How does one burn over 1000 calories a day?

AZTrailRunner

hey, if you do say 3 miles steady run, or 3 miles interval your still going to burn the same as ur body is going the same distance. although your pace is steady on the steady run, youl be going faster then slower than that on the interval so it will prob even itself out to the same pace as if you were doing a steady run, so it will burn the same......hope that makes sense lol

That may or may not be a true statement. It all comes down to intensity levels, conditioning, fitness levels, and so on.

Example. When I'm running hard, I know I can burn nearly 150 -160 calories per mile, versus 100-120 per mile at an easier pace. If I stop at 1 mile, I will continue to burn calories at a faster rate for a short time later than had I ran that mile at an easier pace. I just believe the calorie burn, per minute, at the slower pace is can't match the calorie burn, per minute, at the faster pace, even considering you covered that mile faster.


Instead of choosing a distance to run (ex. 3 miles), choose a time to run for (ex. 30min). This will make the math a lot easier.

cassondraragan

I have a HR monitor (actually a bodyfit which is like the body bugg used on Biggest loser) and I'm just under 200 lbs. (So essentially, I'm a 140lb girl that runs with a 60lb back pack on...that's what I tell myself.) When I want to get around 1000 calories I have to do about 30 minutes on the elliptical at a decent resistance. Then I do walk/run intervals for an hour on the treadmill. I can't move when I do it. When I'm finished with the treadmill, I find that the tread mill has UNDER estimated my calories burned by around 150 - 175 calories. Now, when I used to weigh 160 lbs I couldn't burn as much. Weight is one of the big factors of caloric burn. So, when you run, just throw a backpack on and put some weights in them

AZTrailRunner

You will lose more weight through diet anyways, so don't beat yourself up trying to achieve goals that may be lofty.

I run for fitness, not for calorie burn. The calorie burn is not my goal, merely a by-product of the exercise. I'm happier that way.

Azdak

Calories burned depends on two factors: intensity x body weight. If intensity is equal, a heavier person will burn more than a lighter person, and vice versa. It's no more complicated than that.

I often use running at 6 mph (10 min/mile) as an example, because it's a work intensity that a lot of people can relate to and the math is easier. Running at this speed is an intensity of about 10 METs.

Back to the original formula: Calories burned/hour = Intensity (METs) x body weight (in kg). So, to burn 1000 calories in an hour running 6 mph, one would have to weigh at least 220 lb (100 kg).

A runner at 80kg (176 lb) would have to run 8:10 mile pace for an hour to burn 1000 calories.

At the OPs weight of 60 kg, she would have to run at a 5:30/mile pace for an hour to burn 1000 calories.

So it takes a combination of moderate/high weight and high fitness to be able to burn 1000 calories/hour.

A lot of people using cheap HRMs or who have not set up their HRMs properly are getting inflated readings. A significant percentage of exercisers have max heart rates that are higher than the age-predicted estimate that HRMs use by default. As a result, the HRM thinks they are constantly working at 90%-100+% of max when they might only be at 65%-75%.

Things like thermal stress, high proportion of upper-body work, cardiovascular drift, can lead to artificially elevated heart rates and, thus, overstated calorie counts.

Thanks for the very helpful explanation! How does one find out what intensity (MET?) level an exercise is? I got a bit confused on the part "5:30/mile"... what does the 5:30 stand for? 5 miles in 30 minutes? Sorry if that sounds completely stupid... :P

Regarding what you said about estimating calories burned... would you say online tools like the one MFP has to estimate calories burned is fairly accurate? Or not really at all?

Once again, thank you for shedding some light into this. It's looking more and more unlikely for me to be burning 1000 calories a day anytime soon, it seems.

Sorry--sometimes I lapse into runner jargon--that's how I got started on this whole path.

5:30 means 5 minutes, 30 seconds per mile.

And, as others have said, there is no point in burning 1000 calories--it's just an arbitrary number.

Calorie burn and weight loss goals need to be proportionate to the size of the individual. Yes, at 60 kg, it is unlikely that you will burn 1000 calories in a workout. However, a loss of 5-6 pounds will make a significant difference in your appearance, whereas on a larger person who burns a lot of calories in a workout, it might not even be noticeable. So, it all works out in the end

I only keep track because I am a performance and numbers-driven person when it comes to exercise and those are the types of goals that motivate me--I keep all kinds of extraneous benchmark data.

RMinVA

Just know that it takes a lot of time and effort to put up 4-digit calorie burns.

Personally, I burn 1000- 1300+ a few times per week on any of my 6+ mile trail runs. I'm 38 and 180lbs, and maintain nearly 160bpm HR to accomplish that too (8:30 minute miles with 1500 ft elevation gains).

I'm not alone in that either. Lots of distance runners put out bigger numbers than that, even at slower paces. You just have to be at it longer.

