the most useful tool to lose weight

I've been running for a couple of years, 3-4 times a week. But I haven't been able to lose any weight. Maybe 1 kg, which I then put back during weekend dinners.

So I did quite a bit of research and found that I don't have to run like mad and kill my heart just to lose some weight. I just need to exercise at the light intensity zone where my heart rate is 60-70% of my maximum heart rate. At this rate, the body uses the stored fats as the main source of energy. All I need to achieve this range of heart rate is to walk briskly. This is great news as I find it so difficult to motivate myself to run after mid-week cos it is so tiring.

For those who already exercise regularly, it is good to push on to the moderate intensity zone which is 70-80% of maximum heart rate. At this range, I find that I only need to run slowly and even have to walk at intervals to keep my heart rate from going beyond 80%. For those who are unfit, the body will use carbohydrates for fuel while exercising. For those who are fit, the body will use more stored fat as fuel. At this zone, not only will one lose fat (also weight), you get to improve aerobic fitness and endurance too.

The hard intensity zone , at 80-90% of max heart rate, is recommended occasionally for fit people. At this zone, you will breathe heavily, feel fatigued and have tired muscles. You won't be able to run for long at this rate. But it is useful to exercise at this rate for short intervals as it improves your fitness and give some variation to your exercise routine.

As the heart rate sensors in my gym machines do not work well, I got myself a POLAR F4. I think it is the most useful tool for anyone who wants to lose weight. I had no idea that I was running beyond 90% of my heart rate in the past. No wonder I got "burned out" by mid-week! I can now run easily for more than an hour at 70-80% and am looking forward to each run. An added bonus is the gym machines can pick up the heart rate from the transmitter that is strapped to my chest. So I don't even need to check the watch for the readings.

By the way, I've searched far and wide for a watch that can give continuous heart rate readings without a chest strap. The only one I can find so far is one that is worn on the palm and fingers. It looks weird, and I can't wear the watch for ordinary use. So I settled for POLAR. It has a female version for smaller wrists. The strap holds up well; doesn't slide down as I had feared.

Many online shops sell the POLAR. But if you are in Singapore, I recommend a shop at The Bencoolen. It gives 15% discount, which is cheaper than what I would have gotten online, including shipping charges. By the way, this shop sells CASIO watches at wholesale prices and it has a wide range. The discount is like 50% off those in City Chain etc.