Weight Loss

Most of us are happy to hear about an efficient, effective method to lose weight and keep those lost pounds off! Maintaining an appropriate weight for your gender, height, frame, and age are components of more than one factor. The main factor is developing the habit of proper nutritional intake in conjunction with participating in efficient, effective exercise.  This combination is the key to weight loss.

Just getting started?

• Schedule a VO2 Test with VO2 Max Houston to identify the best heart rate zones for you to train in as you get started with your walking program or exercise method of your choice. The best heart rate zones for you to train in, identified in your VO2 test, will optimize your loss of weight and your gain of lean muscle mass.
  
  
• Go to a sporting goods store or to www.polarusa.com/us-en and purchase a basic heart rate monitor. All you do is place an elastic strap around your chest that has a built in receiver and a watch around your wrist to monitor your heart rate while you exercise.

• Have Your Body Composition Measured
  Please see Body Composition for more information
  Research has determined there is a correlation between risk of disease, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. This includes the risk of hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes and other diseases associated with excessive accumulation of intra-abdominal fat. Considering the health problems associated with too much body fat, the assessment of body composition is a very useful tool for those determined to lose weight and improve their fitness status! Through cardio exercise and strength training you increase your lean body mass and decrease your fat. This healthy change is not always reflected on the scale, but can be reflected in the analysis of your body composition.

Cool Facts

• Following an interval heart rate training program increases your RMR, resting metabolic rate. Your RMR accounts for up to 75% of the total calories you burn in a day so let's get it up there!
• As you increase the intensity of your exercise, your RER rises. (RER = respiratory exchange ratio, carbon dioxide expired divided by amount of oxygen inhaled). Zone 1 is a great zone to start your training in, burning predominantly fat calories and bringing weight loss results quickly, but you will also quickly plateau in your weight loss efforts if you workout only in this zone.
• Incorporating training in your Zone2 into your program continues to burn fat, but predominantly burns carbohydrates for fuel and total caloric expenditure is higher which is more effective. The name of the game in losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume. The higher your body can train while remaining aerobic the more calories you will burn from fat; thus, one main goal of interval heart rate training is to increase your anaerobic threshold which is the focus of Zone 2.
• Lastly, adding Zone 3 is necessary to overload your body to increase metabolism and improve your fitness level. This zone is a true high intensity workout including short bursts of exercise at peak V02(which is also identified in your test). The more time you spend in Zone 3 the more calories you burn and the more weight you lose, but....
• The key to losing weight is adapting a long term solution, making training fun and comfortable, and not skipping workouts; therefore, an interval heart rate training program , including all 3 zones, is recommended to help you reach your goals in the weight loss challenge!
• Check out our Interval Heart Rate Training Program Details for more information.