First, when you perform a physical activity, your basal metabolic rate will increase, burning more calories. The good news is that your BMR will stay high even after you stop the activity, continuing to burn calories. In addition, the ideal exercise or activity for losing weight is not one where you are "out of breath". It is better to perform an aerobic exercise, where you can continue to hold a conversation while performing the activity. This helps your body to actually burn fat, instead of sugar. Now, once you get your weight where you want it, you can perform the more strenuous exercise if you want to build big muscles. Hey, maybe you can make it to Sidney!

None the less, since there have been so many requests, I have listed the calories burned per minute for various activities.

Guess which activity burns the most calories per minute??? The good folks from Buffalo should be happy, it's HEAVY SNOW SHOVELING!! It topped the charts. Anyway, for the fun of it, here are the numbers.......

Sources of these statistics...

Adapted from... Your Health, Prentice Hall

As far as how many calories you should be taking in, here are two comments from readers....

Lean Body Weight in pounds multiplied by 15 will equal the number of calories per day to maintain that weight. 500 calories less per day will result in approx 1 lb weight loss per week; 750 calories = 1 1/2 lbs per week; 1000 calories = 2 lbs per week. Keep a daily diary of calorie intake. Fat, carbohydrates and protein will automatically adjust themselves to stay within allotted calories per day. UAssociate (@aol.com)

But now then, there is another calculation that comes from Brian...(from his wife's nutritionist)

Basal Metabolic Rate (No Activity)

Women: 65 + [4.36 x Weight(lbs)] + [4.32 x Height(inches)] - (4.7 x age) = BMR

Men: 66 + [6.22 x Weight(lbs)] + [12.7 x Height(inches)] - (6.8 x age) = BMR

To Determine total Calories Multiply BMR by the following: 1.3 Lightly active 1.4 Excercise 3 to 4 times a week 1.6 Excercise more than 4 times a week 1.8 Excercise 6 to 7 times a week for more than 1 hour each

Brian A. McGovern

Since most people's metabolism varies quite a bit, be careful using the guides. It is probably best to test these out for your own body, and adjust accordingly...

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