Walking as exercise calories

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bendyourkneekatie
bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have my pacer app linked to mfp cos, why not? I average around 10,000 steps a day, (7km, 4-5 miles) 90% of which involves pushing 25kg (55lb) of toddler+baby in the double pram, and I tend to be given a couple hundred extra calories for the supposed 'exercise', but I don't eat them cos it's walking, and that doesn't really feel like eatable exercise, iykwim.
I see others getting hundreds, sometimes over 1000, calories for walking, and I wonder if I'm doing it right.
I'm still fiddling round with my calories. I started at 1500, found I was feeling cranky and woozy so I've upped it to 1700 (I'm breastfeeding a 10 month old). I've dropped 3.5 kg (7-8 lb) in 2 weeks, which is far too fast (I only have a few to lose) but I imagine it'll taper off.
I just can't quite come at eating extra for walking. But I'm happy to be told I'm wrong, I'm no expert, obviously. Should I eat 50% of them or something?
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Replies

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    i walk..on the treadmill but dont get thousand burned calories or i must walk at least 4 to 5 hours of so i think

    300 to 400 when i really push it.

    I eat 25% back from my burned calories
    And i weigh ALL my solid food and measure my liquids.

    this to be as accurate as possible. Still you never get it 100% right.

    But be patient try for 4 weeks and than tweak your calorie intake up or down. And than wait again what happens.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited April 2015
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    A mile of walking or jogging or running burns less than 100 calories. I am short and it takes me 20 minutes, or 2500 steps, to walk a mile. People who post that they burned 600 calories speed walking (or whatever) for 15 minutes are creating their own exercise/calories burned. Ignore them. It's not happening. And their first question is, "Why am I not losing weight?"
  • dot124
    dot124 Posts: 4 Member
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    I try and walk five miles a day on treadmill, but do it stages, ie morning 200 calories at 3.5 mph and with pausing to answer phone etc, it takes 45 mins and I do this at least three times a day.
    I can't get out to walk, so use treadmill, but I eat up to half the calories back.
    Good luck
  • dawniemate
    dawniemate Posts: 395 Member
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    I walk for an hour and half briskly each morning it's 5 miles. ..according to this app it's over 600 calories. .but I think it's probably half that
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    dawniemate wrote: »
    I walk for an hour and half briskly each morning it's 5 miles. ..according to this app it's over 600 calories. .but I think it's probably half that

    Not half, depending upon how much you now weigh. Five miles is probably about 400 calories. But wow, does it make a difference in how you feel! Walking is the best exercise ever.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    I have a Fitbit and always eat all my exercise calories back. Partly because Fitbits tend to be quite accurate, and partly because I struggle to stay within my calories enough as it is, I don't think I'd manage eating any less back.

    I tend to walk 15,000 - 20,000 steps on weekdays (a lot less on weekends), and my Fitbit gives me back usually around 500-700 calories for that.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Check out my diary if you wish. The exercise calories are just from walking. I've Got my fitbit synced with mfp. I'd like to say I don't eat any exercise calories back, but sometimes hunger gets the better of me...
    I'm kinda maintaining at the moment, I've got 4kgs of vanity weight left to lose. This Friday is going to be the first time I've weighed myself since getting my fitbit, I'll then be able to gauge if walking calories count or not :open_mouth:
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    edited April 2015
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    But wow, does it make a difference in how you feel! Walking is the best exercise ever.

    Is it ever! I seriously hate days when we can't go out almost as much as my toddler hates them. Apart from anything else walking is amazing for my mental health. Occasionally getting out for a solo walk in the evening is my idea of a treat.
  • KayleighIsGoingFatToFit
    KayleighIsGoingFatToFit Posts: 203 Member
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    I walk a lot and have my Fitbit linked to MFP, I burn approx. 700 calories with 12,000 - 15,000 steps but I have over 100 pounds to lose.
    Everyone is different and if someone has a lot more weight to lose than you they will probably burn more walking than what you would.
    I don't eat any of my calories back but I am happy with the amount of calories I am eating :smile:
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
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    katem999 wrote: »
    I have my pacer app linked to mfp cos, why not? I average around 10,000 steps a day, (7km, 4-5 miles) 90% of which involves pushing 25kg (55lb) of toddler+baby in the double pram, and I tend to be given a couple hundred extra calories for the supposed 'exercise', but I don't eat them cos it's walking, and that doesn't really feel like eatable exercise, iykwim.
    I see others getting hundreds, sometimes over 1000, calories for walking, and I wonder if I'm doing it right.
    I'm still fiddling round with my calories. I started at 1500, found I was feeling cranky and woozy so I've upped it to 1700 (I'm breastfeeding a 10 month old). I've dropped 3.5 kg (7-8 lb) in 2 weeks, which is far too fast (I only have a few to lose) but I imagine it'll taper off.
    I just can't quite come at eating extra for walking. But I'm happy to be told I'm wrong, I'm no expert, obviously. Should I eat 50% of them or something?

