In the United States of America the Bermuda Triangle syndrome is looming. I am talking about the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day holidays that can suck you in and wreak havoc in your life.But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Forget About New Year's Resolutions
The holiday season invites overeating, sitting on your ass, and procrastinating about your physique. Sure, sure - you'll just make the traditional New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get in shape because you had no discipline from November through early January. Nice plan.
But what if you could enjoy the holidays without giving in to extreme calorie hoarding?Some of you will remain dedicated to your training and regulate your food intake. But for the rest of you who need a swift kick in the ass, I have some suggestions for getting through these dangerous weeks.
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Even if you only comply with a few of them, it will be better than nothing. Remember, doing something is better than nothing, and taking small steps trumps remaining idle.
Crunch the Caloric Numbers
It's time to take a sniff of reality. Take a look at these hard-to-swallow facts:
- One slice of pumpkin pie = 316 calories
- One cup of dressing/stuffing = 404 calories
- 8oz of eggnog = 344 calories
- Four regular-size sugar cookies = 340 calories
- Two 8oz whiskey sours = 743 calories
- Two turkey legs = 384 calories
- Two slabs of ham (4oz each) = 365 calories
- 8oz of hot cocoa powder mix = 903 calories
- One disgusting candy cane that measures 8" in height = 365 calories
- Chips and salsa (20 chips and 1/4 cup salsa) = 430 calories
- 3 slices of pepperoni pizza (14" thin crust) = 894 calories
- 4 x 12oz Budweiser beers = 728 calories
Understand you will probably consume a combination of the above, which will further compound the mission, so do the math.
Yes, your basal metabolic calories (BMC) are significant to keep your body alive and functioning at the base-line level, but please factor in the over-consumption via poor calorie consumption relative to the aforementioned examples.
"Even if you only comply with a few of them, it will be better than nothing. Remember, doing something is better than nothing, and taking small steps trumps remaining idle."
Be Ready to Stoke a Metabolic Fire
Keep the following in mind during the Bermuda Triangle portion of the year. These are approximate estimates based on averages.
For a 180-pound male to burn 150 to 250 calories:
- 15:00 martial arts
- 15:00 running at 10:00/mile pace
- 30:00 regular strength training
- 45:00 yoga
For a 120-pound female to burn 250 to 350 calories:
- 15:00 interval training
- 30:00 hard cycling
- 30:00 water polo
- 45:00 walking at 4.5 miles per hour
For a 150-pound male to burn 350 to 450 calories:
- 30:00 hard boot camp
- 30:00 running at 9:00/mile pace
- 45:00 tennis
- 60:00 hiking
For a 160-pound female to burn 450 to 550 calories:
- 30:00 running at 7:30 mile pace
- 45:00 good, old-fashioned skipping
- 60:00 moderate boot camp
- 60:00 ice skating like Wayne Gretzky