Food Math

We've all heard people say things like, "had a large fry so I'll need an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill." Maybe you even said something like that. The reality is that Food Math says it will never work. Weight control and eating well are hard and require attention.

The human body is an amazing machine. It has a big gas tank. It is able to store lots of calories very efficiently - mostly as fat. This is combined with a high performance, high mileage engine. The body can get a lot of performance out of very few calories. This served humans very well in past history when most people had to struggle very hard, dawn to dark, just to get enough food to stay alive, and a lot of that was pretty bad food. In the modern developed world, this efficiency and big gas tank can work against us.

Food Math works like this:
Eat a high calorie meal such as:

• McDonald's 1/4 lb Cheese, Medium Fry, Medium Coke = 1100 calories
• Burger King Whopper Meal = 1160 calories
• Ruby Tuesday Grilled Chicken Salad (no beverage and no sides) = 866 Calories

Any of these can be obtained and consumed in under 15 minutes.

How long will it take to burn 1100 calories?

Here is a list of possible activities for a 180 pound man (Calories burned is influenced by body weight, intensity of exercise, conditioning level and metabolism. A lighter or less fit person must work even longer.)

180 pound man:

• 1 hour Running, 8 mph (7.5 min/mile)
• 1.1 hours Stationary cycling (spinning) very vigorous
• 1.1 hours Cycling, 16-19 mph, very fast, racing
• 1.1 hours Rowing machine, very vigorous
• 1.4 hours Swimming laps, Freestyle, fast
• 2.1 hours Walking 4.5 mph (very brisk)
• 2.2 hours Boxing, Punching Bag
• 2.2 hours Playing Basketball, non-game
• 2.3 hours Weight Lifting, Vigorous, Body Building
• 3.0 hours Golf, Walking & carrying clubs
• 3.9 hours Golf using a powered cart

As you can see, it takes substantially more effort to burn 1100 calories than it takes to eat it. You have to already be very fit to do it and you have to devote significant time to the effort.

The result is that poor eating choices always trump exercise.

 So when you start to eat that 1100 calorie meal choice, ask yourself if you can run 8 miles in under an hour.