Monday, April 13, 2009

Hope everyone that celebrates Easter had a great holiday yesterday! And Passover is still going on so hope those that celebrate that are still enjoying as well!

So, we all know that for many, the holiday may create some overeating on the part of your "evil" self!!! HA! OR, hoping this is not the case, some family get togethers can lead to emotional eating. It happens to the best of families!!!!

Let's take this a step at a time. If you added a couple pounds yesterday, once you get back to your normal routine, everything will fall back into place. Don't get too crazed & freak out! But if you want to take steps to get it off & maybe lose some more weight that you have been trying to lose anyway, here is some ammunition for you.

1 pound equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound in one week (7 days), you need to either reduce your calories by 500 per day OR burn 500 calories more in exercise each day OR a combination of the both meaning eat less & burn off more with exercise to add up to that 500 calories per day.

So, I read an article off Yahoo Health about activities that burn a certain amount of calories. Here is some of the info for you to have at your fingertips. Read the full article at the link above.

Activities to burn 500 calories:
• Walk 40 minutes at a level 8 on a hilly course (or crank up the incline on the treadmill).
• Do 36 minutes of running intervals: Jog for 1 minute at a level 5, sprint 1 minute at a level 9. Repeat 18 times.
• Take a 45-minute Spinning class.
• Dance to a good beat for 72 minutes at a level 7.
• Hit the elliptical machine for 60 minutes, doing intervals. Do 2 minutes at a level 8, then 1 minute at a level 5. Repeat 20 times.
• Swim freestyle for 50 minutes at a level 8.
• Use the rowing machine for 40 minutes, doing intervals: Go 8 minutes at a level 8, then 2 minutes at a level 4. Repeat 4 times.

Activities to burn 250 calories:
• Walk for 35 minutes at a level 7.
• Run for 20 minutes at a level 7.
• Bike for 30 minutes at a level 5.
• Dance for 50 minutes at a level 4.
• Hit the elliptical machine for 30 minutes at a level 8.
• Swim freestyle for 25 minutes at a level 8.
• Use the rowing machine for 28 minutes at a level 8.

Activities to burn 100 calories:
• Walk for 25 minutes at a level 4.
• Run for 12 minutes at a level 4.
• Bike for 17 minutes at a level 4.
• Dance for 20 minutes at a level 4.
• Hit the elliptical machine for 15 minutes at a level 5.
• Swim freestyle for 15 minutes at a level 5.
• Use the rowing machine for 25 minutes at a level 5.

The above is all cardio & you all know that I am an absolute fanatic about the importance of weight lifting not only for the fact that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest, but also for the prevention of osteoporosis that is showing up earlier & earlier in young women! So, check out the two sites below that let you put in the activity you are doing & it will calculate approximate calories burned:

Calorie Calculator at Exercise About.com AND Calories Burned by Exercise at CalorieLab .com

So, when you get up today, DO NOT freak & get all mad at yourself!!!! Get back to your program NOW & not to worry! Read my post from yesterday on emotional eating and amazing words for being "GENTLE" with yourself.