How Many Calories Are You Burning??

Hello all -

About how many calories are you burning on a daily basis? I work out once sometimes twice a day... I'm burning anywhere from 400-1000 calories per day. Also, how many calories burned a day is too many? That may seem like a silly question lol I want to up my calories burned per day but don't want to overdo it.

Thanks! ;)
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Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    Too many calories burned per day is entirely subjective, and depends on your current level of fitness.

    If you're working out so hard, and so long that you actually are in danger of injuring yourself, that's too many. Although, there are plenty of athletes who burn thousands of calories per day, and have to eat 5000cals (or even more) per day just to maintain.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    X1000

    To burn 500 calories running, you'd have to be 200lbs and run 3 miles in 20 minutes which is very fast. You'd be winning age groups at smaller races at that pace.
    If you are over 200, the distance will drop a bit. At 250 you'd have to run 2.5 miles. That an 8 minute mile which is still a pretty good pace.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    Too many calories burned per day is entirely subjective, and depends on your current level of fitness.

    If you're working out so hard, and so long that you actually are in danger of injuring yourself, that's too many. Although, there are plenty of athletes who burn thousands of calories per day, and have to eat 5000cals (or even more) per day just to maintain.

    Very helpful, thank you!
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    I don't trust the MFP calorie suggestion, because they're always over estimating. I manually enter my calories burned.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    For one thing, you should be really careful with burn estimates...because they are estimates and calculators and databases and machines, etc tend to exaggerate calorie burn...often substantially.

    Secondly, while burning additional calories is a nice "gravy" benefit of exercise, it really isn't the purpose...it would behoove you to start looking at exercise and fitness for the sake of fitness and overall health and well being.

    Thirdly, too many calories burned would be pretty subjective and would also be dependent on if you're eating properly to support whatever activity you're doing...if you're not eating at an appropriate level for that kind of exercise, you're putting yourself at greater risk of injury and recovery issues...not to mention you really impede your fitness by not properly feeding it. This kind of goes back to point two...the point of exercise isn't to just go out and burn a *kitten* ton of calories...if you're training like that, you also have to know and understand how to feed it while still managing weight loss goals...running steep deficits and then burning a *kitten* ton of additional calories on top of that is a recipe for your body taking a *kitten*.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    One size does not fit all.
    I can easily burn just about 1000 calories in 1 hour on my bike, averaging about 20 mph @ 170 lbs.
    I can also burn about 1000 calories in 1 hour running, just not as easily. Takes about 9 to 9.5 miles. It's rare. And yes, I do go top 10 at local races. Or top 500 at huge local races ;)
    Running, 0.63 KCal/mile/lb is what you burn ±1%.

    Either way, definitely eat back those calories!
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    X1000

    To burn 500 calories running, you'd have to be 200lbs and run 3 miles in 20 minutes which is very fast. You'd be winning age groups at smaller races at that pace.
    If you are over 200, the distance will drop a bit. At 250 you'd have to run 2.5 miles. That an 8 minute mile which is still a pretty good pace.

    I run on an incline as well so that helps. Thanks.
  • ise311
    ise311 Posts: 107 Member
    Even with an hour cardio, almost an hour bodycombat class and some other machines, I'd only go as far as 400-500 calories estimate. Even this sounds too much to me with 2 hours workout.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    scorpio516 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    One size does not fit all.
    I can easily burn just about 1000 calories in 1 hour on my bike, averaging about 20 mph @ 170 lbs.
    I can also burn about 1000 calories in 1 hour running, just not as easily. Takes about 9 to 9.5 miles. It's rare. And yes, I do go top 10 at local races. Or top 500 at huge local races ;)
    Running, 0.63 KCal/mile/lb is what you burn ±1%.

    Either way, definitely eat back those calories!

    Great input and definitely helpful! If someone is 125 lbs, it would obviously take them longer to burn 500 calories than it would for someone heavier. That's common sense. Thanks again!
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
    The burn on the machine is over inflated too.

    Are you losing at a healthy rate? Maintaining?

    What I used to do before implementing a heart rate monitor was cut whatever MFP guessed in half, and then eat back half to 75% of that number. Now, with a heart rate monitor, I just try to eat back half of what I burn according to that because those aren't 100% accurate, either.

    Do what your doing for 6 weeks, and then look back at your average loss. Is it at a healthy rate? The expected rate? How do you feel? Adjust calories or activity accordingly.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    The burn on the machine is over inflated too.

    Are you losing at a healthy rate? Maintaining?

    What I used to do before implementing a heart rate monitor was cut whatever MFP guessed in half, and then eat back half to 75% of that number. Now, with a heart rate monitor, I just try to eat back half of what I burn according to that because those aren't 100% accurate, either.

    Do what your doing for 6 weeks, and then look back at your average loss. Is it at a healthy rate? The expected rate? How do you feel? Adjust calories or activity accordingly.

    I'm losing at a healthy rate. An average of 2 lbs per week. I eat back some of my calories. I tend to underestimate the number I enter into MFP....if a machine says I burned 525, I will put 500 in MPF and then maybe only eat 100 calories back. I feel fine. When I work out more, I'm hungrier so I'll eat a little more.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
    Then I wouldn't worry, just keep listening to your body and evaluate accordingly. Eat more back if you find yourself feeling sluggish.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    Then I wouldn't worry, just keep listening to your body and evaluate accordingly. Eat more back if you find yourself feeling sluggish.

    Great, thanks for your input!
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    edited February 2016
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.

