How long would it take to burn off 10kg of fat….?
With all of us captive at home, there’s lots of interesting articles about calorie burning and activities – doing what and for how long would use up how many calories?
The results are interesting, but ultimately rather depressing because, unfortunately for us, it’s much easier to take in more calories than we actually need and it’s actually very difficult to use up those excess calories.
In other words, it’s easy to put on weight but it’s much harder to lose it!
Which probably explains why so many of us have a “creeping” weight gain as we get older and then suddenly we realise we should lose a couple of stone – and we of course we find that’s easier said than done!
And that leads me back to the question in hand – because knowing the answer may help those of us who do want to shed some pounds and get fitter.
When the body utilises fat to provide energy, 10kg of fat releases roughly 95,000 k/calories. This will keep the average male ticking over nicely for about 40 days, give or take – providing no new calories are taken in.
And this plain fact tells you just how difficult it is for most people to lose weight.
If an average male ate and drank nothing but water (that’s needed all the time) for around 40 days, he’d lose in the region of 10kg.
But if our man takes in around 2,500 k/cals (the recommended daily requirement), his weight would stay about the same because he is using up about the same amount.
So to lose 10kg, he’d either have to fast for the 40 days (which kind of destroys the myth of “instant” diets) or take in less than 2,500 k/cals each day for a pretty long period of time.
That means it would take around 190 days to lose 10kg at 2,000 k/cals per day.
Which just shows why losing weight has to be a long-term journey.
But here’s the good news!
It’s quite easy to increase the amount of calories used up just by moving around more – and I don’t mean run marathons. Just move around more and, when you do, do it quicker.
So the key is to combine a regime of less calories and more movement and you can drastically reduce the amount of time it would take to lose that 10kg.
Hardly ground breaking science or miracle new cure I hear you mutter.
But if everyone knows that’s the key, why does anyone have any problem losing weight and getting fitter and why is the diet and fitness industries so big?
The answer, of course, is finding a way of actually doing that very simple objective for a relatively long period of time.
And for most people that’s really hard.
The only way to succeed effectively and for the long term is to change your habits, beliefs and routines around food and activity.
So, if you take one thing away from reading this, it’s that “fad diets” and “celebrity workouts” probably won’t work for most people, but a long-term lifestyle change will.
Not because the latter is a “miracle” method – but because it’s probably the easiest.
All this is explained much better in our new “Stepping Stones Program” which will show you exactly how to identify the changes you should make and how to overcome any barriers which might be standing in your way.
With all of us locked up in our homes, there’s never been a better time to start that journey!
Good luck and stay safe.
Sue from The New In 90 Team.
To find out more, touch the link.
