“How many calories can I burn doing this workout?”
Have you ever wondered, “how many calories can I burn with this workout routine? How often should I do it to lose weight?”ย If so, you aren’t alone! I know many of us are exercising to help us change our body composition or reach weight loss goals, and if you are curious about the calorie burn (or use a tracker to help provide you with this kind of feedback) of your exercise routine, I hope you will keep reading.
Here are 3 of the main reasons why it’s hard to answer this question accurately:
Reason #1: I really can’t tell you with any accuracy.
The truth is, the number of calories you burn during a workout may be vastly different than the number of calories I burn doing it. Why? Our bodies are different. Your calorie burn depends on a number of factors including your body composition, height, weight, age, the intensity you put into it and even your current fitness level. Unless you are wearing a device that measures calorie burn (and many of those can be off in accuracy as well – check out this study that found some can be off by as much as 93 percent!) anyย somewhat educated guess at this number for you.
RELATED: WHAT IS A METABOLIC PROFILE (AND WHY DOES IT MATTER)?
Reason #2: I’d rather you focus on how you feel, not how many calories you burn, during a workout.
I understand that if weight loss is one of your goals then calorie burn can be important. The trouble is, in my personal experience, I’ve found that when we’re told we’ve burned a certain amount of calories it can lead to what is called the “I burned it, I earned it” [check out this study that supports this idea] post-sweat session mentality. Think about it: if you are told you just burned 1,000 calories during your workout and are later tempted by a piece of cake — are you more likely to eat it than if say, you were told you’d only burned off 250 during your workout? I know I sure am!
RELATED:ย THIS IS THE #1 THING TO FOCUS ON FOR WEIGHT LOSS (HINT: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK)
Reason #3: It’s only one small part of a much bigger equation.
Let’s say you really did burn a staggering 1,000 calories during your workout today. To rack up that much energy expenditure, chances are you had to push yourself pretty darn hard to get there! So what happens after you are done? You may find yourself feeling exhausted, drained, sore and probably wanting to just lie on the couch and rest for the remainder of the day. Now how does that help with weight loss? Instead of trying to meet some magically high number during your workouts, why not focus on the enjoyment of movement and *hopefully* the extra energy your session left you with so that you can remain active (and keep burning those calories) throughout the rest of your day as well?
Not to mention, sometimes the most body changing workouts aren’t always the biggest calorie burners when you are exercising (take strength training, for instance). Does that mean you are ‘wasting your time’ lifting weights? Absolutely not! Strength training has been proven to change your body composition (increasing muscle mass, decreasing body fat), boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories overall (even when you are sleeping).
The most important thing to remember when it comes to exercise and weight loss is that it’s more about it’s positive, cumulative effect over time on our body (and health!), versus the output of one single workout (here’s more about how our body burns fat and how exercise plays an important role in this process).ย It’s much easier to adjust your caloric intake (if weight loss is a goal) to shed excess pounds by reducing portions, for instance, than to try to ‘burn off’ extra calories, which often leads to overexercising and increased hunger.
RELATED: THIS IS HOW YOU BURN MORE FAT
Sure, I know that the calorie burn helps “sell” workouts – that’s why it’s used so often in marketing fitness programs. And many of us (myself included) buy into it because it sounds like such a great ‘deal.’ But if we could all shift our primary focus away from the external benefits (like weight loss) that exercise can bring to the countless internal ones (such as improved energy, posture, stamina, strength, vitality, better sleep, relationships, health, happiness, just to name a few) we may just find ourselves with more motivation to get up and get moving more often.
When it comes to counting those calories, remember, as Albert Einstein so eloquently put it: โnot everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.โ
Tell me, what do you think? How important to you is knowing how many calories you burn with a workout? If you do track your burn, has it helped you lose weight, feel better or get healthier? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
I have found that for weight loss doing 2 Jessica Smith workouts really helped me. Doing one was ok too but I could just tell that I needed to do more. I enjoy doing these workouts so much that I carve out the time for myself. I also typically do a 2 mile walk with my dog outside (which I love!). I used to do super intense workouts to get that mega calorie burn but all that did was make me more hungry and I didnโt enjoy the workouts. Now, I look forward to working out and being healthy as much as I possibly can!!
