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Why I’m Extra Happy it’s Workout Wednesday
Two words make this a much-needed day for a big-time calorie burn: Fat Tuesday.
If you’re like millions of people around the world, you spent yesterday indulging in some “sinful” treats ranging from chocolate chip pancakes to libations of different octane levels. My office added to the sugarfest by asking our resident bakers to whip up some goodies for all of us to enjoy as a late-afternoon treat.
While I’ll be extra glad to break a serious sweat at tonight’s “UXF Burn” class, there are a few reasons I refuse to be consumed by guilt over my behavior on this annual day of decadence:
- It happens once in a 365-day period.
- For the past seven years, Fat Tuesday has fallen on the same day of the week as my favorite group exercise class. I’m just sure to kick things up an extra notch at NYSC’s Club Strength on this specific Tuesday where I tend to throw moderation out the window.
- Workout Wednesday immediately follows Fat Tuesday.
If you went a little overboard yesterday, you have some extra motivation to make today’s workout count! Not sure you need the boost? Consider this: pancakes rank at the top of the Fat Tuesday favorite-food list almost every year. If you enjoyed this crowd-pleaser at a restaurant like IHOP last night, remember each pancake weighs in at approximately 180 calories and six grams of fat. According to CalorieKing, burning off the calories in just one fluffy combination of sugar, flour and eggs would require 50 minutes of walking, 21 minutes of jogging, 15 minutes of swimming or 27 minutes of cycling. If you enjoyed a stack of four or five…well, you can do the math.
All that being said, I wrap up this post with a common LauraLovesFitness theme: life is simply too short to deny yourself the things you really enjoy. For me, that will always include chocolate and red wine. On the rare occasions I do splurge and enjoy those decadent items on the same day, I simply make it a point to get back on track with my healthy food choices the next day and add an extra ten or fifteen minutes to my workout. Finding a balance for all the things that bring you happiness is a challenging but critical part of our journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!
Let Those Super Bowl Sunday “Sins” Motivate You to Move Today!
If you’re looking for your Monday dose of motivation to get your body moving, let me ask you just one question: what did you eat yesterday?
If you’re in a food coma today, you’re in good company. I’m sure it’s no surprise to hear Super Bowl Sunday is the second-biggest calorie-consumption day of the year after Thanksgiving. Just how many calories are we talking about? Well, think of this: the recommended daily caloric intake for people looking to maintain their weight is roughly 2,000 calories. On Super Bowl Sunday, the majority of Americans eat close to 2,800 calories…in about three hours.
The simple truth is whether you’re a football fan or not, Super Bowl Sunday has become an American tradition like apple pie. I think it’s simply because the Big Game offers a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and indulge in many of the foods most of us try to avoid on a regular basis.
Yes, even I tend to go a bit overboard on Super Bowl Sunday. So I can guarantee I’ll be pushing a little harder at the gym after work today to burn even more calories than normal. (I’m pretty sure getting up off the couch to dance along with Beyoncé’s half-time show didn’t do the trick.)
With some help CalorieKing, I put together a playbook featuring some of America’s favorite Super Bowl foods. Considering many or all of these items may have been on your game day menu, I’ll let you add them up based on how many pieces, slices or serving sizes you enjoyed. As you calculate the numbers in your head or using your iPhone, I imagine you may have found a good reason to get up off your chair and start your next run or workout immediately.
- Doritos’ Tortilla Chips, Cool Ranch Flavored (12 chips) = 140 calories
- Lays’ Potato Chips, Sour Cream & Onion Flavored (17 chips) = 160 calories
- 5 Pigs-in-a-Blanket = 470 calories
- 5-wing serving of hot wings = Anywhere from 300 to 597 calories (depending on the sauce and dip they’re served with)
- 1 Slice of Cheese Pizza = 240 calories
- 1 Slice of Pepperoni Pizza = 298 calories
- 1 Slice of Papa John’s “The Works” Pizza = 330 calories
- Bowl of Chili = Calories range from 300 – 600 based on the recipe. (e.g. cheese v. no-cheese)
- 1 Light Beer (12 oz) = 96 calories
- 1 Regular Beer or Ale (12 oz) = 150 calories
- 1 Regular Soda (12oz) = 140 calories
Whether or not you cared about which team won, I hope you had a fun Super Bowl Sunday! If that included going a bit overboard with the food and drink, no doubt you had your fun – which means today’s your chance to get back on track with your plans to be fit and feel fabulous!
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