21 Feb

Weekly Review: Paleo Diet v. Vegan

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, weekly review. Tagged: , , , .

So in my quest to find the perfect diet (which I have definitely not achieved by any means), I’ve come across two diets that have gotten a lot of attention; vegan diet and the paleo diet. Both diets claim to be the most natural, healthy diet possible; able to reduce your chronic diseases and allow you to live a healthier, happier life. They both claim to be scientifically sound, only including foods that we were designed or evolved to eat. And yet, the paleo diet consists mostly of meat, while the vegan diet includes no animal products at all. How can both of these diets claim to be so healthy but not include some of the same major food groups?

In case you’re not familiar with these diets, let me give you a little background.

Vegan: This diet does not permit any animal products. That means no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no butter. A vegan eats mainly fruits and vegetables, beans, and grains.

Paleo: This is a newer fad based on what the human diet supposedly consisted of during the Paleolithic Era, approximately 10,000 years ago. The diet relies heavily of meat, vegetables and starchy plants. Most variations eat some legumes, but not many. Grains are not encouraged and dairy is not allowed in the diet.

Whenever I’m stumped about the best possible diet or exercise, I turn to my favorite source of knowledge… pubmed.com. It’s a great search engine specifically for scientific, peer-reviewed journal articles. If you ever read a crazy health or scientific claim and want to check out the truth for yourself, pubmed is a great place to start. So, what is the real science behind these diets? Have they actually been tested?

Vegan: The science behind this diet became mainstream with the publication of The China Study by Dr. Campbell. This was an enormous epidemiological study of the population in China that showed increases in chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes associated with increases in animal products. Basically, the people who ate the most meat and dairy were the most sick. In the literature, I also found that a plant-based diet was associated with improvements in blood glucose (improved diabetes), and reduction in heart disease and inflammation. I had a difficult time finding any research to suggest that a vegan diet harmed people’s health, however I do want to make the caveat that all subjects in these studies were supervised by a nutritionist or physician. Vegans do need to be careful to eat enough calcium, vitamin D, iron and B12.

Paleo: The research for the paleo diet is a little thinner, mostly because this diet hasn’t been developed for very long, and some people can’t seem to agree on exactly what the diet should consist of. There is a nice review article I found that summarizes the research, if you’re interested. In a few randomized controlled trials, the paleo diet did seem to reduce the symptoms of diabetes, and in some studies had a positive effect on BMI.  In another study, the paleo diet reduced inflammation and markers of cardiovascular disease as well. However, most of these studies had a small number of participants and were short term. There may be risks associated with having such a high protein diet and a diet high in saturated fat, so consult your doctor before starting this one.

So who wins? Well, I like to take the best of both worlds. Both diets emphasize a heavy intake of vegetables and fruits, and both diets exclude processed foods and refined sugars. As far as the meat v. grain debate, I still choose to eat both in moderation and choose lower saturated fat options if at all possible.

What do you think? Have you tried either of these diets?

-Sara

19 Feb

Final Spartacus Review

Posted by ksmahoney in Motivation, Working out. Tagged: , , .

Hey guys, sorry for posting this week’s review a little late. I am now into second week of the 2012 Spartacus workout. I still find the workout physically challenging, although I have started to get a little bored because there is no variety; it is the same 10 exercises everyday you do this. Also this is almost a purely lower body workout, 7 out of 10 exercises are exclusively legs. So if you haven’t been doing a lot of squats and lunges be prepared to be so sore you can’t complete the program 3 times in your first week.  I now have multiple weights to use as I mentioned last week that this would help enhance the workout.  As mentioned before the degree of difficulty varies greatly in-between exercises, so to keep the intensity high you will need a variety of weights to switch between.

As far as my diet is concerned I haven’t changed anything except for lunch.  I have swapped my organic fruit bar with one of those squeezable fruits and only because the grocery store was out of my regular fruit bar. I also forgot to mention that I drink about 20 cups of water a day…..it’s hot in south Texas all the time!