You can't just run out and pull off a feat like that without hating it or injuring yourself. Put in a solid effort and shoot for lower numbers. As your fitness improves, so will your intensity levels, and consequently, you'll burn more calories.

THIS!! Distance runner here and I am only at about a 10 min pace. BUT, when I am in the heart of training for a 10+ mile race, I can burn 1000 cals a couple of times a week. Nor is it unusual if I am biking a lot since most of my rides are 25+ miles. But I certainly didn't start out there.

And I believe someone has already pointed out that diet has more to do with weight loss than exercise.

arc918

Here are the keys: be fairly heavy and be able to run fast.

I'm ~ 175 lbs and I can burn 1,000 in an hour if I run at solid clip (~ 7:30 pace).

If you weight less and/or run slower then you have to run longer.

perceptualobfuscator

To answer your question, quite easily.

I used to be a speed-swimmer, and swam for up to two hours a day, very quickly. I also ran a mile in the morning and before sleeping. After school, I would run between one and three miles as well. I was on three different soccer teams, played badminton, and walked everywhere. In the winter, I was on the downhill and cross-country skiing teams. During the summers, I ran, kayaked, canoed, swam and biked fourteen miles daily. I was burning massive amounts of calories through what amounts to hours of exercise each day.

Right now, I'm training for lengthy hiking trips, so that involves strapping around thirty-five pounds on my back and hiking up and down hills for a couple hours. This alone burns quite a bit, and I'm a very small person with a normal BMI. Someone larger would burn even more. Two hours of hiking would be over a thousand for most people. It's exactly one thousand for me.

I should also mention that bigger people burn more calories, even when they're doing less. So someone who is 300 lbs jogging for ten minutes could burn the same amount as someone who is, say 120 lbs jogging for an hour. Carrying more weight burns more calories.

boopiejones

i ride my bike to work and back at a vigorous pace. that's about 90 minutes which MFP says is good for about 1,330 calories. then i lift for 45 minutes at lunch which is worth another 170 or so.

according to mfp, i should be eating about 4,600 calories after factoring in the workouts. after my first week on MFP i was at a 10,000 calorie deficit and had lost 3 lbs - that's pretty darn accurate...

aviduser

Much thanks for all the suggestions! It seems running/biking for an hour is the suggested form of exercise to burn a big amount... which translates as impossible for me at the moment. The main reasons is, I'm not physically fit enough to actually run for an hour. I can't quite even complete 1 round at the track by running, which is why I alternate between running and brisk walking.

You don't have to start out running or biking for an hour. Go for a run around the block. Do 1 mile 3x/ week for the first week. Then add 1/2 mile the second week. If you have to walk for some of it, that is ok. You will develop the fitness to run the entire 1.5 miles. When you can do that, bump to 2 or 2.5 miles. Then bump up to 3-4 miles. Once you are doing 3-5 miles/day several times a week, you will see your conditioning improve dramatically. If you want to build up to longer runs, keep adding distance every couple of weeks.

Cycling is another way to burn a ton of calories. In a typical 25 mile ride, I am burning 1200 to 1300 calories, riding at a fast pace. But I did not start out riding that distance. I spent several months (in the winter) training 2x/wk on a spin bike.

I agree with the other posters that you don't need to hit a 1000 calories to effectively lose weight. My weight training workouts are around 200-300 calories, and that still adds "room" to my daily allowance. Plus weight training has a residual benefit of additional calories burned after the workout is done. I am told that you will burn another 50% of the total calories of your workout in the 3-4 hours after the workout. So if you burn 300 doing weight training, your body will burn another 150 during the 3-4 hours after the workout. I don't log this, of course, but it is nice to know about.

I have said this to others, but it is worth repeating. This is a process. All of the changes in your body will take time. Plan on slow and steady progress.

aviduser

PS: Go out and get a heart rate monitor. It will be much more accurate than the averages on MFP. My advice--get a Polar. Polar invented HRMs for sports.

It will give you an accurate count of calories burned and give you a good idea of the intensity of your workouts. You will also be able to use it to figure out your real max heart rate.

melaniecheeks

I'm sometimes surprised at the huge calorie burns other people record too - but then, everyone's different.

The OP seems to be quite small and already a decent weight, so a) it's going to be very hard for her to achieve, and b) I dont actually think that mega calorie burns are going to have the best effect.

Just my 2 cents.

aviduser

Keep in mind that a effort like that will deplete your muscles of glycogen (energy) in fact preventing you from exercising more often as supposed to harder. I'd take 7 days of 500 cal workouts = 3500 than 3 x 1000 which in part what will do for you is to burn in your brain the idea that working out is painful as if we don't go through enough self-negative-talk.

True, you do burn your glycogen with intense training (anaerobic). BUT, you can easily replenish your glycogen by eating a quality high-carb post workout meal within 2 hours of your workout. Smoothies are great. Ideally, you should have something within 30-40 min of your workout if it is really intense. (I like Recoverite from Hammer Nutrition.)