I’ve had a fitness tracker watch for about a year. I’m ot someone who frets about caloriee, though – I’m more interested in how often I hit the cardio or the peak zones. Worth remembering that you would have burned some of those ‘workout’ calories even if you’d just been sitting down watching TV! The biggest day of calorie burn I had so far was one where I didn’t even do a workout, I was just racing round at work to set up a training event and using the stairs more than usual…
I must have some idea or it just all goes round and round in my head ???? So…Thank you for the baseline of 270 for 30 ????????
Dear Jessica, thank you very much for the wonderful workouts. I happened on this page because I googled how many approximate calories are burnt with your workouts. I realise that the calories burnt are highly variable and are not important to many people but I am one of those people that needs some idea of where I am vis-a-vis calories in and calories out. I have read so much research on this issue and I know this is a lost cause for both fitness and weightloss…yet I can’t get my head around not knowing. So I am going to say thank you to Jennifer Holmes for her fitbit measurement of 270 calories per 30 minutes. Now my head can rest and I can get on with my workout ????????????
This is so true Jessica. I am one of those hard core exercisers who must burn a bunch of calories during a workout or just about kill myself with intensity. Then, I am so dead tired afterwards that all I want to do is collapse on the couch!! I recently decided to just enjoy my workouts and not worry about the calories any more. I really love your workouts. Are they as intense as I am used to… well, no, but man I feel good and so much more energized when I complete one of your workouts. I don’t feel so zapped either. I just love your personality as well! I usually burn around 6-700 calories running for an hour. I used my fitbit to track how many calories I burned in one of your 30 min power walks. I burned 270 cal. So if I did your workout for an hour, I am pretty dang close to burning the same amount except I am not so exhausted! I normally do a few of your workouts a day when I can fit it in real quick. Your workouts are easy to follow and fun… and the little workouts really do add up the calorie burned!
Thank you so much for all the the videos you upload on youtube! I am getting ready to purchase some DVD’s as well. You have a new and loyal fan!!
I always record my daily food & workout. It is a way of monitoring what I eat & trying to keep around 800 to 1000 Cal’s. I use a guesstimate for my workout calories & it does help. I have lost 2 stone over the last 2 years. Slowly!! However, it is only after working with Jessica Smith TV that I am now seeing a new body shape. I workout everyday and am thrilled at my new look. Still alot of room for improvement though. For me if I have the odd bit of cake I work harder the next day and try to keep to my average weekly calorie intake.
This is so good. I made a decision 2 1/2 months ago that I was no longer going to worry myself with how many calories I was burning during a workout and just focus on making healthy life changes instead. Previously, I would do exactly what you expressed: if I knew that I had burned a lot of calories during a workout I would use that as a justification to make really poor food choices. This time around in my weight loss/fitness journey I committed to making this a lifestyle change and focus more on how I feel than how I look and how many calories I burned. The results have been amazing for me because I’m choosing to focus more on making this a new way of life than a reward system. Do this, earn that etc. Thanks for all you do, Jessica. You’ve helped me in more ways than you even know!
I agree that the important thing is health, and that the amount can vary, but if we are trying to track our activities and match up with calories a ball park figure would be a good thing. I am going to put down 250 for a work out on the walk strong challenge. Just fyi
Thank you very much for the article. I want to lose 10 pounds and am trying to focus more on health, but sometimes I fell something like craving to know how much I’ve just burned through a workout !
I love your videos! I am obese and am losing weight for the first time in years using Lose it and Mapmywalk. Daily logging has helped me realize what’s helping what’s hurting. I don’t eat my exercise calories but like to know approximately how many so I can gage if the amont I lose is correlating with my exercise calories burned. It would be nice if you did list the lowest calories it would burn and highest it could burn.
