How do you work out calories from walking?

lemonsurprise

Bad day, but today for example I walked 5000 steps. I'm 198lbs and walked at a casual pace.
MPF says I burned 50 calories, my "Pacer" app says around 100, and online calculators work out to all over 200 calories.
Which is most accurate and how do you work out yours accurately?

jeremywm1977

If you walked 5000 steps at a casual pace, then mark yourself down for 0 calories.
Your body is used to walking at a casual pace, and that "normal" activity (i.e., walking at a casual pace) is probably already factored into your daily calorie allowance in MFP, and 5000 steps at a casual pace isn't so much to really make your body think differently. If you did nothing to change that up by either adding weights, speed, or incline, then your body burned no more calories than it would done so naturally.

Not trying to burst your bubble or be mean, but 0 is what I would put down given the information you provided.

lemonsurprise

Surely there would be a difference from standing still and walking though? If I was on the treadmill at the gym and walked 5000 steps it definitely wouldn't read as zero calories burned?

jeremywm1977

Those calorie counters on treadmills are misleading. Your body, just going through it's normal motions (i.e., standing, sitting, walking from A to B, eating, sleeping, etc) is burning calories. Again, your body is used to walking at a casual pace..........if you are not increasing your heart rate or adding resistance to your movements, then you will burn no more calories than your body would ordinarily...........by wanting to count the calories on a step counter and add those calories to MFP, you are basically giving yourself an award for participating.

It would be like me calculating my Baseline Metabolic Rate (BMR), and then wanting to get credit for the calories my body naturally burns while sitting on my butt watching Family Guy.

Again, not trying to be an *kitten*, just trying to inject a dose of truth and reality.

jeremywm1977

For instance, my approximate baseline metabolic rate is 1,753 calories per day..........in other words, my body will burn approximately on average 73 calories per hour..........just in doing nothing, resting, lounging, couch potato stuff.

If I hop on my treadmill and do my #4 routine, which goes between 4 to 10% incline and between 2.5 - 4.0 mph (pretty intense workout, getting my heartrate over 140.......lots of sweat), my treadmill says that I burned about 300 calories for a 30 minute workout.

Did I really burn 300 calories for the purposes of logging into MFP?..........NO. Since I burn approximately 73 calories per hour doing nothing, that means in that same 30 minutes, my body would have burned 36 calories doing nothing. But since I decided to get motivated, I actually burned 264 more calories than my body would have done naturally. Bear in mind that this calculation was done with a rather intense workout.

Your best bet to get the most accurate calorie burn..........figure out your BMR, ditch the step counter, and get a heart rate monitor. That will be a better and far more accurate gauge over what your counter is telling you.

jim180155

Bad day, but today for example I walked 5000 steps. I'm 198lbs and walked at a casual pace.
MPF says I burned 50 calories, my "Pacer" app says around 100, and online calculators work out to all over 200 calories.
Which is most accurate and how do you work out yours accurately?

If you walked 5000 steps, you probably covered a little over 2 miles. At 198 pounds you're probably burning about 100 calories per mile. So you can call it 200 calories if you want. But keep in mind that even with MFP set to "sedentary," the app assumes some basic activity, and 2 miles isn't much above MFP's assumed activity level. So if 5000 steps is your total activity for the day, you might want to skip entering it, or enter it for a low number. (Like maybe the 50 calories you said MFP suggested.)

To get yourself a more satisfying entry, you might want to start setting your sights on 7500 steps. And once you're there, reset the bar at 10,000 steps. You'll soon find yourself with enough extra calories to eat a little something extra at the end of the day.

VelveteenArabian

I wouldn't log it - was that just your regular walking amount? It's *maybe* at best 200 calories but likely a lot less. If you need those calories to stop from feeling hungry, you're likely not eating enough in the first place. On a day to day basis I bet a lot of is have a 50-200 calorie window margin of error, so another reason to not log it.

itsbasschick

were those continuous steps or were they steps you walked throughout the day?

shadowofender

I don't log anything under 10000 steps because 10000 is the goal to have normal movement through the day. Even a sedentary setting assumes you're walking a bit. To the car, to the office, to the bathroom, to the copier, etc. so in my opinion only doing 5000 steps doesn't earn you any extra calories. You walked because you have to in your life, and that's worked into your daily allotment. You only should log calories from intentional EXTRA movement. Which is why for me, I log above the 10000 step goal.

