How Many Calories Should You Burn a Day for Weight Loss?

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day?

If you want to lose weight by creating a calorie deficit, you need to tabulate how many calories you eat. Then determine how many calories your body burns at rest (your basal metabolic rate or BMR). That will help you decide how many extra calories to burn. According to the USDA, females aged 19-30 need to consume 1,800-2,400 calories a day, and males in that age range need 2,400-3,000 calories. Those numbers drop by about 200 calories every two decades. Females aged 31-59 need 1,600-2,200 calories, and males in that age group need 2,200-3,000. 

Those stats are based on people of average height and weight with a healthy body mass index or BMI (a woman who is 5’4” and weighs 126 pounds, and a man who is 5’10” and weighs 154 pounds). Calorie needs vary depending on your current height, weight, and activity level. To determine your daily intake, visit SWEAT440 in Madison to discuss your weight loss goals. 

How Many Calories Should You Burn a Day?

What is a calorie anyway? It’s a unit of energy. To lose weight, you need to burn more of those units than you consume, after accounting for the calories you burn while you aren’t exercising. Most people burn 40-55 calories per hour while sleeping, and a little more while doing things like sitting at a desk. If you’re wondering, “How many calories do I burn a day,” the average person burns 1,800 calories just being alive. Determining how many calories you take in will help you decide how many more to burn. 

In theory, burning or cutting 500 calories per day would yield one pound of weight loss per week (a pound consists of 3,500 calories). But this isn’t totally true. When people cut calories, they might not be losing fat. They might be losing water, muscle, or bone density. If you lose weight by cutting carbs or dropping calories too low, you aren’t really burning fat. And if your body starts burning through muscle for fuel, your metabolism will slow down. The initial weight loss will come back. This is where exercise comes in. 

Does Working Out Make You Lose Weight Faster?

Working out will expedite and sustain weight loss. It’s also a more livable plan. For instance, if you’re only eating 1,800 calories per day, it’s not healthy or sustainable to cut it down to 1,300. But what is possible is to do a high intensity interval training class (HIIT) that blasts 500+ calories. One benefit of HIIT is that you build muscle while burning fat, so you won’t lower your metabolism. Plus, HIIT creates EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which burns more calories after the workout. 

When you burn those calories, you’ll be able to eat even more and still lose weight. This is key to long-term weight loss because if you restrict calories too much, your body will start holding on to them in order to function. This will slow your metabolism down. Instead of driving yourself crazy counting calories, create a calorie deficit in the gym.

How Do You Choose Which Exercise to Lose Weight?

There are several theories about the best exercise to lose weight. But one method has disproven other theories. HIIT works best to burn calories while you build muscle, which makes it the perfect workout for weight loss. Steady-state cardio makes muscles complacent. Your body stays in aerobic mode, without going into anaerobic mode. 

The result is your body acclimates to what it’s doing, and it’s less effective over time. That creates the dreaded plateau. In addition, cardio doesn’t increase muscle mass, so you don’t burn as many calories at rest. Try a free HIIT class at SWEAT440 Madison to see how different you feel after one 40-minute class. Our workouts are guaranteed to produce weight loss, plus they’re super fun!

Is There a Weight Loss Plan Without Counting Calories?

Some people enjoy the analytical part of counting calories. They love reworking recipes or finding new menu items in restaurants. And they enjoy moments like learning they have a few calories left for snacks that night. Other people find it to be a chore, or restrictive, or punishing. It can also be time-consuming. 

The good news is you don’t have to count calories to lose weight. You can simply add more activity to your day, and you’ll see the pounds start slipping away! SWEAT440 Madison offers contract-free memberships, so you can try a few classes and see how it works for you. Our members lose weight without counting calories because a HIIT workout for weight loss is that effective!  

Are You Wondering How to Burn 3,000 Calories Per Day?

If you find yourself Googling, “how to burn 3,000 calories,” press pause. As mentioned, the average person needs to consume between 1,800 and 3,000 calories per day. Your body burns about 1,800 calories even if you don’t lift a finger. So, there’s no reason to burn 3,000 calories per day, unless you’re consuming over 6,000 calories per day. 

In that case, it might be time to analyze your intake. Are you a professional athlete? Are you bulking for a bodybuilding competition? Unless there’s a specific reason that you’re eating twice the recommended daily intake, start with reducing intake. Then look at burning off the rest. Our gyms are run by HIIT experts, and our founders are renowned personal trainers. Come have a free assessment at SWEAT440 Madison, near The Stem and Stein, to determine the right calorie consumption for your goals.  

How Many Calories Should I Burn a Day and How Do I Know?