Gaining 30 lbs. -- it's easier than you think!

Musikelektronik

I just did a little math in order to figure out how I gained 30 lbs. over the last three years. What I found out was pretty shocking. I wasn't really overeating by much. Yet, that incremental overeating was enough to produce a steady weight gain over that three-year period. Let me explain.

If a lb. of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, then 30 lbs. is 105,000 calories (30 x 3,500 = 105,000). So, in order to gain 30 lbs., I ate 105,000 excess calories over that three-year period. If you break that down, that's only 95.8 excess calories per day (105,000 divided by 3 years divided by 365 days per year = 95.8 calories). And by "excess," I mean calories above the number that your body burns through metabolic functions, daily activities, and exercise.

So, if you eat a single apple or half a bag of chips above your daily calorie-burn rate every day (and assuming all other things are the same), you'll gain 30 lbs. in three years if that behavior goes unchecked!

Yes, I realize that this calculation is somewhat simplified and may not be 100% accurate. But it illustrates how easy it is for weight to creep up on you.

Aaron