I agree that obsessive counting of calories from workouts can be a real detriment to losing weight for many people, especially if that’s the only reason they are working out. And, I understand how this can be discouraging to you, as a wellness coach, to field questions that focus on calories. I love the fact that you avoid pounding [pun intended :D] on that aspect of the exercises you do in the videos. However, I’ll tell you why I do the food and exercise log on MFP and why it works for me: I have a tendency to go overboard on cutting calories for weight loss. Frankly, I’ve had to lose weight so many times due to prednisone spikes that I have lost at least my total weight in the last ten years. Logging my food and calorie burn estimates on MFP or any other web or phone program keeps me accountable to eat ENOUGH calories. Instead of saying, “I can’t have that,” I find myself realizing, “I’m under 1200 calories and I need to eat a bit more today. What can I choose that will round out my nutrients for today?” It actually has me coming to the issue of losing the weight in reverse – by telling me to eat more than my obsessive inclination is to do. How this has helped: I have had NOT ONE SINGLE moment of binge eating due to starving my body. The weight I’m dropping has been steady and healthy. My energy is better than it’s ever been because I’m looking at nutrients as well as my daily exercise activities. My food intake is more focused on the positive (nutrients and improved health) than the negative. I still agree with you that we MUST not obsess on calorie burn when it comes to activity, but I wanted to add the caveat that, when approached in the right way, food and activity logging can be very helpful.
I do much better counting calories with myfitnesspal. It helps me stay accountable. I am 55 and I have gained belly weight, so counting calories keeps me on track and in better shape. It isn’t hard with the help of the app.
I have tried counting calories in the past. It’s impossible. It led to eating disorders and obsession. I’ve found that walking as much as possible and eating healthy nutritional foods has been better for my confidence. Thank you Jessica for the new 5 mile challenge DVD. I love it so much and hope to see more like it.
I don’t count calories ingested or burned at all. I tried tracking calories a few times, but each time I ended up getting way too obsessed with tracking or researching everything I ate– talk about hours of lost time! I also don’t try to figure out how many calories workouts burn for the EXACT reason you mention. If I think I’ve burned 800 calories, I’m SO going to eat 3 pieces of cake later.
I keep a general tally in my head of how well I’ve been eating/how much I’ve been working out, and let that guide my decisions every day. Had a really good week? Then sure I might have one piece of cake on Friday. Been eating too many chips over the weekend and slacking off on my workouts? Maybe I’ll choose salad for lunch, then.
I find keeping count of calories in and calories out once in a while, maybe once a week or so, can be a good wake up call/reality check as in, “Hmm … that workout only burned 134 calories, so I guess that extra piece of pepperoni pizza and dish of Ben & Jerry’s isn’t such a great idea.” Or, “Yikes, that ‘healthy’ salad at Max ‘n Erma’s has 1142 calories!” Then throughout the rest of the week, it is a little voice that makes me more aware of things without it being a chore. On the other hand, I find if I count calories every day it kind of saps the joy out of eating and exercise and I start getting a bit obsessive as in, “Should I eat 2 or 4 tbsp. of hummus? I’m really hungry, but if I eat the extra 2 tbsp. then I will have to walk an extra lap at the track.” Then when I’m at the track, rather than focusing on the fresh air and sunshine, I’m crabby and thinking, “Now I have to walk that extra lap because I ate that stupid extra 2 tbsp. of hummus.” The long and short of it is this: for me, counting is good in small doses but not as an everyday habit. That being said, I do wear a step counter most days just because it’s a helpful reminder to park a little further from the door, take the steps more often, etc. so that my “non-exercise” day is more active.
Thanks for sharing Jan – it sounds like you’ve found a really great balance that works well for you. Keep up the great work ๐
After having counted calories with help of a HR monitor for many years, I no longer use one but have in mind roughly what I did. [Long habits die hard..]
