Burning 1000 calories at the gym?

bethany_h_xx
bethany_h_xx Posts: 12 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
hi
If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
How accurate are the gym machines?
I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
Thanks
«134

Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    That is a lot.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited May 2015
    I'd have to work out very intensively for over 2 hours to burn that... basically at the intensity that leaves me exhausted after one hour. Not happening, sorry, unless you're really overweight.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    1000 calories is A LOT!!!!
    Better to just get your diet right, and any calories burnt during exercise be treated as gravy.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    MityMax96 wrote: »
    1000 calories is A LOT!!!!
    Better to just get your diet right, and any calories burnt during exercise be treated as gravy.

    Mmmmm gravy....
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited May 2015
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories

  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    No.

    Because honestly, it's not do-able long term. Do you have 2-3 hours a day to spend at the gym, working out at incredibly high intensity? Probably not. Also, rest days, pretty important for overall health.

    Why not set a realisitic goal? Aim to lose about 1.5lbs a week, cut 750 calories per day through a combination of diet and exercise?

    Even that may be unrealistic. You're 166 at 5'2, which is admittedly overweight, but not to the extent where creating a 1000 calorie deficit is going to be easy. I'm guessing when you throw 2lbs a week in MFP it tells you to only eat 1200 calories?
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Use your diet for weight loss. Exercise should be for health and fitness.

    If you exercise to lose weight, you're doing it wrong.

    Also, only aim to lose 0.5% of your current body weight per week. You should weigh 400 lbs if you want to lose that much weight. Losing any more than 0.5% of your body weight per week is aggressive and can lead to negative effects on your health.

    Just do a nice, minimum 30 minute workout per day. It doesn't really matter what you do because anything will lead to an improvement to your health. Start out easy and slowly ramp yourself up to more intense workouts, if that's what you want to do. Also, rest days are super important. When you're first starting out, if you do more than a 30 minute walk or light run, only workout once every other day, 3 or 4 times per week. Rest allows your body to recover and heal. If you do not rest, you will run the risk of injuring yourself and you will begin to see negative results overall.

    You didn't put on all this extra weight in less than a year, so why do you think it's appropriate to lose all of it so quickly? Life isn't a race. By trying to go faster, you'll end up further behind than where you started.
  • This content has been removed.
  • Dgydad
    Dgydad Posts: 104 Member
    I'd be skeptical of the calorie counts given by the gym machines. Discount them by one-third to one-half and you'll be much closer to your actual burn, in my experience. Then again, if you aren't "eating back" your exercise calories, the machine readings really don't matter much....................
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories
    so you are saying there is a chance?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories
    so you are saying there is a chance?

    Personally I don't see how it's even doable in a healthy way, if she only has 40 pounds to lose. 1 pound a week is a much more reasonable deficit.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories
    so you are saying there is a chance?

    Personally I don't see how it's even doable in a healthy way, if she only has 40 pounds to lose. 1 pound a week is a much more reasonable deficit.

    i was joking…

    trying to burn 1000 calories a day sounds like a horrible idea…

    OP - just eat in a deficit and stick to your training regimen….
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories
    so you are saying there is a chance?

    bwahahahaha

    (that's the sad part isn't it .. cos that's what some people might read)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    hi
    If I was to burn 1000 calories every day at the gym do you think I would be on track for losing 2lbs per week?
    How accurate are the gym machines?
    I weigh 11 stone 12 at 5 foot 2
    Thanks

    OK based on the fact I can burn 100 calories in 14 mins at level 18/25 (which is pretty high resistance on these ones) on the elliptical with a HR above 150 (Polar FT 4 HRM) that would take me 2 hours and 20 minutes if I was capable of keeping that intensity up ... which I'm really not even though I'm reasonably fit now

    Gym machines are really not accurate at all .. half the calories they give

    If you want to lose 2lb a week focus on your diet and exercise for health and some extra calories
    so you are saying there is a chance?

    Personally I don't see how it's even doable in a healthy way, if she only has 40 pounds to lose. 1 pound a week is a much more reasonable deficit.

    i was joking…

    trying to burn 1000 calories a day sounds like a horrible idea…

    OP - just eat in a deficit and stick to your training regimen….

