How many calories does thinking burn???

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Alleghany
Alleghany Posts: 200
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know? How is the calorie expenditure of "thinking" even measured? The harder one thinks, the more they'll burn??? I'm so curious about this & I'm sure it's just "wishful thinking"...:tongue: I'm certain everyone burns a few cals per hour "thinking" but it's probably not enough to really matter. I just wanted to get someone else's take on this. Thanks for thinking about this question with me! :flowerforyou:

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  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I think I burned at least 5 calories reading your post but that's not enough to put in my exercise journal! You're too funny. Thanks for the laugh.
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
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    I wish it burned a ton! If that was true I would be SUPER SKINNY by now and not even need the gym or calorie counting.:laugh:
  • beautyqueen1979
    beautyqueen1979 Posts: 151 Member
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    Good question - I think about this too!

    I like to think I am burning more while I am doing my studies (1st year doctoral student) as I have to think REALLY hard in comparision to sitting about watching TV. Bound to be burning a little more with all that blood pumping round my brain making me smarter ;)

    Or I could just be trying to grasp at extra exercise calories where there are none!
  • nandawg
    nandawg Posts: 2 Member
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    It depends on your hair color. Blondes burn more calories when they attempt to think because it's a lot more work!!! lol
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    Love the blonde comment LOL

    Well, here's the bad news. I've been using a body bug for about 60 days now and I wear it at work, in the car, at the gym etc. I'm unhappy to report that I burn approximately the same amount of calories sitting at my desk working and typing and thinking away as I do when I'm sleeping.

    It's been very eye-opening....I've been making a concentrated effort to get up and walk every hour or so, just to increase my calorie burn.

    I also discovered that, although I feel that I'm working really hard, I don't burn a whole lot of calories when doing yoga, pilates, or stretching. I do burn more cleaning house, doing laundrey and shopping than I would have given myself credit for.

    Sorry for the bad news for all those students out there but now you know where the "freshman 15" comes from.

    Makes me wonder if I shouldn't give up the office job for something a little more active....and WHY AM I SO TIRED at the end of the day?
  • carilyn39
    carilyn39 Posts: 91 Member
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    i know i used to burn a bunch of calories just my spandex pants on to work out.....:laugh: :embarassed:
  • MrsSki
    MrsSki Posts: 196
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    It depends on your hair color. Blondes burn more calories when they attempt to think because it's a lot more work!!! lol

    Well that's good to know, that I am burning more calories than all the non-blondes out there! :wink: :laugh:
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
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    I would say that depending on the thinking then it could be a lot. My husband has a mentally stressful job and when he's programming (which is what he does for fun, I know NERD!) he actually sweats a lot. It would definately be interesting to figure out. I think I'll have him wear my HRM when he's doing a lot of thinking.
  • Alleghany
    Alleghany Posts: 200
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    It depends on your hair color. Blondes burn more calories when they attempt to think because it's a lot more work!!! lol

    LOL!!! Nancy, I say we dye our hair blond for a month to lose those few last lbs...

    @ sbilyeu75 - Interesting...Wonder if an HRM would measure this...

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