    Personally, I put in all of my exercise minutes as walking 3.0 mph (whether I ran or did a workout) and eat all of my calories back. I have had days where it looked like I earned and ate several hundred calories from walking--but that wasn't the case.
  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    A mile of walking or jogging or running burns less than 100 calories. I am short and it takes me 20 minutes, or 2500 steps, to walk a mile. People who post that they burned 600 calories speed walking (or whatever) for 15 minutes are creating their own exercise/calories burned. Ignore them. It's not happening. And their first question is, "Why am I not losing weight?"

    Wouldn't that be nice! I get 75 - 85 per 15 minutes @ 4 mph. :lol:
  • ArkMom35
    ArkMom35 Posts: 225 Member
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    I eat my walking/step calories (50% anyway). You get less for walking than more aerobic exercises, but it still counts, IMHO.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    You can't burn 1000 calories from walking.

    But if they have themselves as sedentary on here and have a device like a fitbit, they could get close to 1000 exercise calories from walking 25,000-30,000 steps. It's not really calories from walking, but more like mfp adjusting for them not being sedentary.

    Walking gets me about 50 calories a mile. I am short and weigh 119. I don't burn calories like I once did. Lol
  • darkriver2012
    darkriver2012 Posts: 21 Member
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    I seem to be hitting the nail with walking. I use endomunodo and that for me is an accurate reflection. I am getting non motorised stationary bike next week and hopefully will get a better idea.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
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    I walked almost 7 miles yesterday, and I use runkeeper to map my route, but I don't pay attention to the calories it says I burn. I don't log or sync runkeeper either so there are no calories to eat back.
  • euronorris
    euronorris Posts: 211 Member
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    Calorie burn really depends on so many things: age, sex, height, weight, current fitness level, exertion level etc. So it really varies from person to person.

    I did the moonwalk last year, and as part of my training for that I was power walking to and from work each day (3.2 miles each way), with a backpack on my bag with my handbag, change of clothes and lunch - so pretty heavy). I'd do that in 40 minutes and my HRM would tell me that I burned around 400 calories (each way). I'd eat most of those calories back each day too and I continued to lose at a steady pace at the time.

    As my fitness improved, my HR would be lower, and my weight dropped, and so my calorie burn gradually reduced.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    I net about 70 calories per mile once I subtract out what I'd have burned just by being alive, anyway. It adds up and it's worth about a pound a week.

    I'd definitely count it if it's not already included in your activity level, but the calculated burns are outrageously over-estimated. MFP wants me to believe that I burned 994 calories walking 4.51 miles in 59:35. Reality is probably about a third of that.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited April 2015
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    katem999 wrote: »
    I have my pacer app linked to mfp cos, why not? I average around 10,000 steps a day, (7km, 4-5 miles) 90% of which involves pushing 25kg (55lb) of toddler+baby in the double pram, and I tend to be given a couple hundred extra calories for the supposed 'exercise', but I don't eat them cos it's walking, and that doesn't really feel like eatable exercise, iykwim.
    I see others getting hundreds, sometimes over 1000, calories for walking, and I wonder if I'm doing it right.
    I'm still fiddling round with my calories. I started at 1500, found I was feeling cranky and woozy so I've upped it to 1700 (I'm breastfeeding a 10 month old). I've dropped 3.5 kg (7-8 lb) in 2 weeks, which is far too fast (I only have a few to lose) but I imagine it'll taper off.
    I just can't quite come at eating extra for walking. But I'm happy to be told I'm wrong, I'm no expert, obviously. Should I eat 50% of them or something?

    Ofc it counts its movement= burns calories. ts up to you whether you eat themor not. remember the activity level you chose (even sedentary) takes into account a certain amount of day to day movement. I dont use fitbit, but my rule of thum for walking is to include anything that is porposeful and I wouldnt ordinarily be doing. Adjust as needed based on results. You are doing well by exercising some common sense and adjusting based on the results you get. The journey is a learning process.
  • jenniferinfl
    jenniferinfl Posts: 456 Member
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    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    A mile of walking or jogging or running burns less than 100 calories. I am short and it takes me 20 minutes, or 2500 steps, to walk a mile. People who post that they burned 600 calories speed walking (or whatever) for 15 minutes are creating their own exercise/calories burned. Ignore them. It's not happening. And their first question is, "Why am I not losing weight?"

    My heart rate monitor says I burned 403 for my 3 miles this morning. But, I am over 200 lbs and weighing more makes a difference. The trail I use also has a lot of uphill, which also makes a difference.

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited April 2015
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    My Fitbit usually gives me around 900 to 1000 calories per day for walking, but I walk @ 20,000 steps per day. I have MFP set to sedentary. Walking is great exercise, especially if other forms are too strenuous for you. I've been slowly ramping up my walking distance since I started 11 weeks ago, and have lost 30 lbs so far. So although there are lots of other forms of exercise that have a much higher burn rate, good ol' walking works for me, and is pretty much all I can safely do at this point.

    I do eat about 25 to 50% of my allotted calories back, and leave the rest to compensate for any logging errors as well as my lousy metabolism, (thyroid issues) and my age, (post menopausal).

    Edited to add: 20,000 steps is about 9.25 miles. :)

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