    I figured, but I thought I'd still post something in case someone took you seriously, lol.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited May 2015
    You'd be in the gym for hours and hours and hours at your weight working at an intensity that would probably be difficult to sustain to burn that.

    In other words? Not likely that you'd be able to do it. It's also a horrible idea. Losing 2 pounds a week is an unrealistic goal for you. The idea of fast weight loss is appealing, but the problem with it is that you're not just burning fat, you're losing muscle. The more muscle you lose, the slower your metabolism when you get to goal weight, and the less you get to eat when you get there. Think long and hard about that.

    Just eat at a calorie deficit... a healthy one... and stick to a reasonable exercise program for fitness. There are not shortcuts, sorry.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Those machines in the gym, and even some mfp calculations on calories burnt are very over estimated. So when it says you've burnt 1000 calories, it's probably more likely 300 calories burnt.
    Even if you are really burning that, you would not be able to keep that routine up long term. That much cardio would drain you.
    Just eat at a deficit and you'll lose weight.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I burn around 1,000 or more consistently 4 or 5 days per week. One day per week I hit my goal number of 3,000. However, it's not all at once and certainly not on a machine. I split it up throughout the day and use various activities including walking, running, lifting, dancing, various machines and classes e.g., boxing, MMA, wave master, spinning, barre, etc. At this point I've lost all I can lose, anything else is a challenge number (vanity pounds to see if I can hit a number). Right now I'm working toward 115, just because. So yes... I'd say you could do that. But it's a huge effort. On my challenges all I do is work, train, eat, sleep.

    For weight loss I would suggest changing your diet, more specifically the number of calories you're consuming.

    Personally I like to look at work outs as training and a way to improve upon athleticism, form, technique... not to lose weight. Yup... I like burning up the calories too but if you're exercising right and burning more than you're eating the weight loss will happen naturally.

    I know it doesn't matter what you eat but I have found that sticking to the basic 3's (protein, veggies, healthy fats) is what really helps me to stay thin yet super toned.

    Maybe some of this helped, maybe not. In the end, if you follow your plan you'll lose a bunch of weight and when you burn out or when your life changes and you don't have time to get 1,000 per day, the weight will creep back on.

    Oh, also, in terms of gym cardio machines. They don't calculate calories burned very well. I have my own machine at my house and it's set up based on my stats so it gives me a fairly accurate burn within 10 to 20. The ones at gyms are all standard. Set up for say a 200 lb man. You would be smarter to go by time vs. calories if you're only relying on a machine. You're also better off with quick hits vs. spending hours on an elliptical. Not that I haven't done that but I've found over the years that a quick intense 20 to 30 minutes on a machine along with some reps is way more effective at burning a lot of calories than just staying on a machine.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    If you are burning 1000 calories per day, then yes, you would be on track for 2 lbs per week. But if you are basing that number off of the machines, you'll be disappointed. At your weight, burning 1000 calories is equivalent to riding a bicycle 50 miles (80km).
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    This thread popped up a few weeks back..... most machines highly overestimate calorie burns, it takes me around 2 hrs to burn that running but I'm petite and getting on a bit lol
  • jonsmithkidd
    jonsmithkidd Posts: 1,204 Member
    You could burn 1,000 a day and still not lose 2lb a week if your diet isn't right.

    Personally, I burn over 1,000 a day but that is usually over 3-4 hours of exercise and includes strength training, running, rowing, elliptical and workout DVDs. To do this just in the gym, I think I would have to be there for 3 hours +

    As I said though, whether this works for you is heavily diet dependent. At my heaviest I ate 6,000 calories a day on a weekday and 10,000 calories a day on a weekend...(I know this might seem hard to believe but when you consider this included about 15 pints, 3 pizzas and some curries on a Saturday, it explains it). If I was still doing that then my 1,000 a day wouldn't even touch it and I would still gain weight. Now I eat around 2,200-2,500 and am in a deficit due to exercise I do lose weight.

    You can work out all day every day if you want, but it's how you eat that dictates your weight loss.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    If you are burning 1000 calories per day, then yes, you would be on track for 2 lbs per week. But if you are basing that number off of the machines, you'll be disappointed. At your weight, burning 1000 calories is equivalent to riding a bicycle 50 miles (80km).

