Sunday Q&A

I love when people ask me questions, so please don't stop!

I've decided that every Sunday I'll share some of those questions with everyone else, so welcome to the first "Sunday Q&A".


"How many calories do you eat a day?"

Well - that varies.    It depends on the day, what I have going on, if I'm busy, if I get to the gym or not, etc.  It basically just depends on what's going on in my life from day to day.  Being a mom, there's no "normal" day in my life.     On an ideal day, I'll eat 1400-1500 calories.  I'll then get to the gym and burn 700 calories of that off, leaving me with a NET intake of 700-800 calories.   That would be a PERFECT day, and I have one of those on average, 3-4 days a week.

"How do you know how many calories to burn?"

You can find out how many calories your body burns by figuring out your Basal Metabolic Rate by clicking the link below.  Your BMR is basically what your body burns by doing absolutely nothing all day.  For example... my BMR is 1798 calories a day.   If I eat 1798 calories a day, I'll maintain my weight.  Since I want to lose weight, I know I need to eat less than that.  How much less you ask?  Well..  I want to lose 2 lbs a week.   1-2lbs a week is a SAFE and HEALTHY amount to lose each week.   1 pound of fat = 3500 calories.  So, since I want to lose 2 lbs of fat each week, I have to cut the amount each week by 7000 calories.

1798 calories per day x 7 days = 12,586 calories (to maintain my weight) 
12,586 - 7000 (2 lbs of fat) = 5,586 calories a week, which is an average of 798 calories per day NET intake.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/


"How do you know how many calories you burn?"

This handy little gizmo is called a Heart Rate Monitor. I LOVE mine and there's no way I'd ever work out without it.   The chest strap goes directly under your bust line, almost even with the bottom of where your sports bra comes.   It's super easy to use and they're waterproof.  This was a big seller for me, because I sweat like crazy when I work out!  It also has a "diary" setting, where each Monday it'll tell you the amount of time you worked out and how many calories you burned during that time.  Love it!  I got mine at Sports Authority for about $100.00.   I've had it for 4 years and love it!

 That's it for today guys.   I'll answer a few more next Sunday.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!