Beware the Exercise Halo!

I found this great blurb in the October issue of Self magazine and I wanted to share it with everyone.  It's called the exercise halo and it's a situation we are all familiar with (I know I am!).  You finish up a great workout (whether in the gym or outdoors) and you feel like a health angel, which is great.  The problem comes in when you feel so virtuous that you reward yourself with some not-so-healthy habits that may sabotage all of your hard work.  Beware these self sabotaging thoughts:

 

I melted mega calories this morning.  I can eat what I want today.

Research shows that most exercisers GROSSLY overestimate their calorie burn.  One study found that people who burned 200 calories by walking briskly thought they had burned 825 and they later overate by about 350 calories based on those miscalculations. 

Quick Fix:  Don't just guess the calories you burned, tally them in a reliable way using a HR monitor or an online calculator.  For most women a brisk walk zaps 5 calories per minutes (i.e. 45 minute walk = 225 calories)

I kicked boot camp booty.  I deserve a treat after my hard work.

True, but reward yourself with food and you may stall your slim down efforts.  It is incredibly easy to negate the weight loss effects of exercise with a single food item (I'm looking at you Starbucks Venti Caramel Frappucino!). 

Quick Fix:  Try inedible rewards such as a new song on your playlist or a mini massage or pedicure. 

While it is important to eat something after a workout to help restock your energy and repair your muscles, you want to make sure these are foods rick in carbs and protein.  You also want to make sure they aren't so calorie laden that they erase all your workout efforts (see above).  After a good strength training session a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese is a great snack and after a tough run try snacking on fruit or whole grain cereal. 

After a long run I find chocolate milk helps me feel my best plus is had the carbs and protein that I need to repair my body.

Hopefully this little post will help prevent a post workout over indulgence!!  If you are interested in what to eat BEFORE you workout, check out this uber helpful chart on SELF.com.

http://www.self.com/fitness/2011/10/exercise-and-appetite?currentPage=3

Happy workout everyone!

E-