Being well versed in this language of numbers, helps us make vital judgments and perform everyday tasks with PERFECTION – Precise reason why every individual is expected to know MATH if they seek SUCCESS…MATH, truly is the essence of LIFE !!!
Today let us delve deeper into an interesting aspect of MATH – Join me as we unravel some excellent connects associated with MATH & HEALTH.
MATH is truly the Guiding Force in all aspects of LIFE – It is often considered the “UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE” of the World – Each one of us has learnt it in school days & we all are using it in our daily life – The simple concepts of Additions & Subtractions, Multiplication & Division make it easy for us to make calculations in our LIFE – Profitable dealing & loss parameters get documented through Math in almost every aspect of LIFE – Indeed it would be PERFECT to say – Math connects us all.
Math, not only help us to invest wisely in our business dealings but it can help us to stay fit and healthy. Wonder how?
Healthy Weight is a must to enjoy life – There are many in this world who must reduce weight and stay healthy and then there are some who must put on weight to stay fit…either way, in order to achieve our HEALTHY WEIGHT TARGET, one needs to get the MATH in order and some CALCULATIONS accurate.
We all want to be HEALTHY & this calls for some Math Calculations – Be it “Weight Loss” or “Weight Gain” – MATH is the answer!!!
Before I share the secret to Weight Loss, it is important we learn a few words…and descriptions…and most important word “Calorie” for it is these words & connects that will help us comprehend the Math & Health connect with precision.
So, what is a Calorie – according to many, Calories are tiny little evil creatures that live inside our closet & sew our clothes a tiny bit tighter every night…How evil of these creatures – Time to shoo them away …
All jokes apart – Let us know the REAL DEFINATION of a CALORIE. Scientifically put…
- A calorie is defined as a unit of energy supplied by food.
- A calorie is a calorie regardless of its source.
Irrespective of the food we eat: Carbohydrates, Fats, Sugars, or Proteins, or Alcohol – all of them contain calories…However, the difference lies in the number of calories each provides… Sugars & Proteins = Both provides 4Calories /Gram while fats provide 9 Calories /gram…and Alcohol also has its share – provides us with 7 Calories /gram – Hence – Maintaining a healthier weight is a balancing act and it requires the use of a Math Equation called – Caloric Balance Equation.
An in-depth understanding of the “Caloric Balance Equation” is our solution to weight management and it involves the Basic Math of Less & More.
- Weight remains the SAME when the calories we eat and drink EQUAL the calories we burn.
- WEIGHT LOSS occurs when the calories we eat and drink are LESS than the calories we burn.
- WEIGHT GAIN occurs when the calories we eat and drink are GREATER than the calories we burn.
The best way to comprehend this is through an example – and to explain it reasonably, it is important we know some NUMBERS & RELATIONS.
1 kilo FAT equals 7700 kcal or 1 pound FAT equals 3500 kcal
Here’s a simple example to understand how the “Calorie Account” of our body works. Let’s say we have a person named Mr. X
When Mr. X consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day – There will be no CHANGE in weight – however should Mr. X start consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 – there will be a WEIGHT GAIN at the rate of about 1lb a week.
500 X 7 = 3500 = 1 pound FAT
This is where “Caloric Balance Equation” comes handy…Know your intakes & outputs of Calories & stay fit.
Weight management is all about BALANCE
BALANCE = Firmness of our BODY
And so, if we seek a FIRM BODY – Balancing the number of calories, we consume (from foods) with the number of calories we burn (to perform our daily actions, and workouts) is the GOAL we must aim each day…
The “CALORIE ACCOUNT” of our bodies that needs to be in “PERFECT BALANCE” Have a LOOK at this Picture shared….
How CALORIES impact our Weight.
- Our body utilizes calories all through the day and night
- When we are involved in any kind of domestic work, such as cooking and cleaning, we are burning calories.
- Physical exercises like brisk walking, cycling, swimming, running also help us to burn calories.
- Many of you might have heard of the astonishing fact that our body burns calories even while at rest, depending on the body’s metabolic rate.
Yet another aspect that we must know about Weight Management is that the secret to achieving this BALANCE lies in our BMR.
What is BMR ?
Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the rate at which the body burns up calories even when no activity is being performed. This BMR accounts for approximately 60% of the calories burned for an average person...use these formulas to calculate your BMR
This may sound surprising but for many “BMR” is the reason weight gets piled on – Some of us THINK that if RESTING burns Calories, why invest in Physical Activity & Exercise.
This basic awareness that any activity that we start, will help us to burn calories, is the precise excuse that turns us into “couch potatoes”
Wondering HOW ???
“OUR BODY BURNS CALORIES EVEN WHILE AT REST” …. this analysis forces us to believe that this is a WIN – WIN situation for us, and then we find ourselves resting on our sofa, glued to our TV sets.
Playgrounds carry no value for children are found playing computer games with a friend, who happens to stay opposite the road. Gone are the days when children would gather down to play some sport games.
Gone are the days when parents would take their children to parks & Gardens on weekends – instead now malls & indoor games have become the FIRST CHOICE taken when it comes to entertainment.
Be at homes and in Restaurants – we are all glued to our PHONES – Forever lost in the WEB that keeps us entangled & knotted…Many a times, we are so involved in updating our Facebook status and sharing our memories that we almost lose track of time.
