Looking to lose some unwanted weight this summer? Then, you might be interested to know about this formula: Apparently, weight loss involves 80% healthy diet, and only 20% exercise. For lazy bums like me, this is good news! This means that you don’t need to run on the treadmill or pedal on your bike for as long as you thought. But to the foodie in us, this is bad news, since this also means we can’t indulge in our favorite treats as much anymore. Is losing a few kilos for the summer really worth all this trouble? I’d say so. Just imagine all the praises in the comments and the love reacts to your upcoming beach pics.
According to the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the recommended daily calorie intake ranges from 1,600 calories to 2,400 calories for adult females, and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult males. And according to MyFitnessPal, Under Armour’s calorie tracker app, you already get 67 calories from a 0.3-cup serving of rice from Jollibee. As Filipinos, we eat A LOT of rice, and our viands are worth even more calories: 150 grams of pork sisig may contain 293 calories; 38 grams of pinakbet—which you might think is safe because, well, it’s just vegetables, right?—actually contains about 175 calories; and 16 oz. of boba milk tea already contains 254 calories. Imagine just how much rice and milk tea you put in your mouth and through your stomach a day, and how many excess calories you gain from your current diet.
Exercising without changing your regular diet just isn’t enough to get you the body that you want for the summer. Jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes will only burn you about 260 calories, says MyFitnessPal. At the end of that exercise, you’d be exhausted and on the brink of dehydration already, and all that work’s merely to compensate for one extra serving of milk tea. So, sorry to break it to you, folks, but again, exercise is just 20% of the equation. Minimize your daily calorie intake to 500 to 1,000 calories less the recommended amount, and you’ll have your summer body ready in a month or so. Just remember: Consistency is key.