Biggest Loser Math

So is anybody watching the Biggest Loser this season? I was impressed with the week 3 winner (*SPOILER IN THIS LINK*) who lost 17lbs!!! It got me to thinking about how hard he had to work to do that.


I posted before about BMR so let us do another little calculation of his. So I do not give away who it was I took the individuals stats  off of the Biggest Loser page and calculated his BMR to be ~2300 calories meaning that person burns 2300 calories daily without lifting a finger.

Now a pound of fat is 3500 calories just sitting in storage waiting to use and he used 17x that amount in just 7 days meaning he had to burn an additional 6200 calories per day or close to 2.4lbs in a 24 hr period.



To give a better idea of what that means I shall demonstrate what I would have to do. When I ran the 1/2 marathon in June it took me 3 hours and I estimate I burned about 1600 calories. I would have to do nearly  4 times that to be in the ballpark for the work he completed daily. So I would have to devote 3/4 of my waking day everyday to running in order to achieve that type of burn. That is just amazing.

For those of us who do not have professional trainers/drill Sargents riding our hind-quarters, the average person is going to want to create a caloric deficit significantly smaller and here is some advise on how how to get those little extra calories out of your day.

1. Drink green tea. Drinking about 5 cups of green tea has shown to increase the metabolism for someone by as much as 4% or basically another 60-80 cals through a process called thermogenisis activated by the compound Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
 
2. Eat spicy! Chili peppers like the cayenne pepper have a chemical called capsaicin that not only create a physical burning sensation but also increases the metabolism or how fast you burn calories through
thermogenisis.

3. Drink Caffeine. Caffeine also promotes thermogenisis though this one can have side effects if taken in excess.

4. Eat good fats. Studies show eating anywhere from 1-3g of Omega 3 fats can lead to as much as a 1.2% increase in weight loss when coupled with exercise. You can either supplement this with fish oil pills or just eat 3oz of  salmon for the same effect.

5. Take the stairs. I did this in Las Vegas for my birthday last year when I was on the 23rd floor. Made me feel good about the sin and debauchery that occurred ;) 


6. Park far away. I am always amused by people who park as close the gym entrance as possible. I find my car with less dings if I park away so I leave with a peaceful mind and it only costs a few extra steps. 

see more funny videos, and check out our Yo Dawg lols!

7. Take the long way. Got more than one path to the bathroom? Why not take the longer of two routes.



Now the above are simply suggestions but in the fight against fat any little bit helps. Always be sure to consult a doctor if you have any questions regarding the information above or with any other health concerns. I am not a doctor and not certified for anything (yet), but the above information are things that I applied.

What do you do to burn those extra calories? Who do you think will win the Biggest Loser this season?

Don't Fall Back Into Old Habits

After a small absence from blogging, I have returned once again!! Ever want to accomplish 1 million things all at once and get absolutely nowhere at light speed? I define that feeling ;) There is a certain irony to me in the fact that I have become extremely healthy over the course of a few years and I have gone from no motivation for physical activity to being depressed if I cannot get at least 20min a day in. On top of that, I have two completely opposite-side-of-the spectrum hobbies loving working with various technologies (servers, laptops, computers, cellphones, etc) that keeps me stationary and my love and desire to absorb all things health and fitness. I keep teeter-tottering between finishing up my Net+ certification to be a better nerd and getting personal training certification through AFAA, NASM or ISAA to become a personal trainer. *sigh*

In other news, fall is rapidly approaching and if you are like me, your motivation levels are dropping as daylight wanes. As it gets colder you will desire to move as little as possible and eat those oh-so-delicious comfort foods that will tease our senses. I think it is a perfect time to remind yourself why it is you are trying to lose those last few pounds or attempt not to gain some of last years weight back.

A few of the people who always WOW'ed me with their weight loss are Ron Lester, Ethan Suplee and Drew Carey. Heck do a Google search for 'weight loss before and after' under images and there are a plethora of inspirational people there.




Finally, here is a fantastic example of a pregnant woman in her final trimester (39th week) who continued her healthy lifestyle and managed a marathon. Imagine how many excuses she could have come up with as to why she could not or should not do this event?

Remember that these people took it upon themselves just like you did to make healthy choices. They may have all the money in the world and professional trainers but they still had to do some work. There is nobody stopping you from succeeding a this point but you. Look to inspiration wherever you are and always remember the losses and gains you make are yours. You did the work and You shall reap the benefit.

Now how about a beat to drive home the point.




So now it is time once again for us to part ways, but before we do I would love for you all to share with me your inspirations. What drives you? Do you look up to any celebrities or even to a 'real' person? What healthy changes have you made in your life and how has that worked out? Leave some feedback.