One thing I know everyone desires is to be able to eat and drink what he or she wants and still lose weight. Think about it- wouldn’t it be amazing if you didn’t have to worry about what you put into your body and were still able to watch the pounds fall off?
Let’s look at three scenarios where each person’s expected daily caloric burn (basal metabolic rate) is 2000 calories per day and ends with a deficit of 500 calories.
Person A: Does not exercise but decreases daily caloric intake to 1500 calories by skipping his or her morning bagel and cream cheese, and only having a small salad for dinner; which is definitely no fun and not recommended.
Here’s the math for Person A:
-2000 Total calories burned
+1500 Total calories consumed
-500 calorie deficit
Person B: Walks about an hour on the treadmill, burning an additional 200 calories and eats six small, healthy meals a day.
Here’s the math for Person B:
-2200 Total calories burned
+1700 Total calories consumed
-500 calorie deficit
Person C: Does a 40-minute program of interval, circuit and strength training four times per week, burning an extra 600 calories per work out. This person also consumes more food on a daily basis (85 percent of which is healthy).
Here’s the math for Person C:
-2600 Total calories burned
+2100 Total calories consumed
-500 calorie deficit
Now let’s analyze each situation.
Each person has a 500-calorie deficit, and the same basal metabolic rate. Unfortunately, fat burning is not as simple as the math laid out above. If that were so, then all three people would obtain the same results because they all ended with the same caloric deficit. It is true that a caloric deficit must be in place for weight loss to occur, but not all caloric deficits are equal.
Person A is actually not promoting any fat loss per se, but rather promoting weight loss through caloric deficits – and isn’t gaining any lean muscle to promote long-term weight loss and fat burning. Person B is doing a better job by walking, but the clear winner here is Person C. Although he or she has the same caloric deficit as person A and B, he or she will experience much a greater level of fat burn and desired results because he or she is gaining lean muscle.
If you want to lose weight, burn fat and eat more, then follow the path of Person C because, I don’t know about you, but for me, eating 600 calories more than the next person and being in better shape is a much more appealing way to live.
EarthFIT Training Facility
20-A Market St.
Habersham Marketplace, Beaufort, SC
1800-718-7FIT
www.beaufortpersonaltraining.com
