... thanks for posting it...

hugs :hug:

Using the old formula, mine is 220-61=159, with the new one it's 206-(.88x61)=152... the 60-70% range comes out pretty close either way...

Thanks, that picture was taken 22 years ago in Hawai'i, I was a size 10, 139 lbs... it's pretty much what I'm shooting for, maybe even better!.. I decided to put it up as a reminder of where I'm headed...

hugs :hug:

Thanks Elizabeth,

I'll talk to him tonight and see if he can manage the 3x a week, I think I can do it now that I am used to it. From experience I agree with the cardio after weights too, last time my legs had no more juice for squats.

thank you for the encouragment too, I feel great and the comments I am getting at work have increased :) I like it. someone told me the other day that I just look "cuter"

I can sure agree with you about getting squats in before cardio... in fact, I've moved them to the front of the line in my kettlebell workouts... just about anything else does my legs in...

How 'bout a picture of your cute self???..

hugs :hug:

Elizabeth- what is the best form of resistance training? I have a bunch of workout dvds, treadmill, a trx that I have no idea how to use, some small hand weights, few other pieces of small equipment, ball, mini tramp.... I dont know what and how much I should be doing, I live out in the country and usually I have to workout either in the wee hours of the night or morning so going to a gym is sorta outta the question. I have been walking on the treadmill, doin yoga videos, just trying to move more which is a big thing for me I am pretty lazy well I used to be I should say, trying to get better, thanks for any input you can give me to get me moving in the right direction.

WannabeIP, not trying to horn in, I know Elizabeth will have some great advice... 3 Fat Chicks has a forum for folks doing resistance training, you might find some good ideas there... Weight and Resistance Training

hugs :hug:

Just chose something you will stick with, that would be my advise.

When it comes to weights as much as you can lift and can barely make it to 12 or 15 reps at a time... try to do 2 to three sets of each with that in mind too. PLEASE do watch your posture, that is my BIGGEST peeve with people. If you can't do a bicep curl without having to swing your body you are probably going to heavy and will hurt yourself. Strengthen your core! ALWAYS engage your abs with every exercise you do, it is what keeps your body aligned and protected.

Thanks, Elizabeth... this is super, SUPER advice!.. I've been trying real hard to remember to engage my abs & my glutes during strength training, but it's awfully easy to get sloppy when my mind wanders... got any pointers to cure that?.. :lol:

hugs :hug:

just an fyi:

I did a 30 min weight loss pilates thingy (on demand from comcast) last night; I really would have liked to kill the B*&^, she ended up having perfect hair at the end and I ended up like a crazy sweaty woman who wanted to kill someone. BUT my abs and gluts are in pain today; that I like.

do you by any chance have comcast on demand??? I really like it, they have all sorts of things on there for free for all levels. All you need is an excersice mat and you are set.

Ahhhh I dont have TV.... so I pretty sure I dont have it, can you get it over the internet?

no idea but regardless you will still need a comcast account and it wont be worth it.

wait! all the videos on comcast are from excersice.com, go there and see what you can get.

Perfect. thank you I will check it out so far I have been going thru all my old dvds that I have, I got some of the biggest loser ones, some power yoga, soma pilates and I love the treadmill however I was wondering something when I log my workout in fitday the cals burned are way lower than what my machine says? I prefer to believe the machine....;)

machines are always higher. BTW I think its exerciseTV.com

LOL!.. that sounds like me, all sweaty, looking like something that just crawled out of the black lagoon!..

I need to find something to make my abs work harder... I've changed up my workout a little, less emphasis on cardio (NordicTrack) & more on resistance (kettlebells).. I'm still pleased with how my shoulders, arms, back, & legs are shaping up, but my tummy & behind are still flabby... guess that's more to do with the fat that's still there than the muscle underneath... IP is taking care of that, slowly but surely...

hugs :hug:

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

*

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

for the arm jiggle
 

Thought this link would help all

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/worko...ail=2262519902

Thanks so much, Elizabeth, for this GREAT explanation... I'm still keeping to the 60-70% zone & I can see it works...

hugs :hug:

ok and if you don't want to do the math and already know we need to stay below the 70% at least... here is a chart to help you ...look for your age and go across to the 4th number by it... that is the HIGHEST you should go

http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/heartrate-range.htm

This sounds great - I am just starting to exercise. My arms have bat wings and do not look so good. Does the callestinics help that?

