Burn it up, baby

It's hard to resist the wafting smells of freshly baked soft pretzels, cookies and cinnamon rolls while strolling from store to store in the mall. Especially when you're tired, hungry and stressed out from a long day of bargain hunting. In a moment of weakness, it's easy to give in to these sweet comfort foods. Just how much damage will one Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll do? So just how many laps do you need to walk around the mall to undo this gooey treat?

I found this info on Spark People and thought I'd share it here. The Cinnabon website doesn't disclose its calorie information. But a quick Google search will turn up over a dozen calorie counting websites that all say the same thing: One Classic Cinnabon Roll contains a not-so-sweet 730 calories and 24 grams of fat. It's sweet, gooey and, well, big—and it's got the calories to prove it!

Depending on the size of your local mall, one lap could vary from 1/4 to 2/3 of a mile on average. To be conservative, let's say one mall lap is equal to a quarter mile. And usually when you're shopping, strolling and standing in line, your walking pace is pretty slow.

A 150-pound woman who walks a comfortable 20-minute mile pace (3 mph) will burn 20 calories per quarter mile (one mall lap). To burn off that one indulgence, you'd have to circle the entire mall 36.5 times, which is just over 9 miles! (And that would add 3 hours to your shopping day.

Don't forget that "activity" is not the same as "exercise." Your feet and back may hurt after a day of shopping, but that's more a reflection of being on your feet all day than it is a reflection of the "intensity" of a workout. Shopping surely doesn't justify the extra calories in something like a Cinnabon!

Consider what it will take to burn off the momentary pleasure of a Cinnabon or any other gooey mall treat before indulging. Or better yet, resolve to avoid mall food altogether by eating before you leave the house or shopping between meals. Shop with a buddy who shares your goals. There is always strength in numbers.