 I know that I have stated that I would be doing this routine for 6 weeks but after doing for 2 weeks now I have changed my mind. I will only being doing one more week of this routine.  Honestly it just isn’t providing the level of challenge and fitness I desire. I am currently looking for a new program to go on to review. I have been attending a training class, so when I am done with that I plan on taking on a UFC workout by joining a mixed martial arts gym for a month, but in the mean time I am looking for a new routine so if you have a good one you have tried, or one you like to see tried please let me know.

-Kevin

15 Feb

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Posted by ksmahoney in Motivation, weekly review, Working out. Tagged: , , , .

One of the hottest things in fitness right now is HIIT or high intensity interval training. Basically, this means exercising in short bursts of intense exercise (usually somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes) with a similar amount of rest. These types of work-outs are usually shorter in duration than a typical workout, lasting for a total of 15 to 30 minutes.

Who Does This Training?

Typically, interval training has been exclusively performed by athletes. Runners, basketball players, and soccer players used these workouts to improve their endurance and speed, and used interval training to enhance performance in competition. For a long time, it was thought that the average person didn’t need to engage in anything so strenuous because moderate activity elicits plenty of benefits. However, HIIT has begun to hit the mainstream and people are starting to talk.

The most popular HIIT workout on the market is Insanity. It is an at-home video program which requires no equipment. You just use your body weight and engage in jumping, kick-boxing, and plyometrics in intense intervals with little rest.

Does it Work?

Interesting question. So far, the evidence says that yes, this type of workout can be very effective in aiding in weight loss and can actually give you some of the same heart benefits as moderate exercise. The New York Times has a nice article this morning about a study done at McMaster University investigating the effects of interval training on cardiac patients. The training was done in 1 minute intervals on a cycle  at 90% of the patients heart rate max and they were given 1 minute to rest after each interval. They worked out for 20 miuntes per day, several times per week. Amazingly, the HIIT patients had similar, if not better improvements in cardiac function and vascular following the workout. There is also some research suggesting that HIIT is effective in reducing insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients as well. However, there is one thing I do want to ask you before you decide to start HIIT.

Are you actually going to do it?

Almost any form of exercise is beneficial, but it will only improve your life if you actually do it! HIIT is intense, especially if you get a commercial program like Insanity. After a long hard day, are you more likely to take a walk around the block, or work out at your heart rate max? The most important thing for your health is actually exercising, so if you find HIIT enjoyable, awesome! Get started! But, if not, there are other ways to improve your health and your heart.

Have you ever tried Insanity? How long did you stick with it?

-Sara

12 Feb

Redefining “The Good Life”

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, Motivation. Tagged: , , .

I woke up this morning craving something fresh. I was going to make some eggs or just have a piece of toast with peanut butter, but I had this intense craving for something truly delicious and this morning, delicious meant fresh. Somehow, everything in my kitchen that came in a package was unappealing; I wanted to eat something juicy, colorful, and most importantly, something that made me feel good after I ate it.

In my search for all things health related, I have come upon several stories where people describe that after they start a healthy diet, their taste actually changes. They stop craving fried foods and chocolate cake and actually crave fruits and vegetables. Before Kevin and I started this diet, I didn’t really believe them. I mean, honestly, who craves asparagus? But this morning was the first time I was beginning to wonder if my taste buds were finally switching over to the dark side; I wanted fresh fruit and nothing else was going to cut it.

As strange as it sounds, I think this gives me hope for the future; hope that I can change how I define “the good life”. For many of us, when we think of truly delicious, satisfying food, the kind that sticks to your ribs and makes you feel like all is well in the world, we think of meat and potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chicken parmesan, and for me, chocolate cake. It’s those foods that we associate with celebration, joy, and fullness. To tell someone they can never eat those foods again is almost blasphemous and signifies that their life will always be a little bit worse. But, what if we were able to redefine which foods fell into that category?

