So how do you burn fat???

reddcat

I realize this is probably a stupid question for a lot of you, but I am a relative newbie and clueless about what I am doing. Let me start by staying, I do have an HRM. Today, I went for a walk pushing my son (39lbs) in his stroller...we went up hills and I was jogging some of it. 40 minutes for 330 calories. According to my HRM, my average HR was 143 and maximum was 170. SO, it tells me my fat burn was......wait for it........ONE minute and 26 seconds. WHAT???
SO, my dumb question of the day is, how do you burn fat???? Since clearly I have no clue.

icerose137

Cardio doesn't start burning heavy fat until after you've been working out for an hour. It's after that hour that it really accesses the fat stores. One solid suggestion to bump up that fat burning stage faster is to do a 10 minute cardio warm up, then strength train and lift weights for 30 minutes, then do your 30 minute cardio. You'll get a solid fat burn a lot sooner. I hope to do that this fall but for now all I can do is work with the free resources I have.

katheern

This arcticle should help you understand:
http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/The-Truth-About-The-Fat-Burning-Zone.htm



Do you exercise because you want to lose weight? If so, you've probably heard or been told that, for best weight loss results, you should work in your 'fat burning zone' (about 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.

While lower intensity workouts are great for building endurance, they aren't always the best choice if your goal is to lose weight.

The Truth

The body does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in the 'fat burning zone' or at lower intensities. However, at higher intensities (70-90% of your maximum heart rate), you burn a greater number of overall calories, which is what matters when it comes to losing weight. The chart below details the fat calories expended by a 130-pound woman during cardio exercise:
Low Intensity - 60-65% MHR High Intensity - 80-85% MHR
Total Calories expended per min. 4.86 6.86
Fat Calories expended per min. 2.43 2.7
Total Calories expended in 30 min. 146 206
Total Fat calories expended in 30 min. 73 82
Percentage of fat calories burned 50% 39.85%

Source: From The 24/5 Complete Personal Training Manual, 24 Hour Fitness, 2000

In this example, the woman burns more total calories and more fat calories at a higher intensity. This isn't to say that low intensity exercise doesn't have it's place. In fact, endurance workouts should be a staple of a complete fitness program along with shorter, higher intensity workouts or interval workouts, which are a great way to burn calories and build endurance. To figure out your own target heart rate zone, you can use an online calculator or follow these detailed steps for calculating it on your own.

BerryH

Your HRM was probably measuring the time you spent in the "fat burning zone" which is a myth as you burn more calories and fat at higher intensities, even if a lower percentage comes from fat. Either way, awesome burn, and that's the figure you need for MFP!

SHBoss1673

in the long term, you burn fat by creating a moderate calorie deficit, and staying within that deficit. By moderate I mean appropriate to your current body fat percent, I.E. if you have a BF% of about 27% or less then don't expect to be able to lose 2 lbs a week, but if your BF% 30% or greater then you can have a somewhat larger net calorie deficit.

Of course exercise plays a role, but the biggest factor will be nutrition and calorie deficit. Eat enough to keep your body burning cals, but not so much that you're storing fat. And remember, it's not a race, the more comfortable you are with your deficit, the easier it will be to maintain the healthy eating long term (I.E. no yo-yoing)

reddcat

Thanks everyone! Appreciate the responses.