Exercising and burning calories

We all know that if we exercise we will burn calories but there has to be more to it, right?

Ever wonder why when you lose weight you have to work harder to continue to lose weight?

Are you aware that the more you weigh the more calories you will burn in a workout?  There are other factors which include intensity of your workout, your metabolism and conditioning level.

For example:  A person weighing 205 pounds running 5 miles per hour (12 minute mile) will burn almost twice as many calories as a person weighing 130 pounds.  

This makes sense when you really think about this.  Think about lifting weights; the more resistance you have when lifting weights (the higher the pounds of weight) the "stronger" you become.

When you weigh more you work harder to run that mile which would burn more calories. So what does this mean for you?  Don't "not exercise" because you are heavy.  That is the best time to start.  I hear many people tell me that they are "too fat" to exercise.  We talked last time about the best exercise you can do is the one you will do.  When you are overweight exercising is hard and it may take some trial and error to find what exercise you can enjoy and will continue to do.  Just do it!  (Click HERE if you missed the first blog on picking an exercise).

Let's look at something simple; walking.  Walking is as enjoyable as you make it.  Get a group together and walk.  Walk with your spouse.  Walk with your dog.  Walk alone while listening to music that will get you moving.  (Be careful if you do this....be aware of your surroundings and always walk in a safe area.  Let someone know you are walking, the route you are going and always check in when you are done).

If you are 205 pounds and you walk slowly (2 miles per hour) you will burn 233 calories.  In an earlier blog we talked about 3500 calories = 1 pound.  If you missed it click HERE.  Knowing this that walk you just took you are about half way there to eliminating your 500 calories per day.    Cut about 250 calories from your diet, walk 2 miles per hour and you are there!!  That is a healthy way to lose one pound per week....and it's simple and enjoyable and you won't miss those 250 calories if you just cut out a few things.  (Please read the blog about the simple things you can do to cut calories out of your diet).

When starting out keep it simple so you keep doing it!!  If you need help with energy I highly recommend Vitamin B12 shots.  These are not the quick boosts of energy that you will come down from.  These shots help with evening out your energy.  Buying Vitamin B12 pills are not effective.  If you would like more information please read HERE.

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Any secrets you want to share?

What is the best exercise to lose weight?

If I told you what the best exercise you could do to lose weight....would you do it?
Ready?  I have the answer......are you sure you will do it?  Drum roll please!

The best exercise to lose weight is: "the exercise you'll do," says Timothy Church, MD, MPH, PhD, a professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.


I have to give credit to Barbara Russi Sarnataro WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature for the introduction to this blog...it was just too cute to not copy.

But......no truer words have ever been spoken.  When I wrote about eating to lose weight and one blog was to keep it simple....here is the simple way to exercise to lose weight.

ANYTHING you do is better than doing NOTHING.  If you walk it's better than sitting....it is that SIMPLE.  If you are exercising and you are not seeing any results than change it up....if you are walking, try jogging.  If you are taking an aerobic class, try adding a different class; i.e. step, Zumba, etc.  

JUST DO SOMETHING.  ANYTHING.

Walk the dog, walk with your spouse....this is a great time to regroup from your workday, talk about the weeks' plan for dinners, date night ideas...anything.  JUST DO IT!  (thanks Nike for that great catch phrase).

Keep coming back to discuss what type of exercise burns more calories...but for now keep it simple and as Timothy Church says the best exercise you can do is the one you will do!!!!

What exercises do you do that work for you?

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