10 Calories a Day Keeps the Weight Away
by Neal Spruce, Apex Fitness Group, Inc
So you’ve noticed that in the last 20 years, somewhere between 20 and 40 years of age, you have gained about 20 pounds. Just think, if you had walked an average of 150 more steps daily—which takes about three minutes—during a period you would normally have been sitting, you would have that same 20-year-old body of yours. And to think you could have simply accomplished this by pacing your office or home while you were on a three-minute phone call, or walked around your house once daily, should really tick you off!
Said another way, if you had gone to the gym only 10 times each year for approximately half an hour, engaging in a light workout, you would be 20 pounds lighter. AND notice I didn’t say anything about changing what you ate and drank during those 20 years!
Now, let’s say you gained 40 pounds during the last 20 years. Simply double the above numbers and picture yourself 40 pounds lighter. Anyway, you get the picture; the above scenarios are the typical American. Most people don’t gain weight because they are slothful creatures. Instead, slow but steady weight gain—combined with not knowing daily caloric balance outcomes until they are compounded to a point where they manifest as unsightly fat—is how we end up at a point where we often feel it’s too late, too hard or “I don’t have enough time to workout” to lose the weight.
Take it up a notch
If you haven’t gained unwanted weight yet, take heed to the above warning and remedy, which is to get up and move whenever possible (see tips on p. 2).
However, if you need to lose weight and don’t want it to take the 20 years it took to put it on—but at the same time you fall into that category of “no time” or “can’t stick to a diet”—use the formula above and accelerate it up to the point where you can erase the weight over the next year. Basically, you can consume the same foods and fluids but simply move more within your normal daily activities.
Here is an example of what a 175 pound person, who does not wish to change his/her lifestyle and eating habits, can do to lose 20 pounds in 2006:
Start here
Flip the “innate switch” in your brain—that all mammals have—that tells you to take the path of least resistance. Instead, take the path of more resistance. In other words, anywhere you can squeeze in some extra steps, do it, such as parking further out from your destination, pacing/standing at home or in the office while on the phone, reading or simply talking to someone. Think “why sit when I can walk or stand”!
Get a pedometer or a bodybugg™ (which has a built-in pedometer along with its body sensors that measure how many calories you burn all day, including exactly how many you burn per minute during all activities—see bodybugg™ calorie burn graph on p. 2). Get a reading on how many steps a day you are currently walking.
Add approximately 500 steps to your day in weekly intervals until you are regularly averaging 2500 steps more daily than you were before reading this newsletter.
Maintain your same basic lifestyle and eating habits, but incorporate the “move when you can” attitude and perform the same tasks standing or walking that you previously would have done sitting. You don’t have to do all the steps at one time, break it up anyway you want. Just average an extra 2500 steps daily.
The math
For a 175 pound person, every 10 minutes of normal walking or pacing while doing something equates to burning approximately 20-30 more calories than if you sat down doing the same activity. So, by moving upright for one hour (~2500 slow steps) more than before, you will lose about 1.5 pounds per month or 18 pounds for the year, as long as your food intake doesn’t increase.
Note: the lighter you get the fewer calories your body burns, so for every 5-7 pounds you lose, you should add about 500 more steps per day if you chose not to slightly reduce or alter your food intake. Continue the process until you achieve your goal weight.
Tips for extra movement in daily life
(See list on page 2)
Tips for extra movement in the gym
Use the same tips recommended in the “daily life” section, but you can do it at the gym or while going to the gym.
• Park your car in a safe place 1250 paces from the gym
• Always pace, walk or stand between sets
• Circuit train (i.e., move from one exercise to another with little to no rest but rotating body parts)
• Get all 2500 steps/day using the equipment. On non-workout days, follow the daily life tips or simply do more steps during the three days you are in the gym using a treadmill, stepper, etc., to make the weekly total.
Bottom line
Everyone sits at least an hour a day; the vast majority sits a minimum of eight. So find the parts of the day when you can stand, sit or pace/walk while performing something you normally do sitting. No matter what you do or how, just be sure you have added an average of 2500 steps to your daily routine and as you lose weight, slowly increase your steps. Always remember, every single calorie counts, in or out—that’s a scientific fact! And if you don’t believe it, pinch that stuff around your waist or on your rear-end and ask yourself “ where did that come from”? Then recite that old adage: “if you are wearing it, you ate it”.
So there you have it, the easiest, most non-painful, method to stop or reverse weight gain. You just ran out of excuses, because this is something anyone can do and—most importantly—maintain.
Until Next Time,
Neal
The Path of More Resistance—Back to the Future
Daily physical activity has declined because of modern technology, but the appetites our ancestors needed for survival remain the same. To combat this dilemma we have to go “back to the future” and take a path of more resistance whenever possible. In other words, live as we once did—without technology—to help offset the fact that our appetites drive us to excess calorie intake and weight gain.
In the table you see how easy it is to gain weight. But notice how simple it is to reverse the trend.
For the 20 activities listed, a person who chose the sedentary path would expend 8,800 calories a month less than someone choosing the more active modes. This is the equivalent the 2.5 pounds of body fat a month or 30 pounds in a year!
Start with the mindset of thinking: Why drive when I can walk? Why order take-out when I can cook? Why take the escalator when I can take the stairs? This new point of view will make participation in these activities automatic and fun while getting you in shape and saving money, too.
Tips for Extra Movement in Daily Life
Around the House
• Trade in your old phone for a portable model. Walk around the house or yard while you chat.
• Put away the remote control 3-4 days a week and change channels at the set.
• Forget the car wash! Do it yourself and burn about 200 cal.
• Cut back on your cleaning service; schedule them less frequently to save money and boost your activity.
• During the commercial breaks on television: Unload one level of the dishwasher. Put in or take out one load of laundry. Clean out one shelf in the refrigerator. Clean out what’s fallen under the sofa cushions. Take out the trash.
• Put away laundry in smaller loads. You’ll make a few extra trips to burn some extra calories.
Traveling
• When traveling by air, walk around the airport till boarding time.
• Walk rather than using moving sidewalks.
• Walk to the airport gate or parking lot instead of using a shuttle.
• Walk to nearby restaurants rather than dining in the hotel.
At the Office
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Get off the elevator two floors early—walk the rest of the way.
• Park a couple of blocks away from your office and walk.
• Use the restroom or coffee maker farthest from your office.
• Use a smaller water bottle and coffee cup. You’ll get up for refills more often.
• Take regular breaks and walk once around the office building.
• Walk to lunch instead of ordering it.
• Sit on a fitness ball instead of a chair. You’ll burn more calories and strengthen those abs.
• Waiting for copies? Take a quick walk while the copier finished running your job.
• Don’t eat at your desk. Take a walk, eat in a nearby park, or climb a few flights of stairs.
• Visit people’s offices instead of calling or e-mailing them.
• Walk the entire office a couple times/day. Visit departments you don’t normally deal with.
• Start an office walking club. You can meet before or after work or even at lunch.
Errands on the Run
• Bypass the drive through. Use walk-up options at the bank, pharmacy, cleaners, etc. Park at the back of the lot and walk.
• Carry smaller loads into the house to make a few extra trips.
• Hit the malls instead of the Internet!
• Take a lap of the mall or grocery store before starting to shop.
• When loading your purchases, park the shopping cart at the front of the car and carry the bags to the trunk.
• Offer to run errands for an elderly or ill neighbor or friend.
See the Bodybugg program on www.Netnutritionist.com to learn more about solving the mystery of your energy balance.