"We just got back from a week out West. It was great.  Funny but I was worried about missing my workouts but we hiked every day for fun. One of the best hikes was Thursday's trek to the summit of Mt. Tallac.  The summit sits at 9,700 feet and if I had known that before the hike, I would probably not have embarked on the journey but as I climbed (3,200 feet from lake Tahoe) sometimes at a 45 degree angle, I set short goals ahead, i.e., just get to the second lake, just get to the snow line, just climb these rocks.  Finally we made it to the summit!  I could not believe that I did it (in my workout shoes no less!).  It took four hours and I will never forget how I felt about getting there. Working out really helped me not only be in shape for this but also gave me the mental determination to do it so THANKS! I took a rock from the summit to sit on my desk and remind me that anything is achievable."

-I love it. Great testimony- sounds like a life changing moment!

 "You have always said that getting healthy is more than just exercise and eating right. I'm not looking forward to this morning's weigh in, I said "NO" to so much this week but I also know that I hardly got any activity in. And when I did eat, I didn't make sure to get in all my veggies. I think mostly that I ate within my calories, but they were just not the right things. Argh! I may have said NO to so much, but I didn't say yes to the right foods. This will be a better week. My main goal is to get some activity, the weather is going to be cooler this week so that means time to walk."

-You are doing great. Keep going, it is a long road but worth it.

 "Dear Sue, this week's letter was extraordinary.  Just want you to know that YOU ARE THE BEST "ENCOURAGER" (other than my therapist perhaps) there ever could be!  I never thought of it that way but that's exactly who you are. I always say "my trainer is the best; it's not just about the physical aspects with her".  Now I know the word to use...thank you!!"

-Thank you! So glad you are part of my life.

 

"I don't know if you remember me... I've been receiving your Trainer Sue newsletters for a couple of months and really enjoy them.  Your story is so inspirational!  Just read the one for this week and have to admit, I have many doubts that I can get back in shape.  As I'm writing this I realize how silly it sounds, is it possible to get back in great shape at our age?  I say it's silly because look at you...it sounds like having a trainer was key for you.  Would you say that was a turning point for you?  I'm in Phoenix otherwise I'd come see you!  You don't happen to have any fellow trainers in the Phoenix area, do you? Again, thanks for the awesome newsletters!!!"

-Thank you so much! So great to hear from you and how awesome to hear that we are connected through my newsletter.  I truly believe that you can get in shape and be at your healthy body weight at any age.  ANY AGE!  The key for most of us is we have put other things, other people first for so long and we are stuck in that mode.  There are many reasons, emotional and spiritual, that we do that. I work with so many women who realize in their 40's and 50's that they don't want to live with the consequences of that anymore and they set out to learn how to make themselves and their health important in their own lives.  It is a difficult process but it can be done! The turning point for me was realizing that my way didn't work- and hiring a trainer was a big part of heading in the right direction.  The workouts were great and they taught me to leave work on time to get to my appointments, to put myself at the top of my list, to not quit, to push myself, etc.  It was a great experience.  Just start with some small steps this week.  It is a long, slow process but worth every step.
 

"Question: What benefit do I get from working out at the top of my range (and beyond) for an hour? I did Zumba today, and my average was 154, with a max of 184 and only 20 minutes in my zone. That means (I think) that I spent a lot of time working anaerobically. I know this isn't the most optimal for fat burning -- but what benefit IS it? Ultimately, I'm trying to decide if I need to slow my butt down for greater benefits."

-Great question. It really depends on what your goals are. Here's how I explain anaerobic work:

1) Anaerobic work trains your body to operate at high rate rates.  So if you are training for the Tour de France where you want to be going ALL OUT you need to train in that zone.  I knew I was going to be anaerobic on my hikes this spring so I trained in that zone by spinning.  My average HR was typically about 155/max 174 during training.

2) The higher the heart rate, the more calories burned.  So if you did one hour of Zumba at average HR 134 you would burn less calories than if your average is 154.  When I got measured at Baseline, I found out that I burned 9.1 calories per minute in zone 2 (for me 138-148) and 11.7 calories per minute in zone 4 (158-170).  For one hour that's 546 cal vs. 702 cal.

3) The higher the zone, the more calories burned come from sugar/quick energy and the less from fat.  For me, I drop quickly.  At HR=128 I burn over 50% of calories from fat.  At HR=148 I am down to 15% from fat.  If fat loss was my only goal, I am better off to stay in zone one!  The problem I have found with working in zones 3-4 is that as I burn my sugar stores, I crave sugar later.  I feel much less in control of my food choices and therefore I don't seem to get anywhere.  The best analogy I know is working in a high heart rate zone can be like emptying your gas tank.  You just fill it up again as soon as you eat.  If you want to access the fuel you are storing in the trunk, you have to slow down.

Ideally, we could work out in zones 3 and 4, burn the max calories but that would require ultra-control with food which I just don't have.  When my blood glucose is low I feel crappy and I eat a lot more food and sugar.  That's why for me I need to keep my HR low most of the time or else I would be a carb craving lunatic.

So the bottom line is- it's really about what your goals are.  Some days I need those high intensity workouts for my mental health so I run and I try to plan my food later to be satisfying but not a sugar blitz.  Other days, I want to feel that stability of aerobic work and know I am keeping my body fat % in check so I walk.  On those days it's easy to eat healthy, which is nice.