what's the formula...

for how hard your heart should work?
what is the zone i need to be in?
the saying "work smarter not harder" comes to mind in this adventure. i see people going crazy on the treadmill that are severely overweight, with their faces totally red, looking like the might have a heart attack at any moment. they are working really hard, but aren't dropping any weight.
so how do you figure it out so you can be in your target zone?
here is a great article with the correct formula to figure out what your personal target heart rate needs to be.

cardio for conditioning v.s. cardio for weightloss...
Different people have different purposes for during cardio. Cardio is generally thought of as a one stop shop when it comes to fitness. However, before beginning cardiovascular training, one must ask them what the purpose of the cardio is. Is the purpose of your cardiovascular training to lose body fat , or is it to create a stronger heart and lungs?

The average person who want to lose weight views running and walking as the perfect, cheapest, most efficient exercises you can do to lose weight. The truth is that they are correct in the assumptions, however what is most important when doing cardio is your heart rate. In previous post i have mentioned the term Target Heart Rate and how it is important to weight loss. Your Target Heart Rate(THR) is a range of numbers that your heart rate needs to be between while doing cardio. In order to figure out your THR you first need to know your resting heart rate. You can take this by sitting or laying(laying down is preferable) for at least 10 minutes. This heart rate that you get will be called your resting heart rate. From here insert the necessary info into the following formula.

Beginner or low fitness level . . .50% - 60%
Average fitness level . . . . . . . . 60% - 70%
High fitness level . . . . . . . . . . . 75% - 85%
Now that we’ve determined and gathered the information needed, we can pull the information together in the Karvonen Formula:

220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate
Max Heart Rate - Rest. Heart Rate x Intensity + Rest. Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate
For example, Sally is 33 yrs old, has a resting heart rate of 75 and she’s just beginning her exercise program (her intensity level will be 50% - 60%.) Sally’s training heart rate zone will be 131-142 beats per minute:

Sally's Minimum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .50 (Min. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 131 Beats/Minute

Sally's Maximum Training Heart Rate:
220 - 33 (Age) = 187
187 - 75 (Rest. HR) = 112
112 x .60 (Max. Intensity) + 75 (Rest. HR) = 142 Beats/Minute

If your purpose is to burn fat you need to stay with your THR. When in this zone the body will switch from carbs to stored up fat as a predominant energy source. Essentially you use the fat you already have for energy. If you allow your heart rate you will no longer be in this range and will actually begin burning muscle. If your heart decrease below the minimum, you basically aren't doing anything. Remember, staying in your Target Heart Rate Zone means an increase in fat as an energy source, which in turn means you burn fat faster than by not monitoring you heart rate. It is this reason why it is not always best for someone who has been inactive for quite sometime to begin exercising by just jumping on a treadmill and running. Because they have been inactive, their heart rate will easily skyrocket and they will leave their THR zone. At that time, they begin training the lungs and heart, more than training for a loss in body fat. They should gradually progress into running, or walking with an incline. For individuals with back, hip and ankle injuries, a recumbent or seated bike can accommodate you as well. When doing cardio increase your heart rate by adding and incline or just going faster, and decrease your heart rate by doing the opposite. Remember you must check your heart rate often to maintain your THR. Following this plan for cardio, consuming a healthy diet and resistance training a minimum of 3-4 times a week will show definite progress. Working harder is not always necessary. Article by Your Personal Trainer

today i did the stairmaster for 45 minutes, and then swam for 30 minutes
heart & breathing exercises for 15 minutes
i drank 140 ounces of water
i ate an apple
an orange
olive garden salad 2 helpings
one breadstick
a few bites of risotto
a few bites of short ribs
a few bites of chicken
a bite of lasagna
two bites pasta salad
two bites coleslaw salad
1/2 sugar cookie
1 bite of a brownie