How do you accurately know how many calories you’re burning?

[donna8558]

So I started this fitness journey on January 4th. I’ve made several changes but the biggest one is I’ve stuck below my calorie goal for losing 2 pounds a week and I’ve adjusted that as I’ve lost weight. I’ve also started making better choices overall. I haven’t had a single piece of candy or sweet tea or any drink that has calories in it since January 4th. I weighed this morning for my 1 month weigh in and I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’m pretty happy to be honest because I’ve never stuck to calorie counting for this long before and I’m insanely motivated to continue. About one week in, I started exercising and I’ve continued to do that daily. What I’m confused on is how can I accurately know what I’m burning? I do eat more when I’ve been working out because I feel hungrier but I’m choosing protein and fruit instead of something unhealthy. For example, today my Apple Watch says I’ve burned 1199 calories from exercise. As in all my exercises add up to 1199. I walked this morning, did about 30 minutes of strength training and then I’ve been doing Les Mills body combat multiple times a day because I love it. However, I’m not 100% sold on I burned that many so I’m not adding those to my allowed calories for the day. Is there a more accurate way to track my burned calories?

 

[rainbowafterthestorm]

@donna8558 No fitness app or appliance is going to be 100% accurate. The best they can do is give you an approximation. The real determination of whether you’re in a calorie deficit or surplus is the scale over time.

 

[dsmd14]

@rainbowafterthestorm I like MacroFactors strategy for this. Don’t even try to estimate based on exercise, just track calories in and weight

 

[kvolm]

@donna8558 You can’t, which is why you try to keep activity consistently high, and track food intake and morning scale weight. Watch for the trend of the weekly average of your weight.

 

[mayacruz1708]

@donna8558 You can't accurately.

Best thing is to carry on doing what you're doing.

If you find you start losing weight too quickly or too slowly, make moderate adjustments up or down to your calorie intake (200-300).

 

[rozkai]

@donna8558 Congrats!

There are lots of apps and Google results that will offer an estimate as to how many calories are burned during various exercises, but they're all approximations. Just don't eat back your calories. If you're doing lots of exercise, stick with your calorie deficit and get lots of protein. Good luck!

 

[dinafrancis]

@donna8558 Honestly, you just don't. Just stay consistent with your exercise and eat consistently and if you track your calories, you'll find roughly where you would maintain weight.

The biggest mistake you can make is adding in extra calories based on exercise you've done. The exception to this is if you do something massively out of the ordinary. So if you randomly go on a 10+mi, steep hike... you'll probably want to eat some more that day.

Also, remember you burn calories just existing. This is your BMR. So if you were in a coma, you'd still be burning these calories to stay alive. Then on top of that you have your non-exercise movements, such as just walking around your house and doing basic life tasks. This is a big calorie burner, especially if you happen to be someone who fidgets a lot. You burn more calories standing than you do sitting, so this can make a big difference too! Then on top of this, you add in your dedicated exercise, so lifting or doing prolonged cardio. All of these add up to create your TDEE (your total daily energy expenditure).

So to lose 1lb a week, you eat 500 calories less than your TDEE. So 2lbs is 1000 calories less. It's always easier to control this via food rather than trying to out exercise it.

BUT, also realize that when you're in a prolonged deficit, your body wants to start conserving energy. No, this isn't starvation mode, that's not a thing. But basically your body will take your daily movements and decrease them if possible. So think about it, if you're commonly a person who taps their leg all day, your body will be like "this is a waste of energy" and stop doing that. That will save a chunk of calories with you either need to account for by eating less, or by trying to add in a little extra exercise (something simple like going for a walk).

 

[walkaway]

@donna8558 If your Apple watch works like my Garmin, those are total calories thus far for the day, not just specifically from exercise. Like it includes your BMR calories, your NEAT calories, and your EAT calories. That's what my Garmin gives me and the next day I can see what my TDEE was for the previous day...that's my starting number to cut from to lose weight (provided that number is relatively consistent)

That said, these devices only give you an estimate...outside of a lab you can't know exactly how many calories you are burning. They give you a starting point and you adjust as necessary per your real world results.

 

[donna8558]

@walkaway The Apple Watch separates your total from what was burned during exercise. Like I’ll start an exercise (HIT or strength or outdoor walk) and it’ll track the calories I’m burning by my heart rate and stuff. I don’t go off of my total burned ever because I know that’s everything. I only go off the “burned during exercise”. But I haven’t been adding those back to my calorie allowance so I guess all in all it doesn’t really matter how many I’m burning but I did my daily calorie go based on a sedentary lifestyle. So obviously when I go back and choose that I exercise for at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week (which I do), it gives me an extra 500 calories a day to eat but I don’t want to eat 500 more because I’m not sure how many calories that’s taking into consideration that I’m burning if that makes sense