Lifts4IceCream

Those calorie counters on treadmills are misleading. Your body, just going through it's normal motions (i.e., standing, sitting, walking from A to B, eating, sleeping, etc) is burning calories. Again, your body is used to walking at a casual pace..........if you are not increasing your heart rate or adding resistance to your movements, then you will burn no more calories than your body would ordinarily...........by wanting to count the calories on a step counter and add those calories to MFP, you are basically giving yourself an award for participating.

Again, not trying to be an *kitten*, just trying to inject a dose of truth and reality.

^^This

lemonsurprise

Right, got it. So it's better to just not log the steps unless it's a worthy amount eg over 10,000 steps? And definitely not to eat back any of them calories if it's not a considerable amount?

SonyaCele

for me i calculate 5 calories a minute for walking, 9 calories a minute running. 1 calories a minute sitting down. 2 calories a minute standing. this includes my bmr, its not in addition to .

brianpperkins

This thread illustrates a couple of reasons why so many people don't lose as much as hoped. First, normal activity is factored in to your caloric burn ... walking to the bathroom, car to desk, etc. Second are the completely arbitrary caloric burn methods that are vastly higher than what science suggests one would burn from walking. Double counting an exaggerated burn is not helpful.

itsbasschick

that's why i asked if it was continuous walking or steps throughout the day. steps throughout the day - normal activity. continuous walking above and beyond your normal steps - log them, but by time or by speed/distance, not number of steps.

davert123

If you walked 5000 steps at a casual pace, then mark yourself down for 0 calories.
Your body is used to walking at a casual pace, and that "normal" activity (i.e., walking at a casual pace) is probably already factored into your daily calorie allowance in MFP, and 5000 steps at a casual pace isn't so much to really make your body think differently. If you did nothing to change that up by either adding weights, speed, or incline, then your body burned no more calories than it would done so naturally.

Not trying to burst your bubble or be mean, but 0 is what I would put down given the information you provided.

This is wrong - completely. Please watch out for duff information here, just because someone says it, it doesn't make it true :-)

When you exercise you burn calories. If you have yourself down as sedentary then count calories.

I understand the problem with counting calories like this though. I would try and calibrate the pedometer to something solid - can you map out your walk. What I would do is work out how many miles 5000 steps would take me (not off the pedometer itself but off a gps signal or looking at mapmyrun.com where you can draw your route. The I would look at ask.com and search walking - or just use google to work out calories per mile. This will give you a rough idea of how many calories you burn. If you know how far you have walked you could also guess the pace at say 3mph and if you have walked for say 2 miles put in a time of 40 minutes (or just factor whatever distance you have) into mfp You can burn a few hundred a day walking. Its a great way to exercise and its good for the mind as well. I used to burn 400 a day just from walking when I started. I know I did because the calorie deficit matched very closely the weight loss I experiences so keep it up and it can and will help you

brianpperkins

If you walked 5000 steps at a casual pace, then mark yourself down for 0 calories.
Your body is used to walking at a casual pace, and that "normal" activity (i.e., walking at a casual pace) is probably already factored into your daily calorie allowance in MFP, and 5000 steps at a casual pace isn't so much to really make your body think differently. If you did nothing to change that up by either adding weights, speed, or incline, then your body burned no more calories than it would done so naturally.

Not trying to burst your bubble or be mean, but 0 is what I would put down given the information you provided.

This is wrong - completely. Please watch out for duff information here, just because someone says it, it doesn't make it true :-)

When you exercise you burn calories. If you have yourself down as sedentary then count calories.

I understand the problem with counting calories like this though. I would try and calibrate the pedometer to something solid - can you map out your walk. What I would do is work out how many miles 5000 steps would take me (not off the pedometer itself but off a gps signal or looking at mapmyrun.com where you can draw your route. The I would look at ask.com and search walking - or just use google to work out calories per mile. This will give you a rough idea of how many calories you burn. If you know how far you have walked you could also guess the pace at say 3mph and if you have walked for say 2 miles put in a time of 40 minutes (or just factor whatever distance you have) into mfp You can burn a few hundred a day walking. Its a great way to exercise and its good for the mind as well. I used to burn 400 a day just from walking when I started. I know I did because the calorie deficit matched very closely the weight loss I experiences so keep it up and it can and will help you

Sedentary is calculated at 120% of BMR. There's a reason for that.

