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Staying in Your Fat Burning Zone 24 by 7

Nutrition and fitness specialist and author Dr. Len Lopez explains why many people hit a plateau when attempting to lose weight…and how they can stoke the fat-burning fire for better results.

By Dr. Len Lopez

We're all familiar with the term "training in our 'fat-burning' zone." But did you know that your 'fat-burning' zone should be experienced throughout the day, even when you're not exercising! In fact, one of the biggest reasons people get stuck, or hit a plateau, in their weight loss efforts, is because their metabolism is not keeping them in that zone 24/7.

As trainers we think of the fat burning zone as the intensity level (low to moderate) we do aerobic exercise so the body will burn calories from fats instead of carbs and protein.

The simple truth is that our body prefers to burn fats over carbs and protein. Unfortunately, many clients who struggle with weight gain, fatigue, moodiness, cravings, etc.…are just the opposite. Their metabolism is set to burn carbs and proteins instead of fats.

Our bodies should ideally be in "fat-burning zone" all day, every day.

Fats Provide 2 ½ Times More Energy

Our goal should be to keep our body in the fat-burning zone all the time. In order to accomplish this, we must make sure our metabolism is burning fat, rather than lean tissue (protein) and carbs (sugars). When we burn fats, we get a bonus…we use more than two-and-a-half times more energy than we do when we burn carbohydrates and proteins.

"To think that merely adding muscle will fix the problem is incorrect."

The important thing to remember is that the body burns calories by either breaking down proteins, carbohydrates or fat. We want to make sure our clients are breaking down fats for energy. Just because the exercise machine said you burned 300 calories from your session doesn't mean you burned 300 calories from stored body fat. You could have easily burned 300 calories from the carbs you ate earlier, or 300 calories from lean muscle tissue. As trainers, many clients look to us for both answers and results. If we can't give them those things, they may look elsewhere. This is why it is beneficial to understand how our metabolism functions. To think that merely adding muscle will fix the problem is incorrect. Every client is different and will have a unique set of challenges. Training is only a part of the solution - we can easily assess their metabolism through a series of questions about diet, stress, digestion, blood sugar and hormone levels. When we better understand where they are coming from we can design a more appropriate workout and dieting plan for them.

What to Look For…

The body is like a car - it gives us signals (symptoms). We need to make sure we are attentive to those signs and symptoms, which let us know if the metabolism is functioning properly. What is important to understand is that hormones regulate our metabolism. Some hormones trigger the body to burn fats, some to store fats and some to burn carbohydrates and proteins. What we need to understand and convey to our clients is that stress, diet, digestion and blood sugar are what activate those hormones.

"…cortisol, adrenaline, insulin, glucagon and our thyroid hormones. These hormones affect whether our body is burning or storing fats."

Please keep in mind when I say "hormones," I am not specifically talking about estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. I am talking about the hormones that regulate our mood, metabolism, sleep, blood sugar, heart rate, respiration, etc.…I am talking about cortisol, adrenaline, insulin, glucagon and our thyroid hormones. These hormones affect whether our body is burning or storing fats.

Simple questions to ask…

Besides the standard health questions everyone should be asking, here are several other questions we should begin to ask;

Do they struggle with cravings or low blood sugar?
Do they have a history of hypoglycemia?
Are they irritable and moody if their meals are missed or delayed?
Do they skip meals or eat less than 3 meals a day?
Do they struggle with lightheadedness or dizziness?
Does their diet consist of refined, processed junk food and drinks?
Do they suffer from midmorning/afternoon slumps?
Do they have a hard time concentrating and staying focused?
Do they have to eat every couple of hours to keep their energy up?
Do they wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep?

The questions can be answered as mild, moderate or severe and are obvious symptoms that correlate to blood sugar issues. Maintaining blood sugar levels is critical for staying in the fat-burning zone. More…