Also, replenishing your glycogen will reduce muscle soreness and get you ready to work out again the next day.

DonPendergraft

If you run alot you will burn more than a 1,000 easy. My Saturday long runs that last for hours burn more than that.

RMinVA

Keep in mind that a effort like that will deplete your muscles of glycogen (energy) in fact preventing you from exercising more often as supposed to harder. I'd take 7 days of 500 cal workouts = 3500 than 3 x 1000 which in part what will do for you is to burn in your brain the idea that working out is painful as if we don't go through enough self-negative-talk.

True, you do burn your glycogen with intense training (anaerobic). BUT, you can easily replenish your glycogen by eating a quality high-carb post workout meal within 2 hours of your workout. Smoothies are great. Ideally, you should have something within 30-40 min of your workout if it is really intense. (I like Recoverite from Hammer Nutrition.)

Also, replenishing your glycogen will reduce muscle soreness and get you ready to work out again the next day.

Yep!! Glycogen stores are very easy to replenish.

And far from being painful, I find a nice long run or good bike ride somewhat therapeutic.

staceyseeger

It most cases it is going to be all about intensity. Sure there will be a rare bird that spends hours at it but a solid run or jumping rope at the right intensity can easily burn 1000 in an hour. An hour run at 9 MPH would do that for most people.

Do you mean a 9 minute mile? There aren't many non-elite runners that can hold at 6:40 (9 MPH) mile for an hour. If I could, I definitely wouldn't be worrying about burning calories.

irridia

I would suggest stronglifts 5x5. It will build your strength, takes between 45min and an hour to do. If you really feel you need to, you can do some mild cardio later in the same day.

What I do Is in the morning I have a half a protien shake as I start my weights. I do 2 sets of 5 reps w/just the bar bell (mine ways 15 lbs) then , 3 sets of 5 with 2/3 to 1/2 what my working weight is going to be. Then 5 sets of 5 of my working weight with about a minute between each set. I do 3 exercises/day alternating between workouts (never doing to A workouts in a row).

A B for deadlifts I only do 1 set w/bar, 1set w/1/2 work weight and 1 set @ work
Squats Squats weight.
Bench Press Overhead Press
Bent rows Deadlift If you've never done weights then start w/the empty bar and don't add a
any weights to the bar with the exception of deads and rows so that you can let the bar go to the floor on the down. If you have to use 5s or 10s then set them on top of some thicker weights or thick phone books so you can go to the floor at the proper height.
Add 5lbs to the bar on each session of that exercise. When you start feeling like this is not so hard and your energy goes up you can add some gentle cardio. Definately do non-strenuous yoga on your days off and take one full day of doing no structured exercise. Make certain you get enough protien. My fat isn't gone yet, but I can see something resembling muscular arms underneath and I've dropped an inch on my waist since starting.

Good luck.

iAMaPhoenix

A lot of awesome suggestions are given, but it all boils down to one real answer. The only way to burn 1000 calories a day is to start off by burning the first 1. As far as how long it takes, that is not too important in my opinion. Too many factors come into play for that. I am usually in the 1000 cal a day club and I strap on my HRM and just go for it. Whether running/walking/circuit training/biking/playing sports, I add up all the cal burned and make sure it is at my predetermined calorie burn for the day. If I set my goal for 1000 and only able to get 600 during my morning sessions, I go back during lunch, or after work. And yes, I have a family, a full time job, volunteer with a football team and have tons of other obligations, but I do make time for ME. You can do it, but it will take time, if that is something you have a desire to do. But as another person suggested, it is easier to burn 500 calories and cut back 500 less calories a day that will give you a 1000 calorie deficit. Good Luck.

iAMaPhoenix

A lot of awesome suggestions are given, but it all boils down to one real answer. The only way to burn 1000 calories a day is to start off by burning the first 1. As far as how long it takes, that is not too important in my opinion. Too many factors come into play for that. I am usually in the 1000 cal a day club and I strap on my HRM and just go for it. Whether running/walking/circuit training/biking/playing sports, I add up all the cal burned and make sure it is at my predetermined calorie burn for the day. If I set my goal for 1000 and only able to get 600 during my morning sessions, I go back during lunch, or after work. And yes, I have a family, a full time job, volunteer with a football team and have tons of other obligations, but I do make time for ME. You can do it, but it will take time, if that is something you have a desire to do. But as another person suggested, it is easier to burn 500 calories and cut back 500 less calories a day that will give you a 1000 calorie deficit. Good Luck.

kitinboots

Anything time consuming. If I hike 2nd uphill and 1hr back down I burn 1200.
My old job walking around handing out fliers, a total of 20k per night Camden in just under 1000.
Hiking up a glacier to go ice climbing, then climbing ladders to return to the start Camden to about 800.
I don't think it's something that's easy to fit into a regular workday, but it's generally pretty easy to accomplish.

Synnoveg

Training for triathlons is an easy way to burn over 1000 cal a day.