09.05.07

Fit Girl: Entry #2


Reclaiming Body and Soul -- One Workout at a Time

The Secret – Revealed!

Welcome back!

Well, you’ve taken your baseline information, cleared things with your doctor, and you’re psyched up to keep going on this health and fitness adventure. Good for you!

Today we’re talking about weight loss. There is a secret involved in losing weight and becoming fit, but unfortunately, you’re not going to like what I have to say. So I’m apologizing in advance for having to say it.

There’s no magic pill or special “trick” diet that will make you lose weight and keep it off.

There. I’ve said it. I know how you’re feeling. I’d wished for some kind of amazing secret, myself. You know what it boils down to, though? A very simple equation:

Calories Ingested versus Calories Burned

Crazy, isn’t it?

A pound of fat is equal to approximately 3500 calories. So ingesting an extra 3500 calories above and beyond what you need (more on that later!) over a period of time will result in a weight gain of one pound.

Conversely, reducing your caloric intake or burning an extra 3500 calories will result in a loss of one pound.

When you stop and think about it, it’s really quite simple! The biggest trick is knowing how many calories your body needs in one day, and adapting your eating habits accordingly.

Super-duper, FitGirl, you’re saying, but now how do I figure out how many calories I need?

Brilliant question! Remember, too, that calorie-counting isn’t an exact science. There’s a lot of ballparking going on. But as long as you stick close to your recommended figure, you should be okay. And another important thing to point out right now is this: everyone slips up and has days where he or she goes overboard on food or beverages. This is not a sign to quit. I mean it. We’re all human, and we’re allowed our foibles. As long as we stay on track. (This is where Fitness Buddies and Personal Trainers and family support come in to play. And more on that, later.)

So. Back to your body’s caloric needs. Your first step is to determine your body’s Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the bare minimum of calories your body will need just to exist. This does not include moving in any way.

Go here to find one BMR calculator. (I know, I know. More numbers. Be patient and bear with me, okay? I know you can!) You can also Google “BMR calculator” and find other calculators. Remember what I said about this not being an exact science? Each number you’ll get will be slightly different. You can go with an average, if you’d like.

So for me – at 5’8” and 164lbs – my BMR is 1528.2. This means my body needs just over 1500 calories to simply exist. Not too bad!

Now the next part of this calculation involves how much activity you already do on a daily basis. Take your BMR calculation and multiply that number by one of these:

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)

Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)

Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)

Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)

Extremely active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job

Sooo… I’m pretty sedentary, so I’ll choose the first option. (Be honest with yourself!)

1528.2 X 1.2 = 1833.84

What does this number mean? Well, to maintain my current weight, I need to take in just over 1800 calories a day. If I take in more without changing my activity level, I will gain weight. If I change my activity level and maintain this caloric intake (or reduce it slightly), then I should lose weight.

(As a safety note – and I’ll be repeating this later – caloric intake should never drop below 1200 calories/day for women, and 1800 calories/day for men.)

Thanks for stopping by! Next time, we’ll talk about tracking those pesky calories, and where they like to hide!

FitGirl, aka Tanya Saari, is a freelance writer and editor living in the Sudbury Area, who battles daily with not really wanting to work out, and talking herself out of that extra piece of pizza or square of chocolate. She welcomes your comments and questions at tanyasaari@gmail.com.