Hey, It’s Jeff and in this video, I’m going to talk to you about something I saw pop up on my social media feed the other day.
It’s something that I first saw a few years ago … you’ve probably seen it too.
And I’m not going to lie, I skimmed through it because it’s interesting … but it also can give you a really limited view of the relationship between food and exercise.
Before I get into it, if you don’t already know me, I’m Jeff Tomaszewski with MaxStrength Fitness and we help men and women just like you reverse the aging process in only 20 minutes Twice a Week without breaking a sweat!
OK … so I’m talking about one of those charts that outline the “burpee equivalents” for different foods.
In case you don’t know what a burpee is…(see video)
According to these charts:
- · A cookie = 141 burpees
- · Small meatball sub = 402 burpees
- · Big Mac = 506 burpees
I’ve also seen charts for how many miles it takes to walk or run off different foods:
For example, it takes:
- · 1 hour and 23 minutes to walk off ¼ of a large pizza … or 42 minutes of running at 5 mph.
- · And it takes 48 minutes of walking to burn off a blueberry muffin … or 25 minutes of running.
On one hand, this is interesting, because it makes you realize just how much of an impact what you eat can have on your body weight-wise … even though the numbers themselves are pretty meaningless…
Because there are a lot of things that affect how many calories a person burns, from their sex to their size to their age, and more.
But on the other hand, this approach overlooks something very important: the actual NUTRITION that different foods give your body.
Food is so much more than just calories and how much it takes to “burn it off.”
The food you eat is packed with vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that help build and power your muscles and bones, create and regulate hormones, boost your immune system, and help your cells and organs do their jobs.
And … it also can be filled with unhealthy fats, added sugars, excess sodium, and refined grains that make it harder for your body to function at its best.
The idea is to eat MORE of the foods that add value to your body … things like veggies, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats…
And also to eat LESS of those that don’t contribute to your health & wellbeing (like added sugars and ultra-processed foods).
Just something to keep in mind – because it’s not always about the calories.
So while those “burpee charts” are interesting, it’s good to keep in mind that it’s only a tiny part of the story!
And if you are looking for a proven way to improve your health and fitness in only minutes a week without breaking a sweat, you can request an initial consultation at maxstrengthfitness.com.
Thank you so much for watching!
Until next time, be strong, eat clean and live well!
REFERENCE:
www.rsph.org.uk/static/uploaded/26deda5b-b3b7-4b15-a11bea931dabf041.pdf