I learned something new! I read in Cooking Light magazine (one of my very favorite magazines) that a pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories. I’ve wondered about it, but have never known or have been inquisitive enough to find out.
This is very helpful information to me. I have been journaling what I eat since January, with the exception of a few weeks. This info gives me a whole new perspective on eating and exercise. If I want to lose weight, I need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. Denying myself food is not the only way (which is not new news to me).
However, measuring weight-loss success according to the scale is not the best form of measurement for me. I addition to swimming, biking and running, I attend a strength training class 2 times a week and that has built muscle. I heard a long time ago that 1 pound of fat takes up 10 times as much “space” (if you will) as 1 pound of muscle. Part of my discouragement with the scale is because it doesn’t reflect which weight is fat and which is muscle.
I know I am doing fairly well because last year I was at this same weight (OK, even two pounds less), but was wearing a size larger. Hmmm.
I digress, back to 3,500 calories. This is good info. Now, as I track my calories I can see what nutritional dent I am making. I found a site that lists the calories that different activities burn. It is rather extensive. I can note my calories burned each day through exercise and keep track of how many calories I eat. I may not be able to track my accomplishment on the scale, but by keeping track on paper I can see my efforts — and I can continue to see it in my clothing too:)
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