Burning calories lifting weights
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I have used MFP for a long time, but I have stopped "taking credit" for burning calories. I don't enter exercise. I only enter food. Why? Because MFP will subtract your exercise calories from your food calories to calculate net calories. Mathematically this is correct and if it works for you then go for it. MFP balances the books each day, and I don't think the body will react that quickly. So just pick a number of calories per day (for me it is 1800 if I want to lose weight), and go out and exercise and enjoy life, living on just that 1800 per day.17
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I have used MFP for a long time, but I have stopped "taking credit" for burning calories. I don't enter exercise. I only enter food. Why? Because MFP will subtract your exercise calories from your food calories to calculate net calories. Mathematically this is correct and if it works for you then go for it. MFP balances the books each day, and I don't think the body will react that quickly. So just pick a number of calories per day (for me it is 1800 if I want to lose weight), and go out and exercise and enjoy life, living on just that 1800 per day.
You don't think the body will react that quickly? What does that mean? Do you understand that your body HAS to metabolise calories to perform exercise? The TDEE method is valid but your justification is bizarre.8 -
Someone goes out on Saturday and does a 10 mile run. I agree that the body has to supply (say) 1,000 extra calories of energy to support that 10 mile run, but I am not educated as to where the body gets that energy. So then after the run, the runner goes to McDonalds and eats a quarter pounder with cheese and a large fries, which is 1.040 calories. According to MFP the runner has just broke even, and there should be no weight gain. But the food in the stomach still has to get digested, which is a different process than, as you say, "metabolising calories to perform exercise". It will balance out, but not the same day.8
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Maybe I should take this class: https://www.coursera.org/lecture/science-exercise/7-fat-metabolism-during-exercise-LKsKa0
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As accurately measuring calories spent lifting is incredibly difficult (weight, and distance moving the weight are major factors). I did a "best guess estimate" of what I thought I averaged on lifting days as leg day burns a lot more for me than upper body: I lift more weight with my legs than arms and the distance I move the weight is greater as well, therefore I used a guesstimate average. I started with 250 calories. Then I just monitored my expected weight loss. If I was losing faster than expected, I know I was undereatimating. Losing slower = overestimating. Turns out I was fairly accurate. So on lifting days I add 250 exercise calories to my day. As I'm doing more strength maintenance than trying to build (I'm eating at a 250cal/day deficit), I'm not trying to increase the weights.4
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I tried 'eating back exercise calories' using MFP's numbers and found my weight went up. Now I log the exercise (both cardio and strength) so I can note the changes over time, but I ignore them completely from a food perspective and my weight loss is steady but still short of target. I do try and hit my protein goal to limit muscle wastage in the process.2
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manolocort wrote: »Hey guys, I am lifting weights several times a day and my goal is to get a lean cut, but I can’t figure out how many calories I am burning. Any suggestions in how to keep track with this? It will really help me!
Tracking calories from weight lifting is difficult with this app (you can put it in under cardio for a guesstimate), if you are willing to spend some cash you can buy products that will help you track it...... on another note, take advice you get on here with a grain of salt (some is good, a lot is not). Weight lifting is a great way to burn calories/fat (hence, physique athletes and body builders use strength training as their primary way to burn calories/fat). The key to reaching your goals is your diet. If you have your diet on point, a good combo to shape your body (lean and cut) will be implementing a training program with both aerobic exercise and strength training. 💪🏽
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I usually use cardo-->circuit training.
But, it totally depends on how you lift weights. If you take significant breaks between sets (which is not necessarily bad), you will not burn many calories (although you may gain strength). If you are really pushing through the various lifts (such that you maintain an elevated heart rate) then you will burn some extra calories.
Also, my experience from years of lifting weights is that "afterburn" is a small effect.
Cardo activities are the calorie burners. And even medium-effort cardio burns significant calories if done for many hours.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »Not many. That's not why you're lifting. You're lifting to preserve or build muscle.
If you enter it into MFP under cardio it will give you a guess.
Not many? I burn more calories on an intense leg day or doing volume deadlifts than by doing the same time of HIIT.4 -
joemac1988 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »Not many. That's not why you're lifting. You're lifting to preserve or build muscle.
If you enter it into MFP under cardio it will give you a guess.
Not many? I burn more calories on an intense leg day or doing volume deadlifts than by doing the same time of HIIT.
And you are also not the average person working out in the gym...1 -
manolocort wrote: »Hey guys, I am lifting weights several times a day and my goal is to get a lean cut, but I can’t figure out how many calories I am burning. Any suggestions in how to keep track with this? It will really help me!
Is anyone going to pick up on the fact the OP said they are lifting several times a day?
OP - why are you lifting so often? You need to give your muscles time for recovery. You should not be lifting more than once a day and probably no more than 5 days a week (others with more experience may have better guidance).
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manolocort wrote: »Hey guys, I am lifting weights several times a day and my goal is to get a lean cut, but I can’t figure out how many calories I am burning. Any suggestions in how to keep track with this? It will really help me!
Is anyone going to pick up on the fact the OP said they are lifting several times a day?