Interestingly enough I mostly feel my body reacting if I’ve done more than my average workouts and I can tell that I need to dial it down a notch in order not to feel worn [out or raid the fridge]!.. On the other side if I’ve done a few days of less intense workouts, I often feel the need to kick it up and do a more intense workout.
I’ve given up stepping onto a scale a long time ago (and go by the fit of my clothes) as well as counting calories for my food. Instead I try to eat healthy (plant based) with some treats thrown in and I feel better than I have 20 years ago while I was so obsessed with any form of numbers!..
I love, love, love your workouts and healthy attitude towards exercise, focusing on the entire well being of mind & body!!! Thank you for that!
I agree wholeheartedly with this. I have never counted calories in my life or been on a “diet”. I exercise because I feel so much better about myself when I’m active. I’m 46 years old now, 5’6″ tall and weigh 128lbs so I figure I must be doing something right. I’ve seen so many of my friends and family become completely hung up on how many calories they eat and/or burn off that they take no pleasure in food or in exercise and that’s just not right. Food is there to be enjoyed and it is one of my great pleasures. I just try not to eat too much junk but life is to short not to enjoy a piece of chocolate from time to time. Everything in moderation is my motto.
Hi Martina,
I love your attitude about food and that is how God designed food to be, as an enjoyment rather than anxiety, gluteny, and stressing. When our bodies are anxious and stressed about what we are eating how can that do any good for weightloss because the body was made not to stress out. When we do we cannot lose weight and sometimes gain weight due to the high amounts of cortisal released into the body.
I needed to read this because as a woman, I tend to get anxious about not losing fast enough, so thank-you for your words of wisdom!
Kindest regards,
Julie
I have never counted calories or cared how much calories I’ve burnt in my life… I never got into knowing which food has how many calories or how many calories I can burn with a workout…. I workout for the pleasure of it and not to be so flabby… but my biggest enemy is a scale… it always puts me down when I see I gained even though I have been working my ass off… I know that muscles weigh more…but it always puts me down amd causes I stop exercising that hard… Now I’ve been trying to avoid scale as well and just rely on how I feel
Thank you for your hard work
That’s what I needed to hear today. I’ve given up on exercising for the sake of weight loss. The scale is a fickle mistress. I’m not alone when I say I’ve gone for weeks of doing all the right things and seeing no progress on the scale (or worse, a slight gain!). Not so with fitness. Sometimes progress comes easier and faster than other times, but when I evaluate my progress getting fitter, it’s almost always directly proportional to my effort and consistency. To be honest, the scale isn’t often too far behind a gain in fitness.
Love that Denise! ๐ Keep up the great work.
Tks 4 this! While goals r commendable the main focus should b on enjoying the journey. All & any exercise is good 4 u!
I believe this is the #1 reason I find I keep coming back for more of your workouts, Jessica. You have made exercise fun for me, not a chore. You have so much variety in what you offer, there is never a day I can’t find -something- from your extensive selection that feel like doing. None of this “must do cardio today” or “must work out for a mimimum of 40 min” rubbish, just “what would be fun today? What does my body want to do?” Thanks so much!
Love that! So happy to hear it – keep up the great work ๐
I completely agree with this post, it really helped to put things into perspective for me. I am going to link this on my- my fitness pal account, because I have friends that are way too focused on “earning” calories” to eat a little more, and less on how the work outs make them feel. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I am starting to look forward to working out, and the challenge this month is really getting me amped up about the new challenges you throw my way! Thanks for the great perspective!
Jessica this has to be the most honest way of putting the never ending, relentless, need to know calories in vs calories burned truth I have heard in all the years of exercising.
I personally started to finally lose the weight and inches I wanted to when I did take my workouts down a notch and didn’t focus so much on how many calories I burned and as you said, focused on how I felt afterwards. Did the feel good endorphins get released or where they pent up because the workout was too extreme to ever enjoy it? I was so tired of getting nowhere with the “no pain, no gain” ridiculous theory because I don’t move much when I am in pain.
