Staying Active

 I don’t know about everyone else but I have put on a little holiday weight!  I was doing good with maintaining and keeping the 5 to 9 lbs I had lost off but with the weather keeping me indoors and ALL the holiday goodies I was coerced into making, I am feeling pudgy!  It blows my mind on how long it takes to see results with weight loss. Even when exercising and dieting ( can’t tell a lie, in my case it is light dieting) Anyways, when I have a good routine of weekly bike riding, hiking, and speed walking/jogging with my 3yr old in a bob stroller it still takes, what seems like, about three weeks to see the benefits.

  Quick Tip:How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight?Written by Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD on June 10, 2019Whether you want to lose weight for a special occasion or simply improve your health, weight loss is a common goal.To set realistic expectations, you may want to know what a healthy weight loss rate is.This article explains the factors that affect how long it may take you to lose weight.Weight loss occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day. Conversely, weight gain happens when you consistently eat more calories than you burn.  Any food or beverage you consume that has calories counts towards your overall calorie intake.  That said, the number of calories you burn each day, which is known as energy or calorie expenditure, is a bit more complicated.  Calorie expenditure is composed of the following three major components Resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain normal bodily functions, such as breathing and pumping blood.

• Thermic effect of food (TEF). This refers to the calories used to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
• Thermic effect of activity (TEA). These are the calories you use during exercise. TEA can also include non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for the calories used for activities like yard work and fidgeting.  If the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn, you maintain your body weight. If you want to lose weight, you must create a negative calorie balance by consuming fewer calories than you burn or burning more calories through increased activity.

     So there are variables to visualizing the gross effects of weight loss.  If I consume water retaining foods I will see more bloating vs laying off on foods like soda, alcohol, pasta, bread, crackers, anything high in sodium, I will see instant results with less bloating. Eating high protein meals in the morning and before a workout will help my energy level, weight loss and muscle gain. Switching up my workouts vs sticking to the same routine/workout will help continue my body to gain muscle mass, loss weight vs staying stagnant. So which exercise burns more calories? 

Quick Tip: 12 Exercises That Burn the Most Calories Written by Kirsten Nunez on May 15, 2019 Best exercises for calorie burn

The following table includes the top 12 calorie-burning exercises. These exercises burn the most calories per hour. Remember, the calories listed are an estimate. Your exact calorie burn depends on factors like intensity, duration, and your weight.

 I love this chart and I am currently active in 4 of them but I have a jump rope and can make it 5!:)  Which will also switch up my routine!=} It’s going to be cutting back on the sodium that will be my challenge.  Its all about routine for me, if I can get myself into a cooking with low sodium and meal prepping I will be on my way to better health/mind/and body!

Thanks For Reading 

Heidi Parker