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?

Fishing For a New Recipe?

I do not cook alot of fish, mainly because I just have never cooked alot of fish, but I was experimenting with some from the local Sunflower Market last night when I found some fish called 'basa.' I do not know my fish types or what the best way to bring their natural flavors out but I figured better late than never so I experimented with a cooking technique called 'en papillote' meaning 'in parchment.' It is basically just steaming the fish when it is wrapped inside of foil or parchment paper. The first night I tried, I am pretty sure I undercooked it but last night I made some adjustments and it turned out DELICIOUS! So without further ado, I introduce you to a new culinary delight.

Fish En Papillote
2 fish fillets (~8oz each), sliced very thin
2 purple or red potatoes (~6oz each), sliced very thin
1 medium yellow squash, sliced very thin
2 baby bell pepper, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Season the fish to taste with your favorite seasoning (lemon pepper was pretty good)
2. While oven is heating, layer the potatoes and squash like dominoes slightly overlapping, one after the other on the parchment paper or foil.
3. Place the fish on top.
4. Cover fish with peppers, and cover that with the lemon slices.
5. Place the tomatoes along the side of the fish.
6. Fold the parchment/foil so the fish is completely encased. First fold it long ways and then fold the flaps under the bottom (here is another method). Place the fish packet on a baking sheet and insert in oven.
7. Plan on cooking for about 18mins before you need to start checking for doneness.
8. Once cooked to completion, gently slide the contents to a plate, cut each fillet in half, and serve with a side of steamed rice.

Yields: 4 servings (pictured is 2 servings)
Cals: 220; Fat: 1.5; Carbs: 22; Protein: 29

*Note on cooking fish: there are several ways to tell when a fish is ready to be pulled out  of the oven 1) the fish is flaky and easily pulls apart, 2) the outside of the fish is opaque and the center is very close to it, 3) the inner temperature reaches ~140. Remember that food continues to cook for about 5min after they are removed from heat so use this in your estimate to avoid drying the fish out.