I also woke up and realized I was caught in the Albert Einstein trap of insanity of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results when I replaced my intense workouts with an outdoor walk when the weather permitted and thankfully you have made the indoor walks pleasurable now too.
I thank you for your awesome workouts you provide that really do work and that includes when you modify so you can forget that pain part.
Thank you Jessica for keeping us all grounded. Also, making it fun to exercise by having great workouts that women of any fitness level can do and not “insane” ones that we give up on almost instantly. You are the best.
Jessica, I love you. I couldn’t agree more. As a busy mother of 8, I have been on both ends of the calorie count spectrum. I have worked out so hard that my blood sugar has crashed, I become irritable and impatient, and that’s not good for me or my children. I have learned it is sooo much better to be aware of my bodily needs and focus on how I feel during and afterwards. Working out is great,( I do it everyday), but not if you don’t have the energy and disposition to be a productive member of your family when all is said and done. Let’s keep our focus on feeling good and healthy and not on the numbers.
I do track what i burn, I wore a bodybugg before but have switched over to a FITBIT which is cheaper, and yes it does matter to me what I burn but I concentrate more on the steps to be honest, that way I don’t “eat back” what I burn. Sure somedays I will, it’s just natural. So far I’ve lost 51 lbs, and I have 30 ish to go! Some days are def better than others.
Thanks for this post! I agree that if I burned 1000 calories, I would definitely go for that piece of cake! Helps remind me that it is important to “move” every day, especially since I feel great afterwards! And of course, your weekly schedules and fun, always different, workouts are what I look forward to each day!
I say this all the time and will repeat it again. Thank you for being a breath of fresh air in an industry inundated with using unrealistic goals to sell products. Thank you for caring about women as people. <3
Thank you Cheri ๐
Fantastic article! As someone who yo-yo dieted since they were a teenager, and tried everything to lose weight, I often times would start a diet/fitness plan, only to quit from sheer exhaustion. I just couldn’t keep up with the high intensity workouts day in and day out, and thought if I wasn’t burning a maximum amount of calories daily, then there was no point. So, I would end up being heavier than I was before I tried to lose weight and the vicious cycle would continue. I felt at such a loss, being miserable in my body, but not feeling like I could do anything to change it. That was until I realized I was turning 30 this spring, and knew I didn’t want to enter a new decade in my life without truly trying to find a way to be healthier, stronger, and happier. So last fall, I changed my eating habits, and slowly but surely tried to incorporate exercise, at a level I was comfortable with. I lost 40 pounds. Which is amazing, but I had more to go. Then about a month ago, I started to reach a plateau, and I got worried that I wasn’t exercising enough or burning enough calories. I really was at a loss that I would never be able to find a way to exercise regularly, without feeling constantly overwhelmed. I was scared that all my progress would go out the window. However, about a month ago, I stumbled onto your Youtube channel, and saw your workouts. I was thrilled to see you had a variety to offer, and I about went through the roof when I saw you had so many low impact walking workouts. On a whim, I decided to try one, and by the end of the session, not only had I realized I was able to keep up with the routine, but I felt so amazing after! Not miserable, and gasping for air. I felt stronger, and more confidant. Most importantly, I felt like I CAN REALLY DO THIS! Now I work out with your videos 5-6 days a week. Since my endurance has improved a lot since starting your workouts, I’m slowly incorporating high intensity workouts. But the difference is now I know the key is balance, and that I don’t have to burn 1,0000 calories every single time. More than anything, it’s about having a good workout at your own pace, and at your own level. I have broke my through my plateau by the way, am down another 5 pounds. Thank you so much Jessica! You’re the best! ๐
That’s fantastic Shauna! Congrats to you for making that healthy mindset switch!! It’s not easy to do, but so important that you found your balance. So glad you found us too – welcome to our community ๐
I don’t care how many calories I burn doing Jessica’s workouts, as she said, there are too many factors to put in the equation to work it out properly. I could lose 500 doing a routine one day and then just 400 if I did the same routine the next day. It all depends on too many different things. I just enjoy doing the routines knowing that I am losing calories, helping my heart and loads of other good things that I don’t know about!