OP - why are you lifting so often? You need to give your muscles time for recovery. You should not be lifting more than once a day and probably no more than 5 days a week (others with more experience may have better guidance).
yep if you go back to the first page I asked why they were lifting several times a day.1 -
What great info!0
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »clintonfry wrote: »This is an interesting question.
Also, what about "afterburn" caloric burn from weight training. Recovery burn from weights can last up to a full day after lifting.
Are there any tools or calculators to accurately account for that?
the after burn is not as long as you think. I know for me its only an hr or two after I lift or workout that my burns are higher but it eventually returns to normal a few hours later.so no its not a full day of afterburn. for example lifting I burn about 5-7 calories a min on average,
I continue burning them for 2-3 hrs after. then its usually the 2-4 I burn just moving around (depending on what Im doing). I tracked this for a month or so just to see if there were any truth to it and for me there isnt.maybe someone else who is more active through the day could keep the burn at a similar level. but once I slow down it slows down.
Curious to know how you know how much you are burning each hour?1 -
I have a fitness band that estimates my calories burned. I have kept data the last 4 years,while its not 100% exact. I used that info and used my weight lost per week as a gauge as well.parksgirl40 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »clintonfry wrote: »This is an interesting question.
Also, what about "afterburn" caloric burn from weight training. Recovery burn from weights can last up to a full day after lifting.
Are there any tools or calculators to accurately account for that?
the after burn is not as long as you think. I know for me its only an hr or two after I lift or workout that my burns are higher but it eventually returns to normal a few hours later.so no its not a full day of afterburn. for example lifting I burn about 5-7 calories a min on average,
I continue burning them for 2-3 hrs after. then its usually the 2-4 I burn just moving around (depending on what Im doing). I tracked this for a month or so just to see if there were any truth to it and for me there isnt.maybe someone else who is more active through the day could keep the burn at a similar level. but once I slow down it slows down.
Curious to know how you know how much you are burning each hour?
I am now maintaining so my calories and the calories burned are also coinciding and Im maintaining weight. Ive kept track of how much I burned lifting,how much I burn at rest.how much I burn for certain exercises and how much I burn while asleep/just existing. That is how I figured out that my BMR is 200-300 calories less than what all the calculators give me,because I kept data. BMR calculators give me 1400-1600 calories,its more like 1272.
so with the calories I burn and my calories I can gauge about how many calories I burn in excess to what I burn by just being alive.my fitness band has been pretty accurate for me according to all the data.
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apple watch
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Best way for any exercise is to buy a chest strap and monitor your heart rate and go off those calories burned. I just wear my chest strap and go.4
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LilRedRooster wrote: »Best way for any exercise is to buy a chest strap and monitor your heart rate and go off those calories burned. I just wear my chest strap and go.
still an estimated number and heart rate really doesnt have anything to do with calories burned. as for chest strap its only going to be more accurate(still and estimate) for steady state cardio. I have both a chest strap HR monitor and a fitness band. unless you have one that measures Vo2 max then all others will be more of an estimate and weight lifting doesnt burn a whole lot of calories per hr . heart rate isnt an indication of calories burned(many posts about that here if you do a search) I have a heart rhythm disorder and while walking at a slow pace my heart rate was jumping up to 150 or more which was almost triple my resting rate. I was not burning anymore calories because it was higher than any other time walking. I was walking the same speed as I always do. I wasnt working any harder than normal.3 -
To the OP-
1. Don't lift weights 7 days a week...Pick a proven 3 or 4 day split and go from there. You can add 2-3 cardio sessions per week aside from your lifting if you feel so inclined. It's good for your heart, and can help build a larger deficit if you are trying to burn fat. Unless you are training for a endurance/marathon-type events it is counterproductive in most cases.
2. Tracking exercise calories is like trying to shoot a moving target. You're better off inputting your activity level, age, weight, etc. into a calculator and get a ballpark estimate of what you need. Be as consistent as possible for 2-3 weeks and then see where your weight goes. Gained more than you wanted? - eat less. Lost more than you wanted? - eat more. Maintained the same weight? - congratulations you just found your maintenance calories. + or - 500 calories depending on your goals will get you gaining or losing weight - adjust according.
IMO most of us make tracking far more complicated than it has to be. I am guilty of this as well. It all comes down to how much quantum mathematics you're willing to do to justify eating that Oreo staring at you on the counter..
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Someone goes out on Saturday and does a 10 mile run. I agree that the body has to supply (say) 1,000 extra calories of energy to support that 10 mile run, but I am not educated as to where the body gets that energy. So then after the run, the runner goes to McDonalds and eats a quarter pounder with cheese and a large fries, which is 1.040 calories. According to MFP the runner has just broke even, and there should be no weight gain. But the food in the stomach still has to get digested, which is a different process than, as you say, "metabolising calories to perform exercise". It will balance out, but not the same day.
Who has the goal of making it balance out within the same day though? I mean, yeah . . . eating food will temporarily add to your body weight as your body physically processes the food. But gaining actual weight (in the form of fat or muscle) *is* determined by your day-in-day-out calories in versus calories out.
If you burn 1,040 calories, you've burnt them.3
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