Here we are almost through the first quarter of the new year. I thought by now my hips would be long gone like the holidays. They are still with me and I have fitness goals that are around the corner. So is my birthday. I will be 55 in April and it seems harder these days to lose the extra weight I have put on this last year. I have researched caloric deficits, appropriate water intake, all the while trying to find out what I am doing wrong. I exercise at least 5 days per week. I eat healthy. I have documented over 150 days of what I have put in my mouth healthy and not so healthy. Not much has changed. I still can’t fit into my cute clothes. So I kept searching. I think I found the missing piece. I stumbled upon the importance of my heart rate range. The fat burning range instead of the fitness range with a high intense workout seems to be important.
That was it. I needed a heart rate monitor to be aware of the range I was working out in. My mom bought me a monitor for an early birthday present….Thank you Mom. I needed to find my fat burning heart rate range by knowing my maximum heart rate. With that you could find where you should be while doing your exercises. (Your maximum heart = 220 – your age. The fat burning range is 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.) My monitor display in on a wrist watch and also reads through my phone via apps. The apps are a great way to store the data and look for fitness improvements in hiking, biking and running.
I have a hiking trip in May to explore the UK, a 175 mile through hike in July and a marathon in August, as side from the daily desire to just feel healthier. Plus packing extra weight while hiking, biking or running makes doing so more difficult. The fat burning heart rate range during my exercise routine has been beneficial but I still wanted something to “shake up” my metabolism and get the process of weight loss to really be on its way. Again I started to research methods to do just that. I came across lots of information about fasting for several days to intermittent fasting as well. It turns out we humans have an innate ability to fast without negative consequences to our bodies. In fact the research supports more pro’s than con’s when it comes to fasting. After I read all about fasting I decided to buy raw cold pressed organic fruit and vegetable juices to help me through the fasting process of the first few days.
The first day of fasting we utilize our glucose supply. The second day we start to use our protein supply which is our muscles. The third day we get into our lipids which is our stored fats. I started my fast with drinking juice every two hours about 8-16 ounces and drank lots of water. I exercised daily up to 3 hours a day. I used the steam room, the jacuzzi and massage to help drain my lymphatic system. I did not feel hungry. I did not have a headache. I felt great. It was much easier than I thought it would be. By the third day I was still feeling great but thought for my first fast 3 days was plenty. I re-introduced fruit and protein shakes on the fourth day and by the sixth day my eating habits were back to normal. I weighed myself and I had lost 3 pounds. This set the stage for more weight loss and reset my metabolism. I was on my way to being lighter. I’m finally seeing the results I sought. Yippee.
With all this due diligence I am hoping to stay on track and continue to condition and train while losing the extra pounds. I do however keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so results may come slower if you are weight training. The weather is getting warmer here in sunny Tucson. The snakes have already come out to bask in it but that doesn’t stop me from hiking. Hiking is actually a fantastic way to get out doors, exercise and burn fat. So here’s to all who seek a lighter self…..get out there and be smart. Work out in the fat burning range and see the results you want faster and consistently.
Workout smarter not harder!
-Kat
Wild side of 50 