Burn Calories doing NOTHING... WHAT?!

Did you know you burn calories without even doing anything? 

Quick Fact: You burn calories just living! This number of calories is called your basal metabolic rate. Also known as your metabolism! This rate is the number of calories you burn without doing ANYTHING... and I mean anything. 
This rate also depends upon your gender, age, weight and height. 

To find out your BMR check out this site: Calculate BMR

Mine is about 1280 calories. This is a rough estimate though. The actual way to find out is to be hooked up to a fancy machine that analyzes the air you breath out for about 10 minutes after a night of fasting and a full 8 hours of sleep or "rest". The test determines how much oxygen you consume. This test also determines your target caloric zones to help with weight loss. 

It's like what this woman is doing here:

So what does this number mean to you? Well you already know it's the number of calories you would burn if you sat doing nothing all day but it's also the number you need to keep in mind to loose weight. 

Weight loss happens when the number of calories going out exceeds the number of calories going in. 

EAT LESS and MOVE MORE

Remember not to deprive yourself of too many calories, this can actually lower your BMR and make your body go into survival mode making you gain weight!

So I know that I shouldn't really eat more than 1,280 calories per day and that I need to exercise more and  eat fewer calories in order to loose weight. :-)

Till Next Time!

Laura

Eat More When Exercising??

Do you ever feel like exercising makes you eat more amounts of food? Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "Go ahead and have that second helping...you had a hard workout today?"
If so, you are probably guilty of using food as a reward for exercise.

According to research, a good hard workout actually tends to suppress the appetite for several hours unless you reward that hard workout with food. 


I know I can be guilty of it. I have caught myself several times, especially during long bike rides craving a root beer float, ha! I tend to fight this urge with my small amount of will power but I can see how hard it can be.

I for one want to get away from using food as a reward, so I got to thinking about other rewards I could choose instead of helping myself to more food.

First things first though here's a tip:
In order to combat the hunger after exercise, it's best to have a carb/protein rich snack within 30 to 45 minutes after completing a workout. My favorite is a small glass of chocolate milk. Other snacks include, yogurt with some fruit, string cheese with a few crackers or a slice of bread with some peanut butter on it.
Waiting too long after a workout can actually cause you to over eat at your next meal or journey towards the evil junk food or sodium rich quickie meals! 

Now that we are not hungry anymore lets get back to thinking of other rewards besides food!

1. Download a few new songs onto your iPod. Changing up your workout mix can really help you stay motivated
2. A nice long bath or shower 
3. New workout outfits or gear! I recently did this as a reward to myself for loosing most of my pregnancy weight. 
4. Get a massage or mani/pedi. It's a great way to relax those aching muscles after a hard training schedule. Obviously, you cant get a massage every day (I wish) but making this a reward after reaching a fitness goal is a GREAT reward.
5. Take a mini vacation! This can be getting a sitter and having a night out with friends or an actual vacation! This will help you stay motivated to hit the workouts so you can look your best!

I hope this helps those of you that find yourself frustrated by the fact that you are eating more while exercising. I hope that you can find your own personal rewards besides food to help you stay motivated to look and feel your best!

Till Next Time!

Laura