How many calories should you be consuming daily?  Can you and I eat the same food, and it still be ok?  There are many factors included in deciding how many calories one should consume daily.  Age, gender, height, body weight, level of fitness, etc.    When determining your caloric intake, you must first know your BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate.  BMR is the amount of energy expended (calories burned) while at rest.

What is your BMR?
Men: 66+(6.23 x weight in lbs) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)
Women: 655+(4.35 x weightin lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Example: 66+(6.23 x 200) + (12.7 x 72) – (6.8 x 26)
66 + 1246 + 914.4 – 176.8 = 2,049.6 calories to stay alive and maintain my current weight without exercising.

Now that I know how many calories I need for SURVIVAL, (with zero exercise) I can calculate how many calories I burn daily with the Harris Benedict Equation.

Little to no exercise Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.2
Light exercise (1-3 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.375
Moderate exercise (3-5 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.55
Heavy exercise (6-7 days per week) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.725
Very heavy exercise (twice per day, extra heavy workouts) Daily calories needed= BMR x 1.9

As a light to moderate exerciser, I can consume up to 2,818 – 3,176 calories daily to maintain my weight.   (Calculations shown below)
2,049.6 x 1.375 = 2,818.2 calories daily
2,049.6 x 1.55 = 3,176.88 calories daily

Now that you know how many calories you can safely consume daily, you can determine whether or not you need to skip the second helping or add an additional workout day in the gym!

On Turkey Day don’t stress yourself out with all the indulging that goes on.  You don’t have to worry about burning all of it off.  But do remember that if you eat 1 cup of bread stuffing, 1/2 cup of turkey gravy, and 8 oz of turkey, you will have consumed 720 calories.  That means you could go hiking for 104 minutes on Fridayand burn part of your turkey day meal off.  Make sure you enjoy your holiday, but get active the next day.  Book yourself a workout with a trainer or take a new class.  Don’t let the turkey make you sleepy

Midlife brings many transitions. These may include changes in marital status, career, and the end of childrearing.  There are physiological, physical, hormonal,and emotional changes which affect the body and spirit.  Some of us embrace these changes and view these years as the prime of our lives.  Others may experience a midlife crisis. Midlife is a time when we can make positive choices or negative choices.  Massage offers us a positive choice and a chance to reconnect with ourself.

Dr. Tiffany Field of the Touch Institute reports that massage at midlife has a large physiological affect on our cortisol (stress hormone), serotonin,dopamine, substance P and our natural killer cells. This powerful combination of biochemical agents in our bodies offers increased resistance to disease and a natural anti-depressant. Regular massage  increases our production of good hormones, decreases the effects of bad hormones and increases brain activity. It also enables women to reconnect with their bodies. At midlife we are faced with the fact that we no longer have that model figure. Massage helps us to reconnect with our bodies and be at peace with the transitions in our life.

*massage therapy journal,summer 2009,vol.48, p.44-50.

Try massage. It’s a healthy alternative!

Long-time members Dan & Jane Arkema recently visited the Taj Mahal.  Note Dan in his favorite “T” shirt with the Plymouth Fitness logo.  How to represent!

“I am committed to assisting individuals in achieving their personal fitness goals.  I have experienced what regular exercise, core, and strength training has done for me personally and I am dedicated to helping others lead a more healthy and active lifestyle.”

Marlene is a champion body-builder, winning several titles in ’97 and ’98.  She enjoys working with clients that have diverse needs and experience!