Fat Math!

Hello! I hope you have all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! Mine was wonderful! My day was spent with friends and family who are very near and dear to me. I have so much to be thankful for and am so grateful to God for all the wonderful blessings he has given me and continues to give me each and every day. God is so good!
As Thanksgiving ends and the Christmas Holiday begins I have become very aware that time is flying right by me. Christmas, New Years, My Birthday and Valentine’s Day will all be here before you know it and then BOOM! THE WEDDING will be here!!! Michael and I could not be any more excited!!! As this time approaches I realize its time to dig in and lose a few more pounds before the wedding. At first this really threw me when I started analyzing it. I’ve really been off my game since I got back from UT. That whole 6 inch tear in my calf has really slowed me down. Thankfully I have been watching what I eat and even with some minor indulgences over Thanksgiving I have managed to maintain and not gain. (Thank You LORD!) However, it’s taken me some very methodical planning to get myself motivated to lose in a new way because of my leg and to get my “plan of weight loss action” in order. Let’s back up a bit to the day before I hurt my leg. At the resort the life coaches and trainers meeting with you a day or two before you leave and start asking you questions like, “What’s your plan for when you get home? How are you going to keep this momentum going? What support do you have? …etc.” So prior to my injury I had this whole “4 piece plan” in mind as to how I was going to keep pressing forward and bust through my weight loss goals. Well…a huge part of that was dependant on exercise. You have to have exercise – some good ole’ hard core cardio to increase that heart rate and burn that fat on a consistent basis, and let’s face it…treadmill, elliptical or any kind of spin or cardio class is NOT in my future any time soon. So my original commitment to myself to walk or treadmill everyday went down the drain! The past 17 days have really been a challenge mentally and physically. Thankfully, over the weekend, I was able to turn a page and get refocused a bit. It started Friday when I was able to go pretty much the entire day with only 1 crutch. Saturday when I woke up it was probably the first time that my ankles were the same size – wooo whoo! The swelling has gone down considerably and even though my calf is still swollen where the tear is, the tissue is softening and the bruises are all beginning to fade and thankfully my leg is no longer this horrible yellow, sallow color and the aches and pains are much better too. Ahhh…my leg is beginning to look and feel normal again. Then yesterday and today I’ve been able to walk, well hobble really, short distances without any crutches at all. The fact that I can put more weight on is very promising to me. Let’s hope Dr. Manning agrees on the 1st. While I’m not trying to over do it by any means, it still feels good to be moving more and getting some normal mobility back.
As I’ve been feeling stronger I decided that I needed to really put a plan in place and really get back on track with losing weight and getting strong…again. Have you noticed? This is a life long commitment. :o) One day, one week or one month does not fix my whole lifetime…anyway. I pulled out my calorie counter and my food journal – time to put these awesome tools back in action then I did what I like to call “Fat Math!” At the resort they gave us a tried and true formula for losing weight. It’s basically calories in / calories out, but they explain it in a very detailed way that once you get the hang of it is extremely helpful and is guaranteed to work. :o)
First – you need to know your goal, or the number of calories you need to burn each day to lose the weight. To lose 1 pound of fat you must burn 3500 calories. Multiply the number of pounds you want to lose by the number of calories needed to lose one pound. (Example: 10 lbs x 3500 calories = 35,000 calories to be burned)
Second – you MUST know your RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate.
(Definition: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the energy required to perform vital body functions such as respiration and heart rate while the body is at rest. About 50 to 75% of one's daily energy expenditure can be attributed to resting metabolic rate. Thank you ask.com or basically the amount of calories you are allowed to consumer each day for your body to sustain itself and maintain weight)
You can pay for some high tech scientific testing by a physician or nutritionists to get your RMR or you can simply go to http://www.shapeup.org/prof/rc_index.php and use their resources. Their RMR calculator is free, it’s approximate, but it will definitely give you what you need to know.
Third – you will need to know how many calories you are burning during exercise each day. You can purchase a heart monitor or body bug that will track this for you or again, you can go to http://www.shapeup.org/prof/rc_index.php and use their Physical Activity Calculator.
Fourth and finally – you need to know how many calories you are eating each day. To find out the number of calories you can eat per day the Biggest Loser teaches that you are allotted 7 calories for each pound of your current weight in order to lose weight. (Example 200 lbs x 7 = 1400 calories per day) This total adjusts each week as you lose weight. Once you get to your goal weight then multiply each pound by 12 calories to get your maintenance intake. (Example 150 lbs x 12 = 1800) ***IMPORTANT: You should consult a doctor or a nutritionist, especially if you have any medical problems to determine the appropriate daily caloric intake for yourself. I’m happy to share with you every piece of information I have, but I can’t tell you what’s right for you. While these formulas will work for everyone, it is still a very good idea to consult your Dr. before beginning any exercise program. ***
Because I am limited on the exercises I can do right now, I am personally using a smaller daily caloric intake. I am using the 1200 calorie limit they used at the resort. You’d be surprised what you can do with 1200 calories.
OK! Now that we know how to get our numbers, let’s do some “Fat Math!”
I will use myself as an example.
Deb’s Fat Math to lose 20 lbs
20 x 3500 = 70,000
Divide that by the number of days you’d like to lose that weight in – be realistic!
70,000 / 88 days = 796
I need to burn an additional 796 calories each day to lose 20 lbs in 88 days
My RMR: 1918
+ My daily exercise: 360
- My caloric intake: 1200
= My daily burn 1078
Now multiply that burn by 7 to get your total burn for the week then divide that total burn number by 3500 to obtain the approximate pounds per week that you’ll lose.
1078 x 7 = 7546 / 3500 = approximately 2 lbs per week (2.16 actually) So with limited ability to exercise, which right now is weights for my arms and back, sit ups and a few stretches, and watching my daily calorie intake I can still manage to lose approximately 20 lbs in 10 weeks or approximately 70 days. :o)

So it’s easy right? Have I confused you any at all? Keep in mind what it takes more than anything is a commitment to yourself to eat better, eat less and MOVE MORE. If you would like some help mapping out your own personal “fat math” please email me. (debba.lee@gmail.com) I am more than happy to help you and motivate you in any way I can. :o)