Please, will someone help me to work out my calories burned?
Options
sefajane1
Posts: 322 Member
I've just completed my usual walk and as I don't have a step counter I decided to do it manually as I'm trying to figure out my exercise calories.
So, I walked 7090 steps in 48 minutes.
I walk at about 4 mph if that's relevant.
I'm a 5ft 4 inch, 50 year old female.
Current weight is 112.2lbs.
Any help in working out roughly what I would have burnt would be greatly appreciated. I've tried to do it myself but I'm totally confused! 😮
So, I walked 7090 steps in 48 minutes.
I walk at about 4 mph if that's relevant.
I'm a 5ft 4 inch, 50 year old female.
Current weight is 112.2lbs.
Any help in working out roughly what I would have burnt would be greatly appreciated. I've tried to do it myself but I'm totally confused! 😮
1
Replies
-
Forget counting. There is enough evidence to prove that unless you are exercising at an athlete level (2-5 hours per day) you won't burn a lot of calories. The average person burns only 10% of their calories through regular sustained exercise. On an average 1200 calorie diet (based on your height, weight, age and gender) that's only 120 calories.
If you want to lose weight you have to reduce your caloric intake in addition to regular exercise. Or try a keto diet. There is mounting evidence that proves it is a good choice health wise. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets38 -
So you walked about 3 miles? I'd estimate that to be about 150-200 calories, roughly. Maybe a little less since you weigh so little.2
-
Forget counting. There is enough evidence to prove that unless you are exercising at an athlete level (2-5 hours per day) you won't burn a lot of calories. The average person burns only 10% of their calories through regular sustained exercise. On an average 1200 calorie diet (based on your height, weight, age and gender) that's only 120 calories.
If you want to lose weight you have to reduce your caloric intake in addition to regular exercise. Or try a keto diet. There is mounting evidence that proves it is a good choice health wise. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets
Well as I'm only on 1200 calories I'd like to eat more if I can. 120 calories extra may not seem much to you but they're precious to me!
Keto? Nope, not for me thanks 😑26 -
A chart I found online would put you at about 160 calories for that walk.
A calculation I found:
0.57 x weight in lbs = calories burned per mile
However since I don’t know how many mile you covered it could be anywhere from 120 ish calories (2miles) to 191(3 miles).1 -
Forget counting. There is enough evidence to prove that unless you are exercising at an athlete level (2-5 hours per day) you won't burn a lot of calories. The average person burns only 10% of their calories through regular sustained exercise. On an average 1200 calorie diet (based on your height, weight, age and gender) that's only 120 calories.
If you want to lose weight you have to reduce your caloric intake in addition to regular exercise. Or try a keto diet. There is mounting evidence that proves it is a good choice health wise. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets
And I'm losing weight just fine. That's the issue. I'm trying to figure out my activity level and TDEE so that I know how much extra I can eat.7 -
There are lots of calculators. This site, many other calorie calculators. https://www.verywellfit.com/walking-calories-burned-by-miles-3887154
Sounds like you are using some sort of tracking device since you know steps, why not trust it for a while?
No one can give you exact numbers, or no more exact than any walking calculator on the web.
Track it for a month and adjust based on your weight.2 -
i'd keep it simple as mentionned in the other thread. if you are doing that sorta walking daily, i'd just increase the activity level one notch up from sedentary and eat that for 3 or so weeks and monitor.
ETA: or just set it to maintenance as mentionned and track.
the only way to REALLY know is to try for a good amount of time and monitor.1 -
Why are you on 1200 calories? Are you trying to lose weight? You are already at the lower end of a healthy weight range. I would think you could eat quite a bit more and maintain your current weight.3
-
I'm just trying to figure out my calorie burn so that I can work out my TDEE. I don't really want to lose much more weight but neither do I want to gain too much.
Maintenance it is then. I'll see how that goes after my holiday.
Thanks 😁👍💐0 -
-
Why are you on 1200 calories? Are you trying to lose weight? You are already at the lower end of a healthy weight range. I would think you could eat quite a bit more and maintain your current weight.
Yes, I wanted to lose some lbs before my holiday so that I can eat more relaxed. I've lost more than planned though and it's not a good look so I'll look to maintain after the holiday.0 -
Walking at 4mph for 48mins would be 3.2 miles.
Using physics (mass X distance X efficiency ratio) would give you a net calorie (note not gross calories that many apps and databases give you) would be 112lbs X 3.2miles X 0.3 efficiency ratio = 108cals.
BTW the efficiency ratio found by @shadow2soul sounds like it is a running formula (running is approximately twice as inefficient a movement as walking).
