Heart Rate Training/Body Fat Improvements

I guess since I reached goal weight a few weeks ago... I suspect that I needed something else to focus on. I didn't want to revise my goal weight and play that type of mental games with myself when maybe my body will be happy right here where I am. Personally I think I look great right here... not heavy, not too thin, just right. Others seem to think so too so I've got opinions from neutral sources to confirm my thoughts. You amy remember that Rich and I did our metabolism testing and heart rate testing back in June but due to my chest pain issue I back burnered the workout for a while. I did go back to the gym a few weeks ago after being off for a good month and it took some adjusting but I jumped right back in. So the week before last I started following the heart rate training program I was given which is basically 1 hour on the treadmill each session. I have 2 types of sessions: strength and speed. Goal was to due them 3-4 times a week total. Strength more often if there is a choice. Basically in each of the two programs there are 3 ranges of heart rates: a low warm-up/cool down range (barely breathing - heart rate up to 79.8), a higher range (80-8 to 103) and then a range up to my AT of 103.6 to 114 (anaerobic threshold - where anything over that number I'm only working my body anaerobically). The strength program starts with the low range for a few minutes with the treadmill at a 2% incline. I just adjust the speed on the machine to keep my heart rate in the target range. Then I go to a 6% incline on the machine and bring my heart rate up to the middle range. Then up to 7% for a period of time with a corresponding heart rate range. Then incrementally up to 8%, 9% and 10%. Then you drop back down to 6% and back up incrementally to 10% by 1%. Basically the heart rates are the two ranges (non warm-up). Some are highlighted yellow meaning that I'm supposed to keep to the high-end of the range which my high end of my top range is a heart rate of 114 (my AT). The program varies the heart rate ranges. It is very interesting and cool. The speed program is totally at a 2% incline for the whole shebang. I do 3 minutes of warm up at low heart rate (barely breathing... LOL!) followed by 2 minutes at the next heart range to warm up. Then I do 3 minutes at the higher heart rate followed by 1 minute at the next lower for a while. Eventually I do 3 at the higher heart rate but at the top end of it (up to 114) followed by 1 minute of the same range. Then this tapers back down before cool down. What I'm trying to accomplish is to get my body to burn fat at a higher heart range. This is what the program is set out to do. I am supposed to do this program for 3 weeks and then switch to another set of workouts that I was provided for the next 3 weeks and then get retested. I'll probably do 4 weeks of each to push out the retesting since it wasn't inexpensive (was $150 for both the metabolism and heart rate) My overall goal, since I'm not focused on the scale anymore, is to get my body fitter and get my body fat percentage down. The lowest number I get on my Tanita scale has been 24.5%. This number varies but that is the best afternoon reading when I'm well hydrated. Morning readings when not hydrated can be up to 33%. These scales vary alot so it is best to check the same time of day and compare. I'm not sure of the true accuracy of these anyway but it is something to work with. I'm shooting for 20% body fat. Not sure how long it will take. Obviously losing body fat is not a matter of getting on the scale tomorrow and seeing a difference. I suspect it isn't a fast process. So as far as immediate feedback, I am not going to be getting it. I'll have to be patient. I do have measurements too that were recently taken so I can measure success in a variety of ways. I continue to be a human science project for all to see. I'll keep ya posted on how this goes. Kathy