I'm glad I located your post, I couldn't recall who posted the info re Callanetics. (I misspelled it in another post). Based on your info, I did purchase 2 dvds. This program is NOT easy! ;) But I can tell it's working muscles I've not used in a very long time or never! One question, how often do you do the program? I tried to do it every other day but it was too much for me... thanks!

Elizabeth - you are wonderful to offer your professional advice and wisdom in the forum! Your information on target heart rate was especially helpful!

I personally found it odd that the coaches said no exercise in Phase 1. I will be incorporating some light exercise back in this week.

QUESTION: Has anyone seen a dramatic improvement/loss when adding exercise back in Phase 1?

Since I've never had an IP coach, I didn't get any advice on exercise when I started out... I was already working out before IP, so I just continued... I figured at my age, I could lose the weight, but would end up just a bag of loose skin, so I was determined to build up my muscles to fill in the spaces... I'm really glad I did it that way, I'm seeing good results... but I know IP has good reasons for advising against exercise to begin with, so the best way is to follow your coach's advice, PLUS pay close attention to Elizabeth!.. the IP protocol is still the STAR OF THE SHOW, but exercise is an important member of the supporting cast, when you're ready for it...

hugs :hug:

HAHAHA yes PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ME...ALWAYS the best advice ;) hehehe

I believe IP just knows that people don't usually know an "in-between" mode... they are either all gong ho about working out and sweating and go crazy or sit at home do nothing... considering the low calories in the program they rather you do the later... and then incorporate the activity... I was told no working out for the first two weeks and then to start but moderately.... and stay in the heart rate zones above mentioned. The only way you can burn more is by moving. They can't reduce the calories more plus your body adapts to just about everything after a while so you need to tweak it.

It's simple math...calories in vs Calories Out... you can't eat less calories because your body needs it to run properly. Even just sitting down your body requires and burns a certain amount of calories per day. SO the trick is to move and burn the extra ones... or you can also go into starvation mode and that is no fun because our smart bodies KNOW they need a supply to survive and seeing as how you are not giving it enough calories then it starts holding on to the ones you do consume for dear life and not letting them go. Same happens with water by the way... the less you drink the more you retain (again, smart bodies do what they can to survive). The other thing is that they want you to see change and muscle weighs more than fat (or more accurately said, fat is bulkier than muscle) so it tends to scare people... HOWEVER, muscle BURNS fat and you need it for many reasons, including to protect your bones... yup, weight lifting aids in the battle against Osteoporosis. We should all incorporate some weight lifting into our routines...especially women!

Here you can see the Muscle VS Fat SIZE to illustrate my point
http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.co...t-v-muscle.jpg

So, how many daily calories are burned by one pound of muscle? The answer is---35 to 50 calories!

I had clients at the gym who would focus on the scale so much and say "but my weight hasn't dropped that much" but when asked about their clothing size they would say "weird because that I am much smaller" see? All of us should focus more on the inches and sizes and less on the weight... The scale is a tool to gauge things but it is not the end all....perfect example, for me, before I ever was a trainer and even went to a gym, at a size 6 I weighed like 130lbs... when I was a trainer and a size 6 I was 150lbs or so! and I looked SO MUCH BETTER because I was toned and lean.

Ideal Protein is awesome because it restricts the carbs forcing your body to use the stored fat as energy... you will see the results faster that way. And provides the protein to make and sustain LEAN MUSCLE... which in turn burns more fat. See how that works?

Here are also a few bullet points about women and muscle
* After puberty your essential muscle growth is over and your muscle starts to deteriorate.
* As you age you lose muscle. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”
* The act of pregnancy further accelerates your muscle loss. The amount of protein your baby needs to develop requires the baby to steal protein (muscle) from you!
* Dieting and aerobic exercise without strength training causes muscle loss.
* Pre-menopausal, menopausal and post menopausal women have lower hormone levels causing accelerated muscle loss.
* Weight training re-builds your lost muscle.
* Women who weight train won’t increase their muscle size much, just their muscle’s density and strength. So forget the fear of “bulking up”

Also let me clear out something... unless you have an accident that requires removal of tissue you don't lose muscle or fat cells... they either shrink or expand... you want to strengthen the muscle cells and help you burn the bad fat... the cells are there, just smaller ;-) so you can ALWAYS bring back muscle. So do it now!