I am wondering how we will change as Kevin and I keep at our healthy diet. Right now, we eat pretty well during the week, but on the weekends, we still go out to dinner (and lunch. And, sometimes breakfast :) ) But I have been noticing that the things we order even when we eat out are starting to change. We order more salads, more fruits and almost nothing fried. We don’t stuff ourselves and don’t feel obligated to finish everything put in front of us. Without really realizing it, I think our tastes are starting to change. I am getting used to feeling so healthy and light when I eat fruits and vegetables and healthy proteins. I definitely notice that I feel significantly worse when I eat sugar and processed foods, and slowly both Kevin and I are starting to eliminate them from our diet.  We’ve even planted a garden in our back yard! I’ll put up pictures as soon as anything starts to grow!

I think the bottom line is that the more you treat your body well, the more is becomes accustomed to it, eventually making your healthy lifestyle a habit and not a chore.

Have any of you noticed this? How do you define “the good life?”

-Sara

8 Feb

2012 Spartacus Workout: Week 1

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, Getting started, Motivation, weekly review, Working out. Tagged: , , , , .

 

Well, I am a week into this thing and for the most part I am feeling pretty good about this routine and about my healthy weight. For about the past 5 months I have been running with my wife to help her train for her ultra race, and it really feels good to get back to a more testosterone challenging workout! I will say this however; the majority of this work out seems to be legs based. I don’t really think anybody got jacked arms from this workout, but hey, I am only a week into it. Check out my progress so far!

Kevin Week 1

*This is a picture of Kevin at week 1. If I was more computer savvy, I could figure out how to put his before picture side-by-side with his week 1, but I don’t know how! Does anyone know how to do it? -Sara

Moreover, I will say this workout needs one adaptation: it says to pick a weight that is challenging enough that you struggle to complete the work out, but I suggest having at least one set of weights 5-10 pounds lighter than the one you use. By the time you get to the third set you are pretty well smashed! And, having a lighter weight allows you to keep going instead of bending over and holding your knees. This workout also fails to prescribe a proper warm up. I have been kicking this thing off at 4:45 am, so I need a good warm up to even wake up let alone do mountain climber push ups. For my warm up I have been running about ¾ of a mile before I start.

 

As for my food diary, I have chosen to keep it really quite simple.  The only thing that changes for me is my dinner.

 

Breakfast: I drink a homemade smoothie containing orange juice, raspberries, spinach and Greek yogurt. I usually have this as soon as my work out is over at about 5:30. After my shower I make a breakfast taco with 1 egg, 1 strip of turkey bacon, 1 tortilla and a little bit of cheese.

Lunch: I pack a cliff bar, 1 banana, a low fat string cheese, an almond butter sandwich and an organic fruit bar. I start eating my lunch 1 piece an hour starting at nine so that by the time my lunch break comes I only have my sandwich left. I do this so I can work during my lunch break, but I also really like doing this because I never really get hungry

Dinner: I have really eaten a variety of things for dinner. I’ll have a bowl of south west taco soup, half a bowl of tortellini or a baked chicken leg with a vegetable.

After dinner snack: This is a must! I usually have pistachios and flavored seltzer water.

I’ll will keep you all updated on how it’s going. Anyone else try the Spartacus workout this week?

-Kevin

6 Feb

10 tips to lose 10 lbs

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, Getting started, Quick Tips. Tagged: , , , .

For some of us, when we start a diet or exercise program, we don’t have 50 pounds to lose. We aren’t morbidly obese or appallingly unhealthy; we’ve just realized that we put on a few extra pounds and we’re not as fit as we used to be. We’d like to make some small changes to shed those last 10 pounds without having to seriously disrupt our lives. For those of you out there like that, I thought I’d give you 10 easy tips to hopefully help you lose those last 10 lbs.

1. Watch out for salads. Just because chicken strips and ranch dressing are sitting on a bed of lettuce, doesn’t mean it’s health food. Even when you’re doing your best, salads can sneak in extra calories. Don’t put on much dressing, and watch out for too many dried fruits, which have a lot of sugar.

