How long does it really take to work off the calories in the foods
you eat? We'll show you the time before you do the crime.
You already know that scarfing down a bacon cheeseburger and fries will cost you a couple
thousand calories — and a couple hours of cardio at the gym. But you may not realize
that any food, no matter how healthy it seems, becomes instantly unhealthy once you eat too
much of it. Here are some surprising — and not so surprising — caloric offenders,
and exactly the price you'll pay in sweat.*
CRIME: White cheddar rice cakes
Exhibit A: 45 calories, 0.5 g fat, 160 mg sodium per rice cake
Exhibit B: Can you resist the temptation to eat more than one? How about more
than four? The more you chomp on these airy snacks, the higher the calories climb, but do you
feel any fuller? Yeah, didn't think so.
SENTENCE: 10 minutes on the stair climber for every
two rice cakes
CRIME: Deep-dish pizza
Exhibit A: 220 calories, 7 g fat, 240 mg sodium per slice
Exhibit B: Add extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage and ham for an extra 120 calories
per slice. And let's be frank — are you going to stop at just one?
SENTENCE: 37 minutes on the stair climber for each
overloaded slice
Did you know that reducing your body weight by just 5% to 10% significantly lowers
your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? That's why on November 7, in honor of American
Diabetes Month, Gold's Gyms across the globe will open their doors to members and
nonmembers alike. The goal is to work together to burn off 180 million calories —
the equivalent of 50,000 pounds of fat — to help us do a 180 on this deadly
disease. Ready to do your part? The average person burns about 500 calories in 45
minutes of cardio!
CRIME: Mini pretzels
Exhibit A: 110 calories, 0 g fat, 250 mg sodium per one-ounce serving
Exhibit B: Double dipping is double trouble, especially since a single serving
contains 10% of the recommended daily sodium intake.
SENTENCE: 20 minutes of brisk walking for every serving
you eat
CRIME: Large blended coffee with vanilla shot
Exhibit A: 440 calories, 4.5 g fat, 330 mg sodium
Exhibit B: Top it off with whipped cream for an additional 120 calories and 11
grams of fat.
SENTENCE: 37 minutes on the elliptical trainer
CRIME: Granola
Exhibit A: 210 calories, 6 g fat, 25 mg sodium per half-cup serving
Exhibit B: A half-cup serving is deceptively small. A hearty breakfast bowl can
hold anywhere from one to two cups of cereal, which is at least double the recommended portion
size and up to 840 calories. Use nonfat or low-fat milk to minimize the damage.
SENTENCE: 56 minutes on the elliptical trainer
CRIME: Multigrain bagel
Exhibit A: 400 calories, 9 g fat, 600 mg sodium
Exhibit B: Who gets a bagel without cream cheese? Add a schmear of reduced-fat
strawberry cream cheese for an extra 150 calories and 10 grams of fat.
SENTENCE: 52 minutes of intense circuit training
CRIME: Six-inch deli meat sub sandwich
Exhibit A: 410 calories, 16 g fat, 1,450 mg sodium
Exhibit B: Maybe it's not the worst thing you can eat, but it's definitely not
the best. The values above don't reflect any of the tasty fixin's, like mayonnaise, oil and vinegar,
and fancy flavored dressings. Depending on how heavy-handed your server is with the squeeze bottle,
you could be squirting another 200 calories on that sub. Oh, and over 50% of daily recommended
sodium intake.
SENTENCE: 1 hour, 6 minutes on the row machine
CRIME: Cobb salad
Exhibit A: 708 calories, 55 g fat, 1,328 mg sodium
Exhibit B: We haven't gotten to the dressing yet. How about reduced-fat vinaigrette?
Boom! 100 calories.
SENTENCE: 1 hour, 29 minutes on the stationary bike
CRIME: Fat-free soft-serve vanilla frozen yogurt
Exhibit A: 110 calories, 0 g fat, 65 mg sodium per ½ cup serving
Exhibit B: On paper, this sweet treat doesn't look so bad, until you realize that a
size "regular" holds more than two and a half servings! Order the extra large for the equivalent of
4.6 servings in one tiny Styrofoam cup. Not to mention that fat-free desserts tend to overdo it on
sugar to compensate for taste. You may end up consuming the same amount of sugar as found in a bottle
of soda. Sugary toppings will only make matters worse.
SENTENCE: 1 hour, 30 minutes — the equivalent of 4.5
miles, or 18 laps around the track — of walking
CRIME: Honey BBQ wings (10)
Exhibit A: 90 calories, 5 g fat, 260 mg sodium per wing
Exhibit B: A tiny serving of zesty ranch or blue cheese dressing tacks on an
additional 140 calories.
SENTENCE: 1 hour, 33 minutes of jogging
CRIME: Bacon cheeseburger
Exhibit A: 790 calories, 39 g of fat, 2,070 mg sodium
Exhibit B: You probably also ordered a medium fries (380 calories, 19 g
fat) and a medium soda (210 calories) for a heart-stopping total of 1,380 calories.
SENTENCE: 1 hour, 32 minutes on the elliptical trainer
CRIME: Chili cheese fries
Exhibit A: 1,920 calories, 147 g fat, 3,570 mg sodium
Exhibit B: The prosecution rests.
SENTENCE: 2 hours, 25 minutes of full-speed running
