Have you ever been on a treadmill and it says you burned X number of calories. You walk away thinking you can really have that double chocolate cake now! Well, I’m sorry to say that the treadmill was  lying to you. You may come away thinking you burned close to 600 calories when in actual fact you probably burned closer to 2 or 300. Yes – there can be that much of a difference.  The calories the cardiovascular machines claimed you burned are, 99% of the time, WAY more then you actually did. They are over estimations based on a general height and weight.

I just want to vent for a second. Many people who are on diets get rewarded if they exercise. If they exercise, they get to eat more. Personally I think if you are trying to lose weight it’s because you were eating too much in the first place. After a workout you should treat yourself in some other way – other than with food and extra calories. Treat yourself to a manicure, time with a book or a tea with a friend. The reality is, most people actually think they burn WAY more calories then they really did. The extra eating they do as a reward for working out erases all the work they did.  I think if you’re trying to lose weight and you worked out- keep your calorie deficit that you worked so hard for –  don’t eat EXTRA. Eat your healthy three meals and two snacks and let the work-out work for you not against you.