2. Avoid eating in front of the TV. Mindless eating is enemy number 1 for dieters and you almost always crave salty snacks while watching tv. Do your best to only eat at the kitchen table, but if you absolutely can’t kick the tv snacking habit, never bring the whole box with you! Always portion out a small amount of your snack a limit yourself to one portion.

3. Liquid calories still count. It’s hard to imagine that your orange juice could be bad for you, but fruit juices have a deceicingly high sugar content. You’re much better off just having an orange. Plus, liquid calories do very little to fill you up. That mocha frappacino may pack hundreds of calories, but you’ll still be hungry an hour later.

4. Women, you do not have the same caloric requirement as men. We can get in a lot of trouble when spend time with the opposite sex, because we tend to eat much more than we should. I know when I serve dinner at our house, it’s tough for me not to serve the same portions both to myself and Kevin. However, he weighs about 50 pounds more than I do, so we shouldn’t be eating the same amount.

5. Restaurants are sneaky. 99% of restaurants only have one goal in mind; to keep you coming back for more. They make their food as tasty as possible with little concern for your health. That means that even the most healthy sounding options can be high in calories. Almost all food is cooked in butter, even your grilled chicken breast and fresh veggies. Make sure you ask how your meal will be preparerd and bring your own condiments.

6. Take a walk after dinner. This is a great way to aid in digestion, increase your total caloric metabolism, and spend time with your significant other. You can burn another 100 calories if you walk 20 minutes and it may reduce your craving for dessert.

7. Pee often. This may sound strange, but if you have to use the restroom frequently during the day, that means that 1. you’re probably drinking enough water, and 2. it forces you not to be sedentary for long periods of time. (If you’re interested in the dangers of sitting, check out this previous blog.)

8. Use the farthest bathroom available. If you work in a building with multiple floors, walk up at least 2 flights of stairs to use the bathroom. Over the course of the day, you could burn an extra 150 calories. If you don’t have stairs, force yourself to at least walk up and down the hallways a few times.

9. Track your progess. Keep a food diary or use an app to track your food intake. (We reviewed MyFitness Pal) If you know exactly what you’re putting in your mouth, you can make some objective changes.

10. Brag about your success! Post your goals on the fridge to remind you to keep at it and treat yourself to a fun weekend away or a night out dancing once you’ve achieved your goal. You’ve earned it!

Do you have any tips for losing those last 10 lbs?

Let me know!

-Sara

3 Feb

Healthy SuperBowl Recipes

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, Don't buy that, Make this. Tagged: , , , , .

So, it’s that time of year again; time for chicken wings, chips and dip, pigs in a blanket and tons of beer! Happy Super Bowl! Unfortunately, this is definitely not the best time to be on a diet. You probably have a great superbowl party to go to this weekend, but you know you’ll be tempted by all the delicious treats. Most of us end up eating hundreds to thousands of extra calories in this setting. When you’re with friends, you’re distracted and continue to eat even after you’re full, especially because the treats will be out all afternoon.

Instead of throwing in the towel and ruining your healthy habits for the week, why not bring some healthier options with you to the party? This way, you still get to eat great food, and no one will give you a hard time. For some additional tips about how to manly on a diet, check out this great post Kevin wrote a few weeks ago.

We looked around and found some recipes that we thought looked delicious and then tried them out ourselves.

First up, oven baken onion rings. We loved this recipe! They don’t taste exactly like onion rings from outback, but they were awesome. The recipe is a little time consuming and a bit messy, but absolutely worth it!

Ingredients

  • 2 medium yellow onions
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning blend, such as Cajun, jerk or Old Bay
  • Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray

Preparation

  1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat 2 large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
  2. Cut off both ends of each onion and peel. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick slices; separate into rings. (Discard the smallest rings or reserve for another use.) Place the rings in a medium bowl; cover with cold water.
  3. Combine flour and baking powder in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs and seasoning in a third shallow dish. Working with one ring at time, remove from the water, letting any excess drip off. Coat in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then coat in the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off any excess. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Generously coat the onion rings with cooking spray.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each onion ring over and return to the oven, switching the positions of the baking sheets. Continue baking until brown and very crispy, 8 to 10 minutes more.