Hi Jessica , I totally agree with you about not being obsessed with how many calories our workouts burn. I feel that most people trying to lose weight overestimate the calories they burn and underestimate the calories taken in as food or drink. We know that we have to be in a state of negative calorie balance to lose weight but there certainly are many more advantages to working out than mere weight loss. I would love to lose a few pounds around my middle but I know that is difficult and would end up losing more in my arms, face and neck which would not be flattering at my age (70). So I’m trying to follow your – be happy in your skin- approach. I’m certainly happier, fitter, stronger and healthier than I can remember. We should keep a balanced outlook. It’s not all about calories.
I used to think running and kick boxing and anything “highly aerobic” was the only way to tone my body and keep weight off. I did irreparable damage to my right knee and have chronic lower back pain from that line of thinking!
Having just found Jessica’s website a few months ago, I am incorporating yoga, pilates, and ballet inspired movements which are keeping definition where I need it lol!
2 years ago I battled breast cancer and won…now I know it’s the life in your years that counts, not so much the years in your life.
Thank you Jessica for such a great website, fantastic content, and adorable Peanut!
Congrats on winning your battle with breast cancer GingerAmy! And yes, thank you for the great reminder that it is indeed “the life in your years that counts, not so much the years in your life” — keep up the great attitude and approach you have! Thank you for sharing with us ๐
I started out with a more intense workout dvd, and found I was too tired to exercise more than three times a week. Since starting your workouts, I can workout six times a week. I have more energy, feel better and have better results with toning too. I did use a calorie counting program for a couple of months, to educate me on what is in the food I’m eating. Now that I have that info, I’m no longer counting calories, and just eating healthy. I’ve gone down two sizes in the last six months, so it’s working! Thanks for the helpful info!
Thanks for this article! In frustration with trying to lose baby weight I signed up for a calorie counting website. I find that every time I do that I not only become obsessed but I lose sight of the real reasons why: To be happy, healthy, full of life and energy, and to be able to chase my baby around as she quickly grows. I turn it into a mathematical contest and I burn out quickly. Now when I stop focusing on the counting and the numbers in general, I get to where I want to be size-wise with time, but I am SO VERY HAPPY! It just changes my mood as my energy level increases. Thank you for the reminder and helping to set me back on the straight and narrow! I really needed these words today!
Hi Julia! I’m SO thrilled this resonated with you today! I love that mentioned the real reasons you want to get fit: “To be happy, healthy, full of life and energy, and to be able to chase my baby around as she quickly grows” – YES YES and YES!! Keep your eyes on these prizes and I bet you’ll reach your goals even faster ๐ Keep up the great work you are doing and focus your energy on what is most important – your health and your beautiful baby girl. Congrats to you!
Yeah I think we should just continue working out doing this regularly without being really conscious of how much calories we are burning, it just makes us work out less if we will know that we’ve burn enough fat for the day.
Hi Jessica,
I train every day, I vary between cardio exercises, strength training, Pilates, yoga, ballet movements. I have absolutely no need to lose weight. But my joints creak a lot, so I need to move, loosen my joints by movements of any kind. So, I keep good muscle tone and is also good for my heart.
I never worry about calorie burn, even though my treadmill magically knows how many calories I’ve burned just by knowing my weight. Instead, I think about the benefits of cardio for my heart, resistance for my muscles and bone density, and stretch for my muscles and flexibility. For losing weight, I focus more on the quality of my food than the calories I eat or burn.
Thank you so much for this article. I know for myself I was working out to another fitness person and got discouraged was super sore and felt like I wasn’t seeing results. Thanks to your workouts I have stayed motivated and truly enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I can push myself to complete the workout and get up the next day yet for another workout session. GREAT article!