Increasing my weekly yardage seems to have increased my hunger. How can I determine the calories really expended during swims of various lengths or intensities?
And when the office hits the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, how many laps equate to that second or third serving? (Not giving up the food can justify extra time in the pool!)
Parents
Former Member
In keeping with the original question posed by Perkunas...let me offer the following possibilities.
(1) As I noted above, you can keep a log of how much you exercise, how much you eat, and how much you weigh. With some arithmetic, you can calculate your caloric requirement as a function of your activity level. For you analytical types, this can be an interesting thing to do.
or
(2) Just assume that you're burning 500 Calories per hour of swimming as a working figure. If you find that you are losing or gaining weight over time, then adjust the figure accordingly. (For you big, fit, powerful swimmers, it might be 800.) 500 Calories can be thought of as: (a) a homemade turkey and cheese sandwich plus banana; or (b) small roasted chicken *** (skin removed), plus medium baked potato, lightly dressed, and a half cup of peas; or (c) 1.5 cups of ice cream.
or
(3) Forget the arithmetic, and just eat according to your hunger mechanism. Eat when you are hungry. Eat slowly, so that you give your hunger mechanism time to respond. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating. When you are at a buffet, limit your quantities, but enjoy having a taste of everything you like.
In keeping with the original question posed by Perkunas...let me offer the following possibilities.
(1) As I noted above, you can keep a log of how much you exercise, how much you eat, and how much you weigh. With some arithmetic, you can calculate your caloric requirement as a function of your activity level. For you analytical types, this can be an interesting thing to do.
or
(2) Just assume that you're burning 500 Calories per hour of swimming as a working figure. If you find that you are losing or gaining weight over time, then adjust the figure accordingly. (For you big, fit, powerful swimmers, it might be 800.) 500 Calories can be thought of as: (a) a homemade turkey and cheese sandwich plus banana; or (b) small roasted chicken *** (skin removed), plus medium baked potato, lightly dressed, and a half cup of peas; or (c) 1.5 cups of ice cream.
or
(3) Forget the arithmetic, and just eat according to your hunger mechanism. Eat when you are hungry. Eat slowly, so that you give your hunger mechanism time to respond. When you are no longer hungry, stop eating. When you are at a buffet, limit your quantities, but enjoy having a taste of everything you like.