    This is for trail running too. So big vertical gains.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I track my distance running. It can be anywhere from 400 calories for shorter runs and 1000 calories for longer runs. But what constitutes a long run for me, may not be a long run for others or vice versa.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.

    WOW! Definitely inspiring....seems like I can burn as many calories as I want just as long as I'm eating back some.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    I track my distance running. It can be anywhere from 400 calories for shorter runs and 1000 calories for longer runs. But what constitutes a long run for me, may not be a long run for others or vice versa.

    That's awesome! Inspiring!
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.

    WOW! Definitely inspiring....seems like I can burn as many calories as I want just as long as I'm eating back some.

    Pretty much. I would recommend having a "light" week every month or so. Just to give the body a break.
  • ultrahoon
    ultrahoon Posts: 467 Member
    Between 400 and 700. I do weights twice a week, which doesn't burn much, but then BJJ 3-4 times a week. Some of those classes are quite relaxed, some are tourney prep and *really* take it out of me.
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    ROBOTFOOD wrote: »
    I eat 4k/day and am still dropping weight. So a lot. Distance runner.

    Have you ever tracked your calories? About how many are you burning per day? I'm trying to aim to be more of a distance runner, I actually enjoy running.

    Yes. Yesterday was 4,003. But I don't really focus on it. I just eat as much as possible to fuel my running. The weight loss just happens. The days that I eat near 5k, I maintain. Unless I'm running 20milers. Which would burn around 2500cal.

    WOW! Definitely inspiring....seems like I can burn as many calories as I want just as long as I'm eating back some.

    Pretty much. I would recommend having a "light" week every month or so. Just to give the body a break.

    Sounds reasonable to me, thanks!
  • Kelley0519
    Kelley0519 Posts: 254 Member
    ultrahoon wrote: »
    Between 400 and 700. I do weights twice a week, which doesn't burn much, but then BJJ 3-4 times a week. Some of those classes are quite relaxed, some are tourney prep and *really* take it out of me.

    That's still a great calorie burn!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    X1000

    To burn 500 calories running, you'd have to be 200lbs and run 3 miles in 20 minutes which is very fast. You'd be winning age groups at smaller races at that pace.
    If you are over 200, the distance will drop a bit. At 250 you'd have to run 2.5 miles. That an 8 minute mile which is still a pretty good pace.

    I run on an incline as well so that helps. Thanks.

    It helps, yes. But the difficulty level is still the same.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    Hello all -

    About how many calories are you burning on a daily basis? I work out once sometimes twice a day... I'm burning anywhere from 400-1000 calories per day. Also, how many calories burned a day is too many? That may seem like a silly question lol I want to up my calories burned per day but don't want to overdo it.

    Thanks! ;)

    I usually burn between 200 and 300. According to the app. However, I lift at a quicker pace and use heavier weights so I'm probably burning more.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    In winter weekly average is about 3,500 a week, in summer more usually 6,000-7,000.

    Highest recorded in a day was 6,417 for a nine hour cycle with lots of hills but that estimate was by my Garmin which I don't find very accurate. "Only" ate 5,190 that day though. :smile:
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    scorpio516 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Kelley0519 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    In a lifting session + cardio (45 minutes lifting, plus 20-ish minutes cardio) i'd say about 200? Difficult to tell. I know in the cardio i aim to burn atleast a hundred and then i back off.

    I maintain around 1800 calories a day based on my non-exercise activity.

    How are you tracking your calories burned? What activity are you doing to burn all these 400-1000 calories? What do you burn when you don't work out? What is your calorie intake like?

    I track my calories burned by the exercise machine....for example, I would enter my weight and at the end, if the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, ARC machine says I burned 525 calories....I would only enter 500 calories burned into MFP. I don't hand on to the sidings on the treadmill, I mostly run or walk on an incline. I can burned and easy 500 calories if I run 20 mins....including my warm up and cool down time. I do sets of light weight lifting, but I don't log these exercises, mostly because I wouldn't know what an accurate number. I normally eat around 1250-1350 calories per day if I got to the gym once a day. When I go twice, I try to eat around 1450 calories. I'm still learning so if I'm doing anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Thanks!

    Yeah, this doesn't sound accurate.

    Don't ever trust the machines at the gym, or MFP's estimate. Unless you are incredibly obese, a more realistic burn is 600-ish per HOUR of intense exercise.

    In any case, as long as you aren't eating these back it shouldn't matter too much.

    One size does not fit all.
    I can easily burn just about 1000 calories in 1 hour on my bike, averaging about 20 mph @ 170 lbs.
    I can also burn about 1000 calories in 1 hour running, just not as easily. Takes about 9 to 9.5 miles. It's rare. And yes, I do go top 10 at local races. Or top 500 at huge local races ;)
    Running, 0.63 KCal/mile/lb is what you burn ±1%.

    Either way, definitely eat back those calories!

    Most people max out at 10 calories/minute. Even athletes. An obese beginner is having to work harder and is hauling around extra weight. An athlete weighs a lot less but is able to work out more intensely than a beginner. So they both still max out at about 10 calories/minute.

    I would be hesitant to use a calorie estimate that is much higher than 10 calories/minute. Maybe the poster above can run a 10k in 30-something minutes and therefore is running 12 miles in an hour? And somehow still weighs at least 150 lbs as well? Like I said, the obese or athletes. Even then, why overestimate? I'm trying to lose weight, would rather under-count my exercise than over-count it.