davert123

the talk about standing walking and the like is partially relivent. It has to do with NEAT exercise. OP you are totally correct in that the more of this you do the more calories you burn. If you do a lot all the time MFP tries to compensate but giving us activity levels - all as these activities levels do is increase our calorie allowance automatically if we are more active. Insead of getting calories from manually booking them MFP does it for you. The sedentary figure that MFP comes up with is your BMR (calries burned to stay alive if you were lying in bed) and then calories used for moving, brushing your teeth, getting dressed and a very small amount of walking etc). If you are carrying your pedometer around all day and you have put yourself down as sedentary then I would knock say 100 calories off the total (about 3/4 of a mile to 1 mile) to make sure that you are not double booking some of the stuff MFP already has and then book the rest as exercise. 100 is just a guess on my part but it will honestly put you in the right ballpark as I've done the sums for myself. Then keep moving. Pace up and down, walk up the stairs, jiggle about in the seat lol, do anything at all and you will burn calories. The beauty of non-exercise calories burn is that although it is low intensity you can do a few hours a day and it all adds up. For me walking burns 5 calories minute. If I am at work and I walk the long way around to make a coffee I can add 10 minutes., use a different loo - 10 minutes, walk at lunch time - 30 minutes, walk to speak to people instead of call them - 15 minutes - park the car further away - 10 minutes. , walk down the grocery shop - 15 minutes - etc. Without doing any exercises I can walk for well over an hour. which is 3-400 calories. This means that on average every 10 days I wlll shed a pound by not doing anything (Ac coding to some posts here :-) ) It really is worth doing.

Good luck

davert123

If you walked 5000 steps at a casual pace, then mark yourself down for 0 calories.
Your body is used to walking at a casual pace, and that "normal" activity (i.e., walking at a casual pace) is probably already factored into your daily calorie allowance in MFP, and 5000 steps at a casual pace isn't so much to really make your body think differently. If you did nothing to change that up by either adding weights, speed, or incline, then your body burned no more calories than it would done so naturally.

Not trying to burst your bubble or be mean, but 0 is what I would put down given the information you provided.

This is wrong - completely. Please watch out for duff information here, just because someone says it, it doesn't make it true :-)

When you exercise you burn calories. If you have yourself down as sedentary then count calories.

I understand the problem with counting calories like this though. I would try and calibrate the pedometer to something solid - can you map out your walk. What I would do is work out how many miles 5000 steps would take me (not off the pedometer itself but off a gps signal or looking at mapmyrun.com where you can draw your route. The I would look at ask.com and search walking - or just use google to work out calories per mile. This will give you a rough idea of how many calories you burn. If you know how far you have walked you could also guess the pace at say 3mph and if you have walked for say 2 miles put in a time of 40 minutes (or just factor whatever distance you have) into mfp You can burn a few hundred a day walking. Its a great way to exercise and its good for the mind as well. I used to burn 400 a day just from walking when I started. I know I did because the calorie deficit matched very closely the weight loss I experiences so keep it up and it can and will help you

Sedentary is calculated at 120% of BMR. There's a reason for that.

That is correct :-) for me that means 350 calories for my energy expenditure from when I get up to when I go to bed. If I take 100 calories off for a a bit walking leaving 250 calories for everything else my body does for an entire day. I think 100 is most probably too much to take off but i do just to be sure. MFP is brilliant because when people use if for any length of time they get to understand what really happens in their bodies. As long as they log accurately they will soon be able to predict their weight loss trend better than daily scale readings. I am usually about 0.25 - 0.5 lb out (my weight is always lower than my prediction) over a 2-3. weeks. The big problem may be that people don't feedback there trend weight into what they are calculating. If the calculation is too much then reduce it after a few weeks, if it is too little just increase it - this is where I got my 100 calories from . It is my "tuning" variable to make the sums match reality.

davert123

for me i calculate 5 calories a minute for walking, 9 calories a minute running. 1 calories a minute sitting down. 2 calories a minute standing. this includes my bmr, its not in addition to .

??? your BMR is what you would burn if you were bed ridden - everything else is in addition to your BMR - this is by definition rather than my opinion. Are you saying that the 5 for walking includes say 0.5 for BMR (as a complete guess) and 4.5 for exercise ? I get it if this is what you mean

www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

Memowe

Question, so in the "walking equals zero rule" some posters are agreeing with, this means that sitting on my but is the same as walking 3 miles? So say, you go through your normal day and take an hour walk. This walk means nothing, even though you did it on top of your normal day to day walking? Pedometers may not be the best to use for daily activity(for calculating calorie burning), but during an exercise it's measuring the amount you did on top of your day. So if OP was using the pedometer just to measure the activity done on top of daily activity, then yes Op could add calories. If Op was using a pedometer throughout the day the 5000 steps would not be considered exercise.