Can you really burn off those extra calories? Are you one of those people who "needs" to indulge in "a little something" each day or you feel "deprived"?
First off, your daily workout is supposed to be in place as part of your daily activities. To maintain your health, not as an avenue to burn off unneeded calories. The surgeon general recommends AT LEAST 150 minutes of moderate-intense activity each week. Notice the AT LEAST, this is the minimum. So for your workout to count towards burning off unneeded calories you should only use those minutes of exercise that are OVER your 150 minimum. Notice also that the recommendation is for "moderate-intense" activity. So no, your extra basic steps wouldn't count, you actually need to be "working" out. A leisurely walk is great for increasing your step count each day, but unless it gets your heart pumping a little harder than normal, it's not a "workout".
Now that we have that out of the way, lets talk about the real topic. For the sake of argument I am going to use the burpee as the tool for burning off calories. The burpee is a very effective tool for burning calories, it's functional (everyone wants to be able to get up & down off the ground), it's progression-able (there are modifications that can be made for most all populations), it doesn't require any additional equipment, and let's face it - most people already know what it is.
Different people will burn off different amounts of calories depending on many factors; body weight, gender, age, intensity level, etc. We are going to work from averages here, so know that these numbers are in place just to prove a point, they are not meant to be exact.
Weight Approximate Calories
130 470 (8 cal/min)
155 560 (9cal/min)
180 645 (11 cal/min)
205 745 (12 cal/min)
Now don't get me wrong here, I am a Starbucks fan. I have the app on my phone. I get brewed coffee (black) when I go, I like the teas & many of the items offered on their menu are quite reasonable. But people, come on, some of these fancy coffee drinks are really just caffeinated milk shakes. You do know that right? So today we are going to use the Grande Crystal Ball Frappucino (Starbucks latest creation).
Don't get me started on the fact that there ISN'T any caffeine in this one! What's the point?
Sorry, I digress. So the middle of the road version of this drink made with the standard specifications has 380 calories. That is over 42 minutes of continual burpees for someone weighing about 155lbs to burn it off - and remember, that "burning off" doesn't begin until you've hit your 150 minute minimum each week.
So maybe you don't have a frappucion every day, you mix your "treats" up. Another popular option are the individual sized bundt cakes.
First off, your daily workout is supposed to be in place as part of your daily activities. To maintain your health, not as an avenue to burn off unneeded calories. The surgeon general recommends AT LEAST 150 minutes of moderate-intense activity each week. Notice the AT LEAST, this is the minimum. So for your workout to count towards burning off unneeded calories you should only use those minutes of exercise that are OVER your 150 minimum. Notice also that the recommendation is for "moderate-intense" activity. So no, your extra basic steps wouldn't count, you actually need to be "working" out. A leisurely walk is great for increasing your step count each day, but unless it gets your heart pumping a little harder than normal, it's not a "workout".
Now that we have that out of the way, lets talk about the real topic. For the sake of argument I am going to use the burpee as the tool for burning off calories. The burpee is a very effective tool for burning calories, it's functional (everyone wants to be able to get up & down off the ground), it's progression-able (there are modifications that can be made for most all populations), it doesn't require any additional equipment, and let's face it - most people already know what it is.
Different people will burn off different amounts of calories depending on many factors; body weight, gender, age, intensity level, etc. We are going to work from averages here, so know that these numbers are in place just to prove a point, they are not meant to be exact.
Weight Approximate Calories
130 470 (8 cal/min)
155 560 (9cal/min)
180 645 (11 cal/min)
205 745 (12 cal/min)
Now don't get me wrong here, I am a Starbucks fan. I have the app on my phone. I get brewed coffee (black) when I go, I like the teas & many of the items offered on their menu are quite reasonable. But people, come on, some of these fancy coffee drinks are really just caffeinated milk shakes. You do know that right? So today we are going to use the Grande Crystal Ball Frappucino (Starbucks latest creation).
| Calories 380 | Calories from Fat 140 |
| % Daily Value* | |
|---|---|
| Total Fat 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat 0.5g | |
| Cholesterol 50mg | 17% |
| Sodium 240mg | 10% |
| Total Carbohydrate 56g | 19% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Sugars 55g | |
| Protein 5g | |
| Caffeine 0mg** | |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. | |
Don't get me started on the fact that there ISN'T any caffeine in this one! What's the point?
Sorry, I digress. So the middle of the road version of this drink made with the standard specifications has 380 calories. That is over 42 minutes of continual burpees for someone weighing about 155lbs to burn it off - and remember, that "burning off" doesn't begin until you've hit your 150 minute minimum each week.
So maybe you don't have a frappucion every day, you mix your "treats" up. Another popular option are the individual sized bundt cakes.
Nutrition Facts
Nothing Bundt Cakes - Red Velvet Bundtini (Small Cupcake Size)
| Calories | 145 | Sodium | 0 mg |
| Total Fat | 11 g | Potassium | 0 mg |
| Saturated | 0 g | Total Carbs | 43 g |
| Polyunsaturated | 0 g | Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Monounsaturated | 0 g | Sugars | 0 g |
| Trans | 0 g | Protein | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
This is the smallest cake you can get, the little bitty cupcake size. This is over 16 minutes of continual burpees for someone weighing about 155lbs.
One last example... I know none of you want me to go there...
12oz of Miller Lite beer has 96 calories, a red solo cup actually holds 16oz. ...and come on - do you really only have 1? So let's all assume 2, 12oz lite beers (this is at least a best case scenario, right?). That's 192 calories or over 21 minutes of continual burpees for someone weighing about 155lbs!
What have we learned here?
- All "treats" do not look the same, you may have a different "indulgence" each day, but they do all add up.
- It takes a lot of work to "burn off" these treats. Imagine what would be comparable to 21 minutes of continual burpees!
- You need to get your minimum activity levels in each week before you start trying to "burn off" the excess.
I am not saying don't allow yourself treats. I am saying be aware of the treats you are consuming, how many, how often and how much make a difference. This goes back to tracking your nutrition, if you are not doing it you need to.
Do you have questions about today's blog post? I am here to help! Shoot me an email or leave a comment! Thanks for reading!
Michelle Peacock, NSCA~CPT
mpeacockcpt94@gmail.com
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