Monday, March 18, 2013

Pumpkin to Princess ~ Faith Dority


From Pumpkin to Princess

The Road to Fit and Fabulous

Special Guest Author
Faith Dority!


The Disney Gals are so excited to have also scored the expertise of runDisney Princess and fitness instructor Faith Dority. If you fall in the same circles as some of us, you may already know Faith (or at least know of her). She has an amazingly infectious smile and can usually be found at most runDisney events. She's the real deal..not only as a super Disney fan but also as an expert in the health and fitness industry. Out of the goodness of her heart, Faith has agreed to pop in now and then to provide Team Disney Gals and Pals with some training tips and she's starting out with a bang: WEIGHT LOSS!

THANK YOU FAITH!!



Hello there Disney Gal readers and Tower of Terror 10-miler participants! 

Faith Dority here, bringing you important information to help you achieve your training goals. While you're preparing to "run 'till you drop", you might also be interested in dropping a few pounds along the way. I speak from experience when I say training AND trying to shed some lbs, can have you feeling trapped in the Twilight Zone. I'm also here to tell you, it is possible to escape the feeling of being in the 5th dimension and to leave those pounds shuddering in the shadow of the Terror of Terror! 

As a fitness instructor of almost ten years, I'm in the unique position of being able to share information I have regarding health & fitness. I'm also a bit of a runDisney enthusiast and just celebrated my 13th runDisney event- including the inaugural Tower of Terror 10-miler. This brings us to the Tower of Terror Tip of the Day; accurately calculating your daily caloric needs. This formula will help lay the ground work for any health and fitness plan. 


Weight loss, weight gain, and weight maintenance is all about balance and numbers! To help you get started I've provided the Harris Benedict Equation to calculating your caloric needs. 


Step 1.
For Women: 655+ (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - ( 4.7 x age in years)
For Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Step 2. 
Now take the number from above and multiply by the level of exercise listed below.

                 Exercise Factor                Category                    Explanation
                     1.2                                     Sedentary                  Little or no exercise
                     1.375                                 Lightly Active             Light Exercise (1-3 days)
                     1.55                                   Moderately Active     Moderate Exercise (3-5 days)
                     1.7                                     Very Active                 Hard Exercise (6-7 days)
                     1.9                                     Extremely Active        Hard daily activity/physical job

Step 3. The number you have now is your caloric need to maintain your current weight!
             - For weight loss, subtract 500 calories per day from your current number.

* Remember to solve for the parentheses first.

Remember, this is just the ground work. The first step is to get training and to know your numbers. One last caveat to remember, not all calories are created equal. If you need 1250 calories a day to loss 1-2 pounds a week (the safe and permanent way!) you can't eat 1250 calories in Dole Whips and see the results you want. This will only cause you to end up in a storm eerilly similar to one you've seen before! If you understand your numbers, eat nutrient-dense foods, and follow the Disney Gals training plan, you CAN escape the ups and downs of what feels like an out-of-control elevator ride. Only you can take control of the attraction called...... YOU!

Run 'till you drop! Drop so you can run!


11 comments:

  1. LOVE this post Faith. Thank you so much for helping out the efforts of our team! This is such great information and I can't wait to hear more!!

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  2. So helpful - thanks, Faith! I'd LOVE to lose weight while I train, but I always seem to move the other direction. I'd love to think it's all muscle, but probably not!

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    1. I totally agree Beth. That was so frustrating for me when training for my first 1/2 marathon. I figured that there was no way that I could run that much and NOT loose weight. Well, I didn't because I just ate more! Ugh. I still have to keep tabs on it so I'm gonna try this and see what happens. Now to try and cut out the junk!

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  3. Thanks Faith! I am such a numbers person, this is a great info to have. Now will you come cook for me? Lol

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    1. LOL, Kelly! That's my hardest obstacle. My dinner recipes do not tend to be low-cal...

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  4. Thanks so much Faith! You are always an inspiration!

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  5. This is such helpful information to have! And I now have a number for the weeks I'm very active and for those when life gets in the way and I'm less active. I love having a target! Thanks!

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    1. I'm so glad that you find this helpful Amanda! There a million diets out there but calorie consumption vs. activity is really what it all boils down to. :)

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  6. What great information! Thank you so much for sharing! I have the most difficult time losing weight, and am always looking for some motivation!

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    1. I am right there with you! I don't have a ton of weight to loose but the extra 20 lbs. sure doesn't seem to want to part with me! I love having this equation to accurately determine where my target should be.

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  7. Thank you for the feedback everyone! I really hope this sheds some light on an otherwise confusing subject. I want to bring up a comment made by Amanda P, she makes a very poignant point by understanding the need to adjust her calories based on her weekly activity level. Excellent!

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