How can you calculate burned calories daily without a lab test? This guide explains how to calculate burned calories, how the steps to calories calculator works, how many calories to be burn in a day for various goals, and what 1 hour of walking calories burned looks like for different body weights. It answers all of these questions.
Quick Answer: How Do You Calculate Burned Calories?
The number of burned calories is equal to your body weight (in kg) multiplied by the MET level of the activity and its duration (in hours). A 65 kg person walking at a brisk pace (4.8 METs) will expend about 312 calories for every 1 hour of walking. After converting steps to distance and time, any step to calories calculator operates in the same way. Calories burned per day vary with size and goal, so the answer to how many calories to be burn in a day differs for everyone; the examples below come to about 1,770 and 2,340 total calories burned in a day.
How to Calculate Burned Calories With the MET Formula
METs (metabolic equivalents) are a ratio between the energy expended in an activity and the energy expended while at rest (1 MET). There are hundreds of activities listed in the Compendium of Physical Activities, and most tools use the MET value to calculate burned calories.
The formula is quite simple: Calories burned/hour = MET x body weight (kg). For shorter sessions, multiply by the time in hours (for example, 30 minutes = 0.5 hours). This is an approximation, but it is good enough to check any step to calories calculator. Walking METs (for level walking):
| Walking pace | Speed | MET value |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | About 4.0 km/h | 3.0 |
| Moderate | 4.5-5.5 km/h | 3.8 |
| Brisk | 5.6-6.3 km/h | 4.8 |
1 Hour of Walking Calories Burned by Body Weight
Use this table (MET x kg) to read 1 hour of walking calories burned at each body weight, or to check a step to calories calculator.
| Weight (1 hour of walking calories burned) | Slow | Moderate | Brisk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 165 kcal | 209 kcal | 264 kcal |
| 65 kg | 195 kcal | 247 kcal | 312 kcal |
| 75 kg | 225 kcal | 285 kcal | 360 kcal |
| 85 kg | 255 kcal | 323 kcal | 408 kcal |
| 95 kg | 285 kcal | 361 kcal | 456 kcal |
More energy is required for a heavier body, therefore, 1 hour of walking calories burned is greater for 95 kg than for 55 kg. For example, 1 hour of walking calories burned at a brisk pace for a 65 kg person is about 312.
How Does a Steps to Calories Calculator Work?
A steps to calories calculator takes your steps and the length of each step and estimates how many calories you burn, based on a MET value and your body weight. There are a variety of apps that are called a step to calories calculator or steps and calorie calculator, but the approach is the same.
In this case we assume 1,300 steps per km, walking at 5 km/h (3.8 METs), which means that approximately 0.585 kcal per kg are burned after every 1,000 steps. Use this steps and calorie calculator formula: kcal = (steps / 1,000) x 0.585 x body weight (kg). Without an app, it works as a free step to calories calculator, or you can use it to double-check a steps and calorie calculator on your phone.
The table below shows what this steps and calorie calculator formula gives for common daily step counts:
| Steps and calorie calculator | 55 kg | 65 kg | 75 kg | 85 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 steps | 160 kcal | 190 kcal | 220 kcal | 250 kcal |
| 8,000 steps | 260 kcal | 300 kcal | 350 kcal | 400 kcal |
| 10,000 steps | 320 kcal | 380 kcal | 440 kcal | 500 kcal |
These are gross figures, which include the calories you would burn anyway at rest, so a steps to calories calculator that counts only the extra calories will show a lower number. They are limited in their accuracy: in a Stanford study of seven wrist-worn devices, even the most accurate was off by an average of 27% when measuring energy expenditure. Use a step to calories calculator to track trends, not exact readings.
How Much Calories to Burn a Day? Start With Your Daily Total
Before you decide how much calories to burn a day, understand what calories your body burns naturally to function: rest, digestion and movement. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation estimates BMR. For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age + 5. Subtract 161 for women, not add 5. A 30-year-old man (75 kg, 175 cm) has a BMR of about 1,699 kcal, and a 30-year-old woman (60 kg, 160 cm) about 1,289 kcal. Begin there when working out how many calories to be burn in a day.
How Many Calories to Be Burn in a Day With Activity?
Multiply BMR by an activity factor; for a mostly seated day, this is generally 1.2 and for light exercise 1-3 days per week, it's 1.375. At 1.375, the man burns about 2,336 kcal a day and the woman about 1,772 kcal. Your answer to how many calories to be burn in a day depends on size, age, sex and activity, while how much calories to burn a day through exercise is up to you. These are examples and not targets.
How Much Calories to Burn a Day Based on Your Goal
The number of calories burned each day by exercise depends on your goal. As a reference for how much calories to burn a day, about 6,500 steps (roughly 1 hour of walking at a moderate pace) burn about 247 kcal for someone with a weight of 65 kg.
| Goal | How much calories to burn a day | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| General health | About 22 minutes of moderate activity daily | WHO and CDC: 150 minutes a week |
| Steady weight loss | About 200-300 kcal from exercise, plus a small food gap | Combined gap of about 500 kcal |
The World Health Organisation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, plus 2 days of strength activity. The American Cancer Society summarizes a major study finding that the lower risk of death levels off at 8,000-10,000 steps per day for adults under 60 and 6,000-8,000 steps per day for adults age 60 and older.
How Many Calories to Be Burn in a Day for Weight Loss?
Weight loss is often a search for "how many calories to be burn in a day" but it is actually about the difference between what you eat and burn. Generally, a daily deficit of about 500 kcal results in approximately 0.5 kg of weight loss per week, but this is approximate and may not apply to everyone. Walking burns relatively few calories: for a 65 kg person, 1 hour of walking calories burned at a brisk pace is about 312, or about 156 kcal per half hour. Use a steps to calories calculator to record the number of calories burned during each walk. Read our guides on how to walk for weight loss, macro nutrition and sweating and weight loss.
Tips for a More Accurate Steps to Calories Calculator Estimate
If you are using a step to calories calculator, walk a measured 100 m and count your steps to find your real stride length. To get a good estimate when you calculate burned calories, update your weight every couple of weeks, compare weekly averages, and do not "eat back" all the calories burned, as no steps and calorie calculator app out there will be completely accurate. In the Indian summer, walk early or late in the day when it is cooler, and bring water with you. If you want to do more than just a steps to calories calculator and gain stamina, check out our cardiovascular endurance guide.
Who Should Be Cautious? When to See a Doctor
If you are pregnant, under 18 years old, or have diabetes, heart, kidney or joint disease, please consult your physician or