Calorie Karma

by Joan Zimmerman

In deep December, there's enough to do without worrying about your waistline. But egg nog and roasted chestnuts call seductively. What is to be done?

Honey, I have help for your hips, in the shape of Calorie Karma. Here's how it works.

When your friends and sweethearts are couch-potatoes, they burn calories almost as slowly as if asleep. Apparently they don't want their exercise calories. So, you can use them!

Simply get them to walk with you for a few minutes - try 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back. Stroll along West Cliff at sunset. Or just head out from home for a few blocks in the evening, to see the illuminated reindeer.

As this exercise is your idea, the Law of Calorie Karma says that you benefit from the calories everyone spends.

If possible, pick chubby companions. A 100 pound person burns only 52 calories on a moderate-pace 20-minute walk. A 200 pound person burns twice that. And so on.

With not too much cajoling, you can set in motion 1,000 pounds! For a 20 minute walk, that's 520 calories.

But be alert. Tomorrow, you may be the cajolee. Then Calorie Karma requires that you walk again, to donate your exercise calories to someone else.

I met a couple of Sumo wrestlers recently, and we'll go for a brief stroll later. Meanwhile, I'll commune with this triple-decadence Chocolate Cherry Cake with two scoops of vanilla ice-cream.

Article submitted by Joan Zimmerman. Used with permission.