4 -
Walking at 4mph for 48mins would be 3.2 miles.
Using physics (mass X distance X efficiency ratio) would give you a net calorie (note not gross calories that many apps and databases give you) would be 112lbs X 3.2miles X 0.3 efficiency ratio = 108cals.
BTW the efficiency ratio found by @shadow2soul sounds like it is a running formala (running is approximately twice as inefficient a movement as walking).
So about 50% of MFP's calculation? I halve all exercise calories already so I'll keep doing that. Thank you 👍1 -
Walking at 4mph for 48mins would be 3.2 miles.
Using physics (mass X distance X efficiency ratio) would give you a net calorie (note not gross calories that many apps and databases give you) would be 112lbs X 3.2miles X 0.3 efficiency ratio = 108cals.
BTW the efficiency ratio found by @shadow2soul sounds like it is a running formala (running is approximately twice as inefficient a movement as walking).
So about 50% of MFP's calculation? I halve all exercise calories already so I'll keep doing that. Thank you 👍
I wouldn't advise halving ALL exercise calories as few are double reality. If you believe that a particular estimate is double then, and only then, does halving make sense in a mathematical sense.
Better to work on making your personal selection of regular exercise estimates reasonable.
The difference between net and gross calories is far more significant for low rate of burn but long duration exercise - like walking.4 -
Walking at 4mph for 48mins would be 3.2 miles.
Using physics (mass X distance X efficiency ratio) would give you a net calorie (note not gross calories that many apps and databases give you) would be 112lbs X 3.2miles X 0.3 efficiency ratio = 108cals.
BTW the efficiency ratio found by @shadow2soul sounds like it is a running formala (running is approximately twice as inefficient a movement as walking).
So about 50% of MFP's calculation? I halve all exercise calories already so I'll keep doing that. Thank you 👍
I wouldn't advise halving ALL exercise calories as few are double reality. If you believe that a particular estimate is double then, and only then, does halving make sense in a mathematical sense.
Better to work on making your personal selection of regular exercise estimates reasonable.
The difference between net and gross calories is far more significant for low rate of burn but long duration exercise - like walking.
You're calculation was close to half the MFP estimation and as walking is the only exercise I can get at the moment it seems I'm right to halve the MFP calorie burn, as I have been doing.
I thought that maybe I'm burning more calories (via exercise) than I realised but, it seems I'm not.0 -
MyFitnessPal app has the answer for you. You input what you desire either losing weight or gaining muscle it automatically computes it once you input your exercises. That’s a better option for you rather than computing it yourself. The app tells you how much weigh you will lose with a computation of food caloric intake, height and caloric deficit to get your desired weight. Hope that help. It’s easy and convenient too.1
-
leonoraoropesa wrote: »MyFitnessPal app has the answer for you. You input what you desire either losing weight or gaining muscle it automatically computes it once you input your exercises. That’s a better option for you rather than computing it yourself. The app tells you how much weigh you will lose with a computation of food caloric intake, height and caloric deficit to get your desired weight. Hope that help. It’s easy and convenient too.
Thanks but I understand all that. It's just I'm losing more weight than I want to (5.2lbs in the last 14 days, for example) so I thought it may have something to do with exercise.0 -
but you ARE losing faster than expected/wanted - so regardless the real life data is saying you do need to ADD calories. Real life data trumps calculations.4
-
Walking at 4mph for 48mins would be 3.2 miles.
Using physics (mass X distance X efficiency ratio) would give you a net calorie (note not gross calories that many apps and databases give you) would be 112lbs X 3.2miles X 0.3 efficiency ratio = 108cals.
BTW the efficiency ratio found by @shadow2soul sounds like it is a running formala (running is approximately twice as inefficient a movement as walking).
So about 50% of MFP's calculation? I halve all exercise calories already so I'll keep doing that. Thank you 👍
I wouldn't advise halving ALL exercise calories as few are double reality. If you believe that a particular estimate is double then, and only then, does halving make sense in a mathematical sense.
Better to work on making your personal selection of regular exercise estimates reasonable.
The difference between net and gross calories is far more significant for low rate of burn but long duration exercise - like walking.
You're calculation was close to half the MFP estimation and as walking is the only exercise I can get at the moment it seems I'm right to halve the MFP calorie burn, as I have been doing.
I thought that maybe I'm burning more calories (via exercise) than I realised but, it seems I'm not.
Then as walking is your only exercise it makes sense for you.
But it wouldn't make sense for other people who do a selection of different exercises each of which may potentially have a set of different personal and generic inaccuracies.
e.g. if walking is double reality it doesn't follow that the "strength training" database entry has the same degree of inaccuracy.6
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 391 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions