Weight Loss Math

Weight loss is about a special kind of math.  You have to count pounds of fat, such as the one pound of fat pictured above; pounds of weights; numbers of cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons; minutes on the treadmill; number of crunches, and squats.  Most complicated of all, it's counting calories.

I will never be one of those women who counts each calorie that goes into her mouth.  But I do think it's important to know the calories/portion sizes in the food you buy.  I also think it's important to know how those calories affect weight loss.

It is mostly accepted (though apparently controversial) that it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound.  If this is true, it means that I've lost 24,500 calories.  It also means that I have 105,000 calories left to reach my big goal weight.  Only 35,000 calories to meet my next milestone weight.

In the article I read that taught me the above, I learned that you burn more calories during the day than you do in the one hour at the gym.  It makes sense.  Every motion we make burns calories.  One extra effort I've been trying to make in this area is to do extra house work.  I have a dishwasher but I wash several dishes by hand.

There are people in this world who actually work to solve the answer to how many calories we burn during mundane activities.  According to this Discovery Health article, brushing your teeth for at least two minutes burns 5.7 calories.  Dusting your house for 30 minutes burns 80 calories, which is way fewer than this much more exciting activity-kissing for 30 minutes only burns 36 calories.  For me though, the calories that I deserve to burn more than any other are the 72 calories I burn for each hour spent watching TV.