If you’re someone who loves to eat but doesn’t quite love the effects that your eating habits have on you, then one thing that you’ll definitely want to be considering is what it takes to burn off some of those favorite foods.
In order to properly maintain your body weight over time, you must maintain a calorie balance so that you’re expending just as much energy on a daily basis as you’re consuming through your food intake.
Any time there is a mis-match in energy consumed versus energy expended, you’re going to see a weight gain or loss as a result.
So those who are in the habit of eating incredibly high calorie foods and who are not involved in some pretty serious and intensive physical training may be in for quite the shock when they step on the scale each week.
Now, one food that many people hold near and dear to their hearts and turn to at least once a week for a quick fix when they don’t have time for a regular meal is a Big Mac.
But, just what does it take to burn off a Big Mac?
Let’s take a look – the truth may shock you.
What It Takes To Burn Off A Big Mac
When looking at the nutritional stats for the Big Mac, we can clearly see that it comes in at a whopping 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 45 grams of carbs, and 25 grams of protein.
So what does it take to burn that off? Have a look at the following activities and you’ll quickly see:
- Walking – 1 hour 43 minutes
- Jogging – 1 hour 5 minutes
- Housecleaning – 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Yard work – 1 hour 35 minutes
- Basketball – 58 minutes
- Soccer – 1 hour and 6 minutes
- Weight Lifting – 1 hour and 23 minutes
- Cooking – 2 hours and 48 minutes
- Watching TV – 8 hours and 23 minutes
As you can see, quite a bit of effort has to go into burning off that sandwich. Keep in mind here as well that this is only accounting for the actual calorie intake in the sandwich. If you choose to pair that sandwich with a serving of fries and a soft drink, you will easily double that number, really doing some huge damage to your daily total calorie intake.
Unless you have plans to run a half marathon after you eat this meal, chances are it’s going to cause some fat gain. Keep in mind that it takes 3500 calories to put on one pure pound of fat on the body so if you were to eat one Big Mac alone (without fries or a soft drink) every night during the work week, you will have just added a solid pound of flab to your body.
Also, there are over 1000 mg of sodium in this Big Mac, so while you may not notice the influence of just a single burger on your body weight, you can rest assured that you will see some bloating due to water retention the next day when you look in the mirror.
Is It Really Worth It?
So now that you can clearly see just how long it takes to burn off a Big Mac, you must ask yourself, is it really worth it? Should you really down that burger if this is what it’s going to take to ‘erase’ the damage.
The choice will obviously be a personal preference as some people thoroughly enjoy physical activity and don’t mind having to exercise for a long time if it means they get to eat the foods they want, but for most of you out there, the chances are probably no.
And what’s worse is that despite the fact that you know what it takes to burn off a Big Mac, chances are you won’t go and do that after consuming it. After all, once you dine on the sandwich you’re likely to feel a bit bloated and sluggish. Not quite the ideal situation for a hard workout session.
Answering this question to yourself before your order it off the menu may help you choose something leaner like a grilled chicken wrap.
Looking Beyond The Calorie Burn
Finally, the last thing that you must not overlook when determining whether you should stop off at McDonald’s and give into your desires is what this constant intake of Big Mac’s is going to do to your body beyond body weight.
It’s easy to see the influence of these burgers in the mirror, but what about on the inside?
Big Macs are not only going to be loaded with saturated fat which will really put your heart at risk for disease but they’re also very devoid of quality nutrients as well.
The bun the Big Mac is made from is full of simple carbs and the ketchup and ‘secret sauce’ they pile on is loaded with sugar. In addition to this, while there is a measly piece of lettuce, a soggy piece of tomato, and a tiny pickle thrown on top, this really isn’t going to provide the body much in terms of nutrients or antioxidants.
While there will be some protein in the Big Mac, after all it is made from ground beef, the protein isn’t going to be all that high of quality and definitely will not be a lean protein source either.
All of these factors working together really demonstrate that nutritionally speaking and as far as your health is concerned, a Big Mac is not going to be a wise decision.
So next time you’re pulling up to the drive-thru window, keep these points in mind. Is a Big Mac really worth it to you? Or perhaps you should consider something different?
