For instance, training in Zone 1 will help you burn fat calories and quickly drop some pounds, but you’ll quickly plateau if you never leave this heart rate zone.

Adding in work at Zone 2 continues to burn fat and is especially good for burning off all those carbohydrates we liek to consume. Also, since you’re now starting to work closer to your anaerobic threshold, you’re burning more calories than you would in Zone 1 (more intensity = more calories burned).

Training in Zone 3 takes your body anaerobic, i.e., your muscles burn glycogen instead, which leads to improvements in your metabolic rate. The more time you spend in Zone 3 the more calories you burn and, even better, you •can increase your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for up to 75% of the total calories you burn in a day. A highe RMR means you’ll burn even more calories while you’re sitting at your desk during those long work days.

One more thing about calories: it’s not just about caloric intake but also the nutrition your body gains from the calories you consume. There are “good” calories that provide your body with essential nutrients that help you maintain your energy level even while you increase your exercise level and cut your caloric intake. And then the are “junk” calories that are, basically, a complete waste (other than the satisfaction of some chocolate ice cream every now and then). At the end of the day, though, you could consume 500 calories of a candy bar that your body will quickly burn through (and leave you more tired afterward), or you can eat 300 calories of lean protein like chicekn or fish that will provide long-lasting energy and promote your weight loss goals.

Thanks for visiting the site. In fact, I’ve been using the LoseIt app for the past couple of months and love it for its simplicity. The only draw back is the limited database of food searches. Just don’t eat anything exotic. Go fig that Bulgogi isn’t included. For those instances, I use CalorieKing.com and just create a new food item.

To Jenni’s point, the calorie counter and the exercise tracker are pretty fun to watch. Though, if you try any other apps..let us know I’d be willing to shell out $0.99 for a good app.

Kristine

All in all, I believe that I eat better (e.g., less cheese!) thanks to the tracking I did on LoseIt. I also find much satisfaction in the amount of calories I’m burning while vigorously vacuuming for an hour or working in the yard for two!