Here’s a strange thing I read about today – you can read it here.
What has our thighs got to do with the rest of the body??
Scientists have just found out some usefulness for having fatter thighs vs thinner thighs… In today’s edition of the British Medical Journal, scientists reveal that thigh circumference is somehow associated with premature deaths and heart diseases.
They found out that the risk of heart disease doubled for both men and women who had a thigh circumference of less than 55 centimetres / 22 inches. (Go measure those thighs now!)
And those that who have thighs of between 55 to 60 centimetres / 22 to 24 inches has optimal protection against heart disease.
But guess what, if your thigh circumference is above 60 centimetres / 24 inches – the protection for heart disease reduces. *grin*
What they actually concluded in their study was that muscle mass and strength are important determinants of longevity and good health. And in the article, one of the professors said that “Interventions which protect or increase muscle mass, such as weight training, may be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease even if no loss of body fat occurs.”
Did you hear that? It means if you do your exercise regularly and still you’re not losing weight, or simply gaining weight with enough exercise – that is still a good thing!
So hey, did you measure that thigh yet?!
This sounds like really easy for some of you, but most people gain back weight after losing it… So let’s see what it really takes:
To lose one pound of fat, realistically, you need to burn about 3000 – 4000 calories on top of your current daily activities. Now that numbers sounds huge, so here’s how you can do that systematically (in 3 simple steps):
- Calculate your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate - Your BMR (in calories) is the amount of energy that is needed for your body to perform its basic functions like breathing and digesting. So that is the basic amount of calories that you need in a day.
- Start a Weight Loss Journal - By keeping track of what you do + what you eat everyday (like exercising in the gym – e.g. running, 20 mins, what you had for lunch – e.g. chicken pie, coke, etc.) you would know how much calories are going in and out each day.
- Watch Your Daily Calories In vs Calories Out – So the formula is really BMR +(plus) Calorie Burning Activities -(minus) Food Intake = this total, if negative, it means you’re most likely gaining weight, and if positive, it means you are putting in effort and probably starving but you are going to lose weight!
So how do we lose that one pound of fat in one day?
Let’s say your BMR comes to 1600. And your food intake is around 2000 calories.
So the calorie burning activities need to total up to at least 4000 calories in order that one pound of fat.
Finding it difficult to reach that goal in one day? Break it down and set a realistic goal. Always set a goal that is achievable, so set your goal to make that pound of fat go away in 3 or 5 days instead. Whatever your weight loss goal is, you will find that you always need to practise the above 3 steps, some discipline and plenty of action!
Quick one, here’s a famous quote you can rely on….
Take Breakfast Like A King,
Lunch Like A Prince,
And Dinner Like A Pauper!
BREAKFAST LIKE A KING, LUNCH LIKE A PRINCE, DINE LIKE A PAUPERTake