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CALORIES BURNED
vs
CALORIES CONSUMED
As a Health and Fitness
Coach/Personal Trainer, the calories burned versus calories consumed
scenario is a concept that I find people
really struggle to get their head around. Now it's been mentioned
on this
website before, but I'll say it again...
'In order to get rid of fat you
need to consume less calories per day than what you burn up
for energy'.
So if your body isn't able to use your food (calories) for energy (because you are
strategically and safely limiting your calorie
intake!) it has to come from somewhere. And where is
that somewhere?? Well, your body fat stores of
course! So how
many calories per day do I need to consume? A very detailed
account of how to work this out for your own individual circumstance
can be found on these
pages, but in general you want to stay between 300-1000
calories per day less than what you burn up for energy during the
day/night.
The purpose of this page
Even
though it's quite a relatively easy concept to understand I find that
people
don't realize how easy it is to over consume calories and how important
it is to consistently eat the right amounts. This
page is
dedicated to helping put in to perspective the idea around calories burned
during exercise in comparison to different meals/snacks.
But it's also emphasises the importance of starting in getting your
food intake right from the beginning, rather than actually trying to
continually exercise to undo what you have done in the eating
department!
I
have provided a table below which compares some different foods/drinks
comparing it to the exercise it takes to burn off the equivalent
calories. Just remember, it would easily take less than 5 mins to
consume most of the foods/drinks on the list, but much more time and
energy to get those calories burned off through activity. So remember that when you allow yourself a
little chocolate here, and a muesli bar there. Choose your food
wisely!
Yes, by eating more chocolate cake, pizza and other
calorie dense foods it's easier to put on weight and in turn have those calories burned through exercise. However, even if you
are eating fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and all the 'good foods'
being sure to stay away from 'bad'
food you still have to be wary of the total amount of calories going in
to your body. Any excess calories can be stored as fat.
Dont
think Backward!
So don't
get in to thinking about what you food have to burn off.
Start
off by eating well, and getting your calories right from the beginning. Add exercise
to compliment rather than by eating in excess, then trying to back
pedal your way by exercising.
How
many times have you seen this.... a friend, (maybe even
yourself!),
have a big weekend
overindulging and then justify that it's ok because a brisk walk
Sunday night will be in order to burn those calories? This is
backward thinking and will keep you going around in circle, day after
day, year after year. Even if
you
do burn off the excess calories you consumed, to shed existing body
fat, you'll need to exercise even more to tap in to that stored body
fat for fuel. You won't use that stored fat you're desperate to
get rid of if you keep putting in excess calories/food... Hate to
break the news,
but
it's going to take consistent efforts with eating well, and training
regularly to lose that unwanted weight.
Check this out:
Note:
I have also made a Conversations with the Coach (this website's monthly audio newsletter) regarding this
topic. It goes hand in hand with the information on this page. To listen/read click here.
| Food/drink
Source |
Calories |
Walk
5.6km/hr
(3.5miles/hr) |
Run
10km/hr
(6.25miles/hr) |
Run
12km/hr
(7.5miles/hr) |
Muesli
(toasted)
1 cup (55g, 1.9oz) |
215 |
31 mins |
18 mins |
15 mins |
| 1
cup skim milk (250g, 8.8oz) |
88 |
13 mins |
7 mins |
6 mins |
| Total |
303 |
43 mins |
25 mins |
21 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2
slices bread (rye) |
219 |
31 mins |
18 mins |
16 mins |
| Lettuce
(3 leaves) |
4 |
0.5 mins |
0.3 mins |
0.3 mins |
| 1
slice tomato |
4 |
0.5 mins |
0.3 mins |
0.3 mins |
| Avocado
(5g, 0.2oz) |
5 |
0.5 mins |
0.4
mins |
0.3 mins |
| Chicken
breast (30g, 1oz) |
50 |
7 mins |
4 mins |
3 mins |
| Total |
282 |
40 mins |
23 mins |
19 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Average
muesli bar (45g, 1.6oz) |
163 |
23 mins |
13 mins |
11 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1
slice fruit/raisin toast (65g 2.3oz) |
235 |
34 mins |
19 mins |
16 mins |
| Margarine
(5g, 0.2oz) |
31 |
4 mins |
3 mins |
2 mins |
| Total |
266 |
38 mins |
22 mins |
18 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Slice
of chocolate cake (100g, 3.5oz) |
368 |
38 mins |
22 mins |
25 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 Big
Mac (McDonalds) |
478 |
1hr, 8
mins |
39 mins |
33 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mini
easter egg (6.8g, 0.2oz) |
35 |
5 mins |
3 mins |
2 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Hot
chips (bucket - 150g, 5.3oz) |
450 |
1hr, 4
mins |
36 mins |
30 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Original
Krispy Kreme Donut (52g, 1.8oz) |
228 |
33 mins |
19 mins |
16 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Can
of coke (365ml, 12.8oz) |
161 |
23 mins |
13 mins |
11 mins |
|
|
|
|
|
| Glass
of red wine (160ml, 5.6oz) |
107 |
15 mins |
9 mins |
7 mins |
Figures above based on a 70kg
person (155lbs):
Walk times calculated at 7 calories burned per minute
Running at 10km/h (6.25mph) calculated at 12.2 calories burned per
minute
Running at 12km/h (7.5mph) calculated at 14.6 calories burned
per minute
In summing
up... start off on the right foot.
- Get the right knowledge (read
here for help)
on keeping your calories at what they should be so when you're active
you'll tap in to stored body fat to lose weight.
- Stay within your calorie requirements and exercise consistently.
Dont get in to the old habit of
over consuming food and trying to make it up with exercise,
not even coming close to burning some of that stored fat That's NOT
the right attitude. In fact it's that very attitude that has
people going around in circles for years! Don't be one of those people!
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