    Nooooooo.... You do not burn 200 calories per hour of moderate exercise. For me, a 50 mile bike ride would take a solid 4-5 hours (yes, I'm slow. I'm out of shape, but I need to push myself pretty hard ot maintain a decent speed on the bike).

    I find that, in general, I burn about 400-700 calories per hour on my bike, depending on how hard I'm pushing myself. To burn 1000 calories, I need to ride for 2 hours, or about 20-30 miles. Casual observations find that this is a pretty average burn for most cyclists. 2 hours = about 1000 calories. Distance covered is dependent on how hard the rider rides and how fit the individual is.
  • bethany_h_xx
    bethany_h_xx Posts: 12 Member
    My diet is good I'm on 1200 a day.
    I'm currently on the sick so that's why I think it's possible to do that much or I could just become a couch potato
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    My diet is good I'm on 1200 a day.
    I'm currently on the sick so that's why I think it's possible to do that much or I could just become a couch potato

    I hope that's 1200 calories NET. In other words, if you do nothing all day, you eat 1200 calories. If you burn 1000 calories in the gym, you eat 2200 calories.

    If you eat 1200 calories and burn 1000 calories, you're setting yourself up for a world of hurt.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Eat to perform.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    My diet is good I'm on 1200 a day.
    I'm currently on the sick so that's why I think it's possible to do that much or I could just become a couch potato

    You're not well enough to work but you're well enough to spend 2 hours at high intensity in a gym?
    How does that work?
  • This content has been removed.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    My diet is good I'm on 1200 a day.
    I'm currently on the sick so that's why I think it's possible to do that much or I could just become a couch potato

    Your body burns more than 1200 calories just living.

    What makes you think that two pounds per week is the right rate of loss for you?
    How much do you plan on eating to support 1000 calorie burns at the gym on top of what your body burns just living?
  • This content has been removed.
  • kozykondition1
    kozykondition1 Posts: 45 Member
    I estimate that I burned about 1,000 Calories at the gym yesterday. But I'm 255 lbs. and a former endurance athlete. I have an additional 1,000 Calorie deficit in my diet that I have been hitting every day for the last five months.

    But what did I do when I got home? Right to the couch. So even though I may have truly burnt those calories, my NEAT decreased because I didn't have enough energy to do my normal evening activities. That is something that can easily be overlooked.

    I generally target 600-800 Calories in my workouts which leaves me enough energy for the rest of the day.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    edited May 2015
    If you are burning 1000 calories per day, then yes, you would be on track for 2 lbs per week. But if you are basing that number off of the machines, you'll be disappointed. At your weight, burning 1000 calories is equivalent to riding a bicycle 50 miles (80km).

    Nooooooo.... You do not burn 200 calories per hour of moderate exercise. For me, a 50 mile bike ride would take a solid 4-5 hours (yes, I'm slow. I'm out of shape, but I need to push myself pretty hard ot maintain a decent speed on the bike).

    I find that, in general, I burn about 400-700 calories per hour on my bike, depending on how hard I'm pushing myself. To burn 1000 calories, I need to ride for 2 hours, or about 20-30 miles. Casual observations find that this is a pretty average burn for most cyclists. 2 hours = about 1000 calories. Distance covered is dependent on how hard the rider rides and how fit the individual is.

    @chivalryder, I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am curious what method you use to verify that you are burning 700 calories per hour. According to my HRM and MFP and the calculator on Bicycling.com, I burn over 1300 calories on my regular 21 mile ride. But according to bikecalculator.com and an Excel spreadsheet that does a calculation based on the physics of moving a body a distance on a bicycle, it is more like 500. Given the two very different estimations, I compared my weight loss with expected results and found that my weight loss is more consistent with 500 calorie burns than it is with 1300 calorie burns. So, either I'm burning only 500 or I'm eating 800 calories per day more than I'm logging. Some people will say that is possible, since I don't weigh my food, but it is highly unlikely, since I've been losing weight consistently, even when I don't exercise.
This discussion has been closed.