How is Your New Year’s Resolution Going to Lose Weight After the Holidays?
As you embarked on your weight loss journey did you consider how much you are eating and what you need to do to work that “math” on how to lose weight? I always tell my kids that at a very basic level, monitoring your weight and weight loss is really just math. What you put in your mouth are calories consumed that fuel your body. If you don’t need that much fuel then your body will just store it for later…in the form of fat. Now I know that the make-up of your diet (carbs, protein, fats) can be tweaked, rationed, and balanced in a way to favor your metabolism and neuroendocrine system, and therefore this helps reduce cravings and the storage of these foods as fat. This is of great value, but more complicated and advanced to review for the purpose of this blog. So, just for starters, if you are going to diet to lose weight, you must understand the “math” as to what you are doing to yourself when you binge.
I always find it interesting when someone says “well I exercised today so I can eat those 3 slices of pizza and a bowl of ice cream.” And then I ask well what did you do for exercise? And they say “well I walked at lunch for 20 minutes.’ Now don’t get me wrong…it is absolutely a WIN to get out there and walk to begin with but the math on this is all wrong.
Let’s calculate the calories of 3 slices of cheese pizza and a (normal) person’s bowl of ice cream (3 scoops?):
- 3 scoops of ice cream ranges from 500 to 750 calories depending on the source and size of the scoop
- 3 Slices of cheese pizza equals 800 to 900 calories.
- Total: 1400 to 1650 calories.
That’s only 1 meal and doesn’t include the beverage (you likely had a Diet Coke 😊)
Here is a list of activities that I found on the internet from various sites, that you can reference to do to burn just 100 calories. To burn off the pizza and ice cream, pick 14 to 16 options from the list below or multiply your walk for 20 minutes by 14 to 16.
* (Your current body weight will slightly adjust these numbers which are based on a 150 lb person).
Biking: 23 minutes of casual cycling
Cardio dance class: 15 minutes
Elliptical: 8 minutes
Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes
Pilates: 24 minutes
Rowing machine: 13 minutes
Running stairs: 6 minutes
Running: 9 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace
Swimming: 15 minutes moderate intensity
Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace
Water aerobics: 23 minutes
Yoga: 20 minutes
Zumba: 11 minutes
Jump Rope for 7-9 minutes at a moderate intensity
Basketball, shooting hoops: 20 minutes
Bowling: 30 minutes
Dancing around living room: 20 minutes
Darts: 35 minutes
Golfing, carrying clubs: 15 minutes
Ice skating, moderate: 18 minutes
Kickball: 13 minutes
Mini golf or driving range: 30 minutes
Playing catch with a football: 35 minutes
Playing Frisbee: 30 minutes
Playing soccer, casual: 13 minutes
Skiing, downhill: 10 minutes
Softball or baseball: 18 minutes
Tennis (doubles): 21 minutes
Tennis (singles): 15 minutes
Volleyball, recreational: 26 minutes
Water skiing: 15 minutes
Mowing the lawn: 20 minutes
Painting house: 18 minutes
Raking leaves: 23 minutes
Shoveling snow: 15 minutes
Washing the car: 20 minutes
Weeding the garden: 18 minutes
Pushing a stroller: 35 minutes
Rearranging furniture: 14 minutes
Shopping: 38 minutes
Sweeping: 23 minutes
Walking the dog, 26 minutes
Cooking: 34 minutes
Doing dishes: 40 minutes
Mopping the floor: 20 minutes
Carrying an infant: 24 minutes
To adequately burn off that pizza and ice cream you really need to walk for 4 hours and 40 minutes at a 3 mph pace or dance around your living room for 4 hours and 40 minutes! And remember this was only for that one meal!
The take-away: If you start off with looking more closely at the “math” of your daily exercise vs. calorie count you will get a better handle on whether your activity level matches the amount of food you are eating. If they don’t calculate out your food/daily activity level to create a deficit vs. a surplus, then you won’t lose weight and get healthy ☹
***For more information about your exact nutritional needs regarding calories and types of foods best for your body, please consult a nutrition expert/dietician. Types of food you eat within those calories is crucial for optimum health and maintaining a healthy weight.