 1 serving is 6-7 rings. Each serving has 175 calories and 3 grams of fat

Next, we made a healthy 7 layer bean dip. Kevin could not stop eating this one! We highly recommend it!

Ingredients

  • 1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans, preferably “spicy”
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
  • 4 scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup prepared salsa
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 medium avocado, chopped
  • 1/4 cup canned sliced black olives, (optional)

 

Preparation

  1. Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapeños in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.
  2. Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

1 serving is 1/2 cup of dip. 146 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving.

Finally we made twice baked sweet potatoes. The recipe is pretty easy and calls for you just to make them in the microwave. If you’re feeling fancy, you could put them in the oven as well.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (8 to 10 ounces each)
  • 3 ouncesCanadian bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoonsreduced-fat sour cream
  • 3 teaspoonschopped fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoonsshredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Pierce potatoes with a fork, and arrange on paper towels. Microwave on high 8 minutes; turn potatoes over after 4 minutes. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Mash pulp with 3 ounces Canadian bacon, 2 tablespoons sour cream, and 2 teaspoons chives in a bowl. Spoon mixture into shells. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over tops of potatoes. Microwave on high 2 minutes, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chives.

Each potato has 340 calories and 6 grams of fat.

These recipes were found on eatingwell.com and health.com

Enjoy! Let us know if you like them!

-Sara

31 Jan

Challenge: The Spartacus Workout

Posted by ksmahoney in Getting started, Motivation, Working out. Tagged: , , , .

“What if?”…………..could be the either most powerful, or the lamest statement I have ever heard. However, if someone throws a “what if?” at me in proper context, I feel like the gauntlet has been thrown out and I must rise to the occasion. If you are wondering what I am blabbing about let me give you the back story. My wife and I were on weekly shopping trip to the grocery store and I was slowly meandering the aisle’s, reading nutrition labels and making snide comments about how everything is bad for you when we took an odd turn. We happen to find ourselves in the magazine section.  So, wanting to continue my pessimistic attitude I picked up the latest copy of Men’s Health to scoff at the ridiculous statements they often make. I did scoff quite loudly and often, page by page.

I came to an article written about the lead character in the TV show Spartacus. The story went on to talk about how when he auditioned for the show he was given the lead, under the condition he put on about 40lbs of muscle. The story goes on to describe his diet and meetings with his personal trainer and how hard it is to keep his physique that he displays weekly in his show. The next few pages that followed are what drew this historic comment, “what if”………

Following the editorial was a work out plan that promised a “Spartan” body in just 6 weeks. It was in big bold letters, just like any other one of their plans that make absurd statements.  “GAIN 35lbs of muscle in 2 weeks with this one exercise”, or “take 10 years off your body with this new fruit”, or even better yet GUARANTEED  SIX PACK ABS SO AMAZING EVERY GIRL WILL THROW THEM SELVES AT YOU EVERY WHERE YOU GO.

I muttered to Sara how ridiculous that sounded. So, my wife being the amazing gorgeous, talented and graceful button-pusher she is said, “Well have you ever tried one of these work outs?” HAHAH I chuckled well of course I……..I……I have not, DAMN how does she do this? So then came those fateful words; the challenge of doom,  “Well what if you did?” AHHHHH a shot at my masculinity, a chance to prove myself right and her WRONG. How could I refuse?  I pounced on it before I could even process that here and now, in the aisle between lavender body soap and cleaning products as Better Homes and Gardens as my witness,  I submitted myself to blistering early mornings of pure discomforts and pain.

“Fine,” I said. Challenge on.

So here is what I have agreed to. The work out is a circuit course that you perform 3 days a week.  You do each exercise for 40 seconds and get 20 seconds to transition to the next exercise for one set, then you get a 2 minute break and repeat the work out 2 more times. All work outs are to be performed with set of dumb bells, as heavy as you can tolerate and still complete the work out; I have chosen 25lbs as my set of dumb bells. The exercises to be performed are dumbbell squat to alternation shoulder press and twist, mountain climber and push up, dumbbell side lunge and curl, plank walkup with dumbbell drag, dumbbell stepover, dumbbell single-arm alternating clean, pushup-position row and squat thrust, goblet squat and alternating reverse lunge, dumbbell Russian twist and last dumbbell straight-leg deadlift and row.

