In order to lose a pound you have to burn 3500 calories. That’s right. . .one pound of fat equals 3500 calories. I find that knowing a little math behind my weight loss goals is helpful to ensure that I actually reach them. It is okay to start small–starting small is better than not starting at all. But keeping in mind that 3500 calorie goal for each week is a good way to think about weight loss. With that said, let’s look at some simple things you can do to burn those extra 3500 calories per week.
Traditional Exercise
You can of course exercise 3500 calories away per week. The average walker burns 100 calories for every mile so to burn 3500 calories, you’d need to walk 35 miles in one week, or 5 miles per day. 10 minutes of traditional aerobics at high intensity will burn about 120 calories so to burn 3500 calories you’d need to do about 40 minutes a day of aerobics.
Snack Better
If you swap fruits and/or vegetables for snacks rather than eating cookies, chips or something else, you could save yourself a bundle in calories. For example, an apple has about 80 calories. A granola bar has about 120 calories, 15 Pringles chips has 150 calories and my favorite drink a Starbucks is 490 calories. Let’s assume I’m going to eat each of these snacks once during the week for a total calorie intake of 760 calories. If I replace these snacks each just once, I can save myself 520 calories per week.
Choose Better
Opting for the ‘healthier’ option while you’re eating out can often save you up to 300 calories per meal. Depending on how much you eat out, that can add up to quite a lot during a month!
Here’s a little challenge for you. . .consciously think about how you can save 3500 calories this week. Choose differently, change your snacks, and exercise more.
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