How To Figure Calories Burned With Exercise

When it comes to losing weight, maintaining an accurate calorie count is vital. You need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 for each pound you want to burn off. By maintaining an accurate calorie journal, you can keep tabs on calories burned through exercises you perform each day along with the number of calories you consume with foods and beverages. For best results, combine your exercise program with a low-calorie diet to help sustain a solid calorie deficit.

Step 1

Dedicate each page of a notebook to a day of the week. List all of the exercises you perform each day, from intensive aerobic activities to minor exercises such as gardening, and tally the number of minutes you spent performing each activity. If you walk or bicycle to work, gauge the distance and time to help estimate a speed in miles-per-hour.

Step 2

Write in the number of calories burned for each exercise. Find your activity on a calorie chart such as the one available from the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, listed in the Resources section. Divide the total number of calories burned per-hour by the amount of time you spent engaged in each activity. For example: 30 minutes of 8 mph bicycling can burn anywhere between 117 to 185 calories, depending on your body weight.

Step 3

Add up your total number of calories burned at write it at the top of each page. Subtract this number from the total number of calories you consumed during the day to determine if you are achieving a calorie deficit. Divide the number 3,500 by your daily calorie deficit to determine how many days it will take to burn each pound.

Tips and Warnings

If calculating your calorie deficit is too difficult or time-consuming, consider using a tool such as the LIVESTRONG.COM's Daily Plate, listed in the Resources section. Enter your age, height, weight and activity level to receive a daily caloric limit to help you reach your weight loss goals. When recording the number of calories consumed, check the nutrition labels on foods that you purchase, or consult online calorie charts such as the one available at the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory website.
Always consult your doctor before engaging in any strenuous exercise regimen or diet. Never cut your caloric intake to the point of starvation, and always maintain a healthy consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.