We have all heard of those new diets, Atkins, low carb, high protein etc. Some of us have tried them with good results. There's no doubt about that they work.
They all have one thing in common though - they give us the impression that we no longer have to think about, or bother about, calories.
Nothing could be more far from the truth, unfortunatly. Calories still do count! What these new diets basically do is that they make you feel more satisfied on fewer calories. There are no mystical ingredients or unknown secrets that can change the law of energy balance. In other words, nothing will ever change the fact that if your metabolic system doesn't consume more energy than you take in, you will gain weight. If your metabolic system consumes more energy than you take in, you will lose weight. Period. The universe is made that way.
What are calories then? Are they some small evil molecules hiding in the food, just waiting to invade your body and make your life a fatty hell? No, of coarse they're not.
A calorie is just a word that defines a certain amount of energy, nothing else.
One calorie is the energy it takes to heat one gram of water one degree celcius. Mostly on food packages, the amount of calories are presented as kcal, which means kilo calories i.e. 1000 calories. So, one kcal is the energy it takes to heat one kilo, or one liter, of water one degree celcius. When a fitness chart or table says you burn for example 250 calories per half hour when jogging, it means 250 kilocalories.
Since calories are energy units, they apply to all kinds of energy, not only food. For example lighting a 60W lightbulb obviously takes some energy. The energy it takes to light it for 1,5 hour equals the calories you'll get when eating 1 piece of cheesecake! If you could fill your car up with BigMacs, you could travel almost 0.5 mile on one BigMac!
Does this knowledge make us any happier? Perhaps not but it can give us an idea on how different excercises will burn calories. Calories are consumed by performing work, in physical meaning. The amount of calories consumed equals power multiplied with distance, power x distance.
What does it mean? It means that the higher the power applied to an exercise and the longer the distance this power is in effect, the more calories are burned.
You can easily see that this explains why low intensity training like walking can be very effective, provided the distance is of significant length. You can also see that if you apply more power i.e. higher intensity, you will burn more calories compared to walking slowly the same distance.
Many people avoid to start excercising because last time they made an attempt they started at a high intensity level. The result is horrorful memories of short-of- breath, nearly- fainting, close- to- death feelings. The assumption that high intensity is the only way to burn calories is probably the reason most of us never develop a habit of regular exercise.
Next time you decide to improve your fitness level, remember the formula power x distance. Start by walking in a pleasant pace in let say half an hour three times a week. Increase the time (distance) by a quarter of an hour for the next three weeks.
After four weeks you will feel better, look better and healthier and you will also discover that you have automatically increased your walking speed. Without even notice. What does that mean? It means that you have automatically increased the power factor in the formula wich in turn means more calories burned!
The next step in your training program is your own choise. You can either increase distance or pump up your walking speed. If you have the time, why not both?
More fitness tips articles at: http://www.3crow.com/truefitnesstips/
post construction cleaning Deerfield ..The difference between weight loss, and steady or weight gain,... Read More
Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More
Although every dieter knows that keeping food records is a... Read More
Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More
First? establish realistic goals. Start with a target you can... Read More
While the gastric bypass may seem like the perfect solution... Read More
To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person... Read More
I wrote this article back in the late fall when... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
1. Become aware of what you are eating.Before I started... Read More
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
I was at the grocery store the other day, doing... Read More
Americans have their French fries, the British have their chips,... Read More
A frequent question brand-new gastric bypass patients ask is "How... Read More
Using healthy low carb recipes are an important part of... Read More
One of the difficulties with dieting is the well known... Read More
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged... Read More
You may be considering weight loss surgery if you are... Read More
I gotta confess: I'm completely addicted to crisps. Any kind... Read More
Your health is your responsibility. As a human being, you... Read More
Diet PillsTaking diet pills is definitely not an effective weight... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
Have I become invisible or are people just aiming right... Read More
Body temperature is the result of your body generating and... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Bannockburn ..An increasing trend over the last few years has been... Read More
There's nothing more fun then being creative with food and... Read More
Taming the See Food Eat Food ResponseWhat happens when you're... Read More
Almost everyone has attempted to follow diets and weight loss... Read More
Now that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
If you're a low carb diet enthusiast, you've probably tried... Read More
I thought I could avoid this when we moved to... Read More
Once there were these two Nuns and they...just kidding! Do... Read More
WHAT DOES BEING FIT REALLY MEAN?The "INSIDE-OUT" approach to fitness... Read More
Have you ever received those tempting ads that seem to... Read More
Negative thoughts, symbolic protection, being who we really are ........ Read More
Is a weight loss workout routine right for you? Answer... Read More
Hundreds of products on the market today claim to be... Read More
Losing weight and keeping it off is much more than... Read More
What does it take to lose weight?When it comes to... Read More
Very few Americans are satisfied with their current weights. There... Read More
It's been called the world's oldest medicine, the miracle fat... Read More
Put simply, your resting metabolic rate is the minimum number... Read More
If you are looking for a way to lose fifty... Read More
America is getting more obese every year. Even our children... Read More
When on a diet, snack attacks can hit hard and... Read More
If you've been pursuing a lighter, healthier version of yourself,... Read More
The cost of gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric surgical... Read More
Losing weight and going on a diet can be quite... Read More
Weight Loss |