Heart rate and weight loss
 

Has anyone done this.

Started cycling.
Failed to lose weight.
Started using a heart rate monitor.
Discovered that they were exceeding their target zone on a regular basis.
Slowed down as a result.
Lost weight.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm thinking of purchasing an HRM.

Well, I don't know if it went exactly like that but I realized once I got a HR monitor that I was pushing way too hard when I was on my rides. As a result I would burn out too quickly and couldn't get in the milage I needed to really loose weight. The HR monitor got me to slow down when I needed to but also when I zone out on a ride it brings me back to reality so that I keep my HR up where it needs to be. It was just a good tool that let me keep track of my performance better which, in turn, let me train longer and more efficiently which helped me loose weight (along with being hungry a lot). They are really helpful in my opinion.

I got one but I don't think it was the HRM that helped that much. In my case I discovered that eating 2000 calories at lunch wasn't helping. ;)

This happened to me. The most important thing that changed when I discovered I was working out too high is I suddenly didn't feel exhausted after my workouts, didn't feel the need to nap . . . actually felt energized. The weight loss was an added plus.

I wear my heart rate monitor now whenever I cycle, spin, or play tennis. I don't wear it when I swim, but I know a lot of triathletes who do. It has been a really great way to monitor my resting heart rate . . . and fun to see that go down as I've gotten into better shape. Not everyone enjoys it, but I love mine. Also, after I convinced a friend to get one, he lost 50 pounds (over 2 years) after working out for years without losing.

Sandy

Yep. I used to mash my arse off. I wasn't trying to loose weight at the time, just cycling for fun. I had a few extra bucks in my budget and bought an HRM and read up on it and weight loss. Started spinning insted of mashing and keeping my HR in the right zone and lost nearly 20 pounds in 2 months!

I was actually planning to wear it when I swam. That's an area where I tend to push myself.

When you are pushing your heart rate zone higher, your glycogen stores get depleted faster, so you feel hungry all the time. That's probably the reason why you are gaining weight???

When you get in the aerobic zone, your body starts to use fat as energy and you probably don't feel as hungry. In addition to your metabolism getting a kick start, you start losing weight.

I'm not expert, but this is probably what is happening.

What would be a good recommendation of how long to stay in the fat burning zone (60-70% of MAX) if I want to do this 4-5 days a week to just loose weight? Is 40 minutes enough?

Losing a pound of fat requires losing 3500 calories. Now say 40 minutes is 500 calories. Five times per week is 2500 calories so that is not a lb per week and that is if you do not increase your caloric intake with the increased exercise.

Long term, of course, even a small caloric deficit run long enough will make one lose weight. How much time do you have and how fast do you want to get there? So as to your question, is 40 minutes enough, I can not say. I do not know how much weight you want to lose and what time frame you want to lose it in.

Just start now, you can adjust your workouts upward later. It helps to have your weight stable before you start, but that doesn't matter. Once begun is half done. Don't be apprehensive, it's a long road and the gains will be small, but they're there. So trust yourself and get with the program!

HRM and cadence meter are my staple gauges. No matter how hard you cycle, if your caloric intake is less than your expenditure, you'll loose weight. However, if you keep your HR in the 60-75% of your MHR, you'll burn fat. It takes discipline though. Most will likely push for their max HR. It's more fun.