It's the Heat - Part 3

OK, I've made peace with the calories verses Calories thing. I understand why the scientific community needs a very tiny and very precise measure of heat; and I can understand why using such a tiny measure for food energy would be impractical. No one wants to say "I've been eating over two million calories a day, and I've got to cut a half million calories from my diet if I'm ever going to lose weight." I don't know why the neologists couldn't come up with a different word, but it's too late now.

I've got one more thought along these lines and then I'll look for something else to think about ... I promise. A pound of fat contains about 3500 Calories. An average person burns about 100 Calories per mile walked, so a pound of fat will carry you along for 35 miles. Wow! If you are 30 pounds overweight, you have enough stored energy to walk about 1,050 miles. That's right, one thousand and fifty miles! It sounds kind of discouraging at first, but it also showcases the incredible efficiency of the human body. Think of the things you can do while you burn that much stored energy! And remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.