I have agreed to do this for six weeks; I will post a weekly update to include photos and any critiques. I will also be keeping a daily food log. I have given myself an introduction by performing all of the exercises prior to starting the program.

Wish me luck! If any of you would like to take the Spartacus challenge with me, let me know!

-Kevin

28 Jan

Make This, Don’t Buy That: Breakfast Tacos

Posted by ksmahoney in Diet, Don't buy that, Make this. Tagged: , , , .

In this week’s installment of Make This, Don’t Buy that I have decided to take on south Texas’s favorite morning treat, the breakfast taco. Now, some of you reading this are going to question the validity of having a taco for breakfast, but rest assured this item is everything you want in a breakfast. Fast, delicious, filling and AWSOME! Unfortunately, if you buy it from your local gas station, it also comes with a high fat and calorie count….. not something you want to hear. So I have come up with my own recipe and I actually eat this for breakfast every morning, Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients:

1 low fat flour tortilla

1 egg and 1 egg white

2oz of low fat queso

1 strip of turkey bacon

I tbl spoon of pico de gallo or hot sauce

 

Directions:

Scramble eggs in pan, place cheese on tortilla and top with the turkey bacon and salsa. ENJOY!!

25 Jan

Fat Burning Zone

Posted by ksmahoney in Motivation, Working out. Tagged: , , , , .

You may have heard this advice sometime, “If you want to burn fat, you need to be exercising in you fat-burning zone.” Even the cardio machines at the gym have a nice little graph of where your heart rate should be if you want to burn fat versus where your heart rate should be if you’d like a cardiovascular workout.  So what is the “fat-burning zone” and does it actually help you burn more fat?

The Physiology

Your body has two main sources of energy; carbohydrates and fat. You are constantly going through metabolic processes that break down these macronutrients, producing something called ATP, which is the main source of energy in the body.  To use carbohydrates, your body breaks down the carbs into their simplest form, glucose, and goes through a 10 step process called glycolysis. Glucose is available in your bloodstream after you’ve eaten, is stored in your muscles and produced by the liver. The other way you can produce ATP is by breaking down fat and you use a simple form here as well (the fatty acid). However, in order to use fat, it must be broken down in your adipose tissue (those are your fat cells stored all around your body), travel through the blood stream, be taken up by your muscles and then go through two cycles before you get ATP. It’s a much lengthier process, but the end result is much more ATP.  Because this process is so lengthy, however, you can’t produce energy very quickly. That means that if you are exercising intensely, you will rely on carbs for energy rather than fats.

The bottom line: the harder you are exercising, the more you use carbohydrates, and the lower your intensity, the more you rely on fats.

So what’s the claim?

The idea behind working in your “fat-burning zone” is that if you lower your intensity, you will burn a larger percentage of calories from fat, instead of carbohydrates. Which is true, sort of. The thing you don’t hear much about is that your ultimate fat burning zone is sitting completely still. When you are sedentary, you don’t need energy very quickly, so almost all your energy is coming from fat. Well great! Why don’t we all lose weight sitting around then?  The problem is that you burn very few calories while sitting, so who cares if they all come from fat? The same principle applies to exercise.

Practical Application

Exercising in your “fat-burning zone” usually entails a heart rate of approximately 120-140, however you will burn significantly fewer calories in your exercise session than if you were able to maintain a heart rate of 150-160. Yes, more of them may be derived from fat, but because your total number is so much less, you won’t come out ahead. If burning fat is what you’re after, you can either work out at a higher intensity for 20-30 minutes, or, if you prefer a lower intensity, then you need to increase your time to 60 minutes plus.

How intensely do you like to exercise? Do you prefer longer and slower or shorter and more intense?

-Sara

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