We all need to pause for a moment and think, “If burning calories was as easy as resting on our seats and watching TV and/or playing games on our phone then why is everyone putting on weight nowadays?”
It is these CHOICES that have led to the Obesity Epidemic – And being overweight means, we are setting up ourselves for Chronic Diseases like Heart Attacks & Stroke & Diabetes.
We need to remember that burning calories is not so easy and that extra weight does not appear and disappear in a fraction of time. When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime, the bottom line is…We must strive to achieve a CONSTANT BALANCE…and we must work towards making “Healthy Weight” as our ultimate Health Goal ❤
Pause & Ponder !!!
We all know someone who can eat whatever they like and not put on an ounce of fat, and then there are most people who actually have to watch what they eat to remain at a certain body fat percentage…What is really happening here….and how are some LUCKY in maintaining weight at no effort while others need to struggle !
Before we get to know the twisted tales, time for some logical connects…because sometimes, we try to play Smart and want to FOOL the BODY – Let us know that our BODY is SMART & is well versed with efficient management of itself.
Astonishing Facts about are BODY are a must to be known by all – When we do exercise of any kind, we do BURN calories during our workout, but our body is SMART & as these exercises continue and gets excessive, our body gets adapted to a process called “adaptation”, wherein we burn fewer and fewer calories each time we exercise.
Our body becomes “fuel efficient.” And then should we continue doing excessive and exclusive cardio – we are leading ourselves to a drawback – We tend to lose MUSCLE ( an important parameter in weight loss) – We know that Muscle burns fat, so if we have less of the “machinery” that burns fat, we burn less fat…and then over time even if our weight is “normal” yet our body fat is extremely high because we have lost a lot of muscle…and our body has more fat – which means we are still at risk from chronic diseases.
So, the BEST approach to WEIGHT LOSS is to have the IDEAL COMBINATION of HEALTHY EATING & EXERCISE on a DAILY BASIS.
Know that though calories play an important role in weight gain…it is also true that “Body fat” and “Weight” are also & much more strictly controlled by hormones than by calories – Our BODY is SMART & uses the HORMONES to control hunger & satiety level, Fat & Muscle Conversions and many more intricate processes that impact our “Body Weight”.
Healthy Hormones are the secret to healthy Weight – and only when we eat a balance diet can these HORMONES be balanced & Ideal Weight achieved…so the take away message is let your calories be PERFECT both in terms of Quantity & Type… so that our Body has a Perfect Hormonal profile. Also knowing which activities BURN how much calories helps us Plan our Routines and Enjoy our Days.
Here’s what the Calories have to Say:
- While an hour of watching TV helps you burn around 55-70 calories,
- An hour of walking will help you burn around 240-400 calories.
No doubt, we burn calories with every activity of ours, but every activity helps us to burn different number of calories…The above example clearly shows that, you will be burning approximately 240-400 calories (depending on your speed) during the same hour each day in which you are burning just 55-70 calories.
LOOK AT THE MIGHTY DIFFERENCE !!!
Base your decision-making skills to the test by deciding whether sitting back and lying on your couch is RIGHT for you, and predict how much healthy you can get by investing in regular walks to stay fit...Do the MATH !!!
Now you know how we unintentionally set up ourselves to become “Couch Potatoes” & all that “Huffing & Puffing” as we walk & climb stairs… It’s TIME to CHANGE – To be CLEVER & SMART in terms of HEALTH.
The 21st century has seen us gradually migrating towards an unhealthy lifestyle that lacks a good diet and physical activity. In such a scenario, it makes perfect sense to turn off the idiot box and get busy walking.
Significant understanding of Weight Loss
When we are planning on losing a great amount of weight, we need to be conscious of our activities and our food intake. This journey of weight loss may sometimes require us to make adjustments as we progress. Eat Healthy, Exercise More, and above all let us aim to maintain an ACCURATE BALANCE in terms of your calories till you reach your goal.
The end result can be astonishing. You will not only enjoy improved health and appearance, but your BMI (Body Mass Index) would have dropped from Overweight to Normal Weight.
Also, know that sometimes, the weighing scales display no change in weight – let this not disappoint us – Another excellent method of staying focused on the weight loss journey is “Measure what you want to improve”. Here comes the need of some Smart Strategies to stay Happy & Positive on your Weight Loss Journey ❤
SMART TRACKING TECHNIQUES
Many of us want to LOOK GOOD in our photographs – let your Camera & Tape Measure be the tools – Track how you look every 21 days (with consistent clothing, pose and lighting) and measurements of your arms, legs, hips, and waist.
One more technique that works wonders is to set a PERFORMANCE GOAL. Time checks are excellent as they help us measure our fitness levels – Such trainings make us more fit, while also restructuring your body. Measure the time taken to walk 2kms – and track your performance…You will be amazed to see that as the fats go down so does the time taken to complete a 2km round lessens.
Benefits of HEALTHY WEIGHT ❤
- As you lose weight, you FEEL GOOD and LIFE becomes exciting.
- All the discomfort, gasping and panting of breath disappears.
- We pride & feel confident in wearing our clothes – This makes us HAPPY.
So, what are you waiting for?
Get smart and put on your sneakers, go and grab your I-pods, and WALK YOUR WAY towards a GOOD HEALTH.
Math can help us in our daily lives. It’s time we started using math to get our life more organized and perfect – Make MATH your BEST friend and BALANCE your life in all aspects including HEALTH ❤
Journeys & Reflections 