Many of us have extra weight that we want to lose, including myself. Those of us who feel a little heavy can actually use it to our advantage and find ways to maximize our weight loss getting to the ideal size much more quickly.
I was onn the treadmill at the gym and I noticed something. My partner was running next to me and we were both at around one mile. My calorie usage said 130. Hers was at 80. We had ran the same distance in the same time. I decided to look into this further.
The science is so simple and most people already know about it. But the key is to utilize it and help you to lose fat at a faster pace. Basically the more mass you have on your body the more calories you burn. In turn this should mean that you burn more fat.
Take an exercise such as walking (15 minutes per mile).
Every 100 pounds of weight burns approximately 66 calories.
Therefore a person weighing:
- 105lbs burns 69 calories;
- 195lbs burns 129 calories.
A pound of fat is agreed to be 3500 calories. Therefore if you weigh 200lbs you can burn an extra pound of fat just by adding 6.5 hours of casual walking to your week. Someone half that weight would only burn half the amount.
So you see the advantage?
I am a strong believer that fitness is very important. A diet plan can help you lose weight but if it is not paired with a fitness program the benefit is not going to significant for your body and your long term health.
The ultimate goal is not just to lose fat but to also gain muscle mass. I am not talking about becoming a body builder, just working towards a leaner, stronger, denser YOU.
Once you reach your ideal size, the more muscle mass you have the more you will burn in an average day and the easier it will become to maintain your weight.
I would advise that you plan an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle no matter what your goals are. Be it just running a few times a week or a serious gym routine powered by a personal trainer. But the little extras that you squeeze in could be the way to add that extra 3500 calorie burn to your week.
Here are some tips to help you burn those extra calories.
- Walk to the store -If your local store is close, always walk there. This could add at least 30 minutes of walking, or more in an average week. Make sure you are not going there to buy chips!
- Forget the elevator – Always walk up stairs. If you work in an office on the 3rd floor this could easily add significantly to the weekly burn and you burn even more calories when walking up an incline!
- Do your house work! – House work is much more active than you may think. It can burn anywhere between 150-300 calories an hour.
- Don’t stay in one spot – Walk up and down the platform or sidewalk when waiting for a train or bus. You may look a little crazy if you do this too fast.
- Don’t call your neighbor – If you need something from anyone in your neighborhood pay them a personal visit instead of calling them. Don’t take the car! Walk.
Basically stay as active as you can and you won’t even notice the extra physical effort, plus fat will be dropping off!
If you have anymore tips or anything to add don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
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