Exercise Time Required To Burn Off Your Dessert
77How many times have you said to yourself, 'Sure, I'll have that ____ (insert dessert name here) and just do a little extra cardio tomorrow to make up for it'? Likely at least once in your life.
Many people tend to think that they can leave a little slack room in their diet as long as they are willing to put in the extra time in the gym. Unfortunately most of these people also overestimate just how much time is required in the gym in order to burn off that 'little indulgence' that they treated themselves too. When you really stop and think about it, often for the amount of additional exercise you would have to suffer through, it truly is not worth it. If you do happen to be one of those rare individuals who really enjoys performing lots of cardio exercise, then still, truth be told, there are far more better things you could be eating to refill your muscle glycogen levels and promoting an improvement in physical condition.
Here is a list of some popular food choices and their corresponding 'punishment' time.
*1 piece of chocolate cake with icing (1/8 of cake)
Total Calories: ~250 Total Time Running: 25 minutes
*1 oz of Doritos Chips (note however, most people do not stop with one ounce)
Total Calories: ~140 Total Time Running: 15 minutes
*1/2 cup Ben & Jerry's Ice cream
Total Calories: ~280 Total Time Biking: 38 minutes
*2 Twizzlers licorice
Total Calories: ~150 Total Time Weight Lifting: 25 minutes
* 1 extra large chocolate bar
Total Calories: ~500 Total Time Walking: 1 hour 20 minutes
* 1 slice of Cheesecake
Total Calories: ~ 400 Total Time Running: 40 minutes
* 1 Chocolate brownie
Total Calories: ~350 Total Time Circuit Training: 45 minutes
* 1 Starbucks Venti Starbucks White Chocolate Frappuccino (no whip cream)
Total Calories: ~450 Total Time On The Elliptical: 40 minutes
*1 KFC Double Crunch Sandwich
Total Calories: ~510 Total Time Cleaning The House: 1 hour 35 minutes
So as you can see, what will only take a few minutes to consume, could take a large amount of time to burn off in the gym. If you are currently trying to lose weight, then not only would you have to burn off these excess calories but then also burn enough to create a caloric deficit for that day. Weight loss is accomplished by accumulating a large enough deficit over time with most people aiming to create between 250 and 500 calories per day. While you definitely can go over your calorie budget one day, you must make up for it on another day to compensate. Most of the above treats are so large that it would be hard to further reduce 300-600 calories from your diet the next day without risking nutritional health so it isn't the best of ideas.
If you absolutely must indulge in your favourite treat, try and at least be very strict with yourself in terms of portion control. Don't get into the mindset where you figure since you cheated a little you've entirely blown your diet so you might as well really blow it. That will only set you back even further. Enjoy your small portion and then get right back onto your diet.
*Note: All exercise times will be approximations and are determined using a 130 pound individual
CommentsLoading...
I think this is a bad set-up. People don't need the guilt of being over weight, even if they are,they still have the know how too burn the accses weight off.
Yes they do need the guilt!!! Otherwise we continue to be a FAT nation. Guilt brings on change! Let's all work together to make Fat people feel guilty about being fat and promote heathly living!!
Oh noes
45 mins to burn off that chocolate
D:
I found this information informative and helpful. I have been trying to take off the pounds and its difficult. I fixed my boyfriend a low fat meal tonight and then we indulged on brownies with chocolate icing that I had sitting in my fridge. We both felt awful that we ate the brownies but then went for a long walk and now we don't feel so guilty. I think that I'll go throw my brownies in the trash now ....LOL....
I love this article. It gives an approximation of what exactly to do to burn off certain amounts of calories. I eat healthy, with the exception of the salad dressing on my salad, a bight or two of chocolate, etc. (not that I shouldn't be having these things) But knowing I can burn off as much of it as possible makes me feel like my diet is moving faster!
Thank you for this article....I found it quite a positive read! Im planning to run 7k's tonight and was mortified to think that I would have to run another 7 just to have an appropriate loss for the day, after eating a brownie!!....phew! ...but they taste soooo good! lol
I think it's great for us people who are watching our weight. Thanks :)
I think this article is not to say that "Fat people" should cut down the weight but that ALL PEOPLE should eat in moderation. We all come in different shapes and sizes and people who are bigger in size, sometimes, its genetically impossible to be "thin", a body image that wants to signify beauty which i highly disagree to. Its great that this article shows, that if you happen to eat THIS, you and your body would need to work twice as hard IF you want to lose it. Guilt is not what's happening here, Awareness is what this is trying to promote.
This is an excellent article. I'm on a strict diet, but since today is Mother's day I decided to treat myself (mother of one) to a slice of cheesecake. And in order to stay on track regarding my weight loss plan, I want to exercise forty minutes to burn that calories! Thanks Shannon Clark.
I like the way this article is organised. I'm starting to regret that chocolate at lunch now... :S
Thanks!
I think this is silly as it immediately assumes that because you ate that you are immediately going to gain weight, if you don't keep eating it use it for the fuel you have for that time that might mean you run a bit longer and move on with better fuel in the future then I don't see why it won't just adjust. Also if you commit to something like that if you listen to your body often it is satisfied and there isn't that same craving there the next day to bother you and you might be less hungry and crave more things that adjust.
Maddie Ruud Level 5 Commenter 4 years ago
I think this is a bad set-up. Thinking of food in terms of what one will have to do to compensate for it promotes unhealthy eating, body image problems, and unnecessary guilt... a recipe for eating disorders, if I ever heard one.