I have just had a go on a walking machine and got up to my cycle pace.
Just fast enough to feel like you are doing something and bring on a sweat.
Knowing nothing about heart rates I pressed the button on the machine and it was on 130 and venturing into the danger danger zone.
I backed off to “recommended exercise level” which felt too easy.
Then i noticed way down the scale “weight loss”.
This was practically standing still, can i go that slow and lose weight?
Since giving up a physical job 6 years ago and marrying an excellent cook I’ve put on a stone which i would like to lose.
So can I buy a HRM pedal really slowly and get slim?
Seems unlikely.
Ps I am assuming I should have programmed the machine with my details for it to be more accurate.

It’s about calories in calories out at the end of the day isn’t it. So if you are going real slow and burning 100 calories an hour but do it for 3 hours, it’s the same as going faster and burning 300 calories an hour for 1 hour. I think.

Hard exercise uses a higher proportion of carbohydrate rather than fat burning. (Putting it very simplistically) the easier your exercise the higher percentage of fat vs carbs you burn. For optimum weight loss you need to be doing enough to get you breathing harder and do lots of it.

I don’t think it’s quite that simple.

Burning 300 cals in less time means you’re working harder which will probably mean you’re muscles need more repairing which takes energy. If you build muscle then you’re increasing your living tissues which takes more energy to keep alive and hence you’re base energy requirement goes up.

It will depend on how hard you have to work and your current level of fitness – all these machines use estimates so aren’t accurate.
Without any of your details of weight it’ll be even more out.

If you want to lose weight, do more exercise and eat sensibly. Don’t weigh yourself more than once a week at the same time of day.
You’re better off going by measurements waist, thigh etc – muscle is heavier than fat so you could lose fat but not lose weight.

The machine is probably set too sensitive – no prob exercising at 130 for most (my 75% is only 150)

I’m not convinced by the whole ride slowly to burn fat thing, I’d get bored anyway!

For HR training range I use method devised by philip maffetone (Google for more information). I have done quite a lot of reading / research around this area I believe this to be the best approach, some will disagree but it works well for most people.

+1 daverambo and cynic-al.

Set your zones properly and you’ll get better/more accurate results than generic machines. I’ve got 7 hr zones, and about once a week have to stick to zone 1-2 for active recovery rides – the reality of this means unless there’s no wind, i’m on the rollers or riding slower than a granny on a shopping bike outside! 130 for me is zone 1 so miles off what your machine said is a danger zone!

Simples. Ride long way at easy rate regularly and your clothes will eventually fall off. Once your body is used to this pattern it will be better at using fat to burn even at high intensivity rates. Basically, all mountain bikers should cover long distances on a road bike. The unspoken truth.