How many calories are you actually burning…
Today, I want to chat calorie burn! How many of you have tracked your exercise calorie burn and then based what you eat on what you burn? We have all been there at some point I am sure. I am here to tell you, you burn WAY more calories in a day than you think you do. PROMISE! And I bet you will be shocked by where most of that burn comes from.
The number one source of calorie burn is from our BMR, basal metabolic rate. In basic terms, these are the calories you burn at rest, to live. For your heart to beat, for the blood to flow, for the brain to function. This number is also where you base your caloric deficit from. You NEVER want to eat below this number for a prolonged period of time. For most adults this ranges from 1300-1800 calories. YES, you read that right!
If you want to find out your BMR, here is the equation:
Women: BMR= 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years).
I can't stress enough how important building muscle is for increasing your BMR. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn.
Next is NEAT. This is your non-exercise related calorie burn. This comes from movement doing every day things. NEAT includes doing laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming, taking a walk, playing at the park, walking around the grocery, cooking dinner, picking up toys, and the list goes on. So do not underestimate how important any kind of movement is in your health. It does not have to be formal exercise to be beneficial!
Then comes exercise. This is the workouts you do, whether cardio or resistance training. This accounts for 10-20% of the daily calorie burn, that's it. So do not think you have to spend hours at the gym to eat. Be efficient, lift heavier, increase intensity and you will burn more than you think.
Lastly, TEF or thermic effect of food. This accounts for almost as much as exercise. Crazy right. This is the energy we burn to chew and digest food. Want in on a little secret? Protein and fiber burn the most energy to digest. So when I talk about importance of getting lots of protein in, this is one added benefit to increase your calorie burn! So eat that protein and get your daily recommended amount of fiber!
That was a lot I know. But so so important! I want you to know the truth about how your body works and the why behind what I say!
Remember, it is important to know what your BMR is so you can ensure that you are not under-eating. I stress this a lot, and I hope you understand more now on why I stress it! When we do not give our body the energy (aka calories) it needs, it stores it! It has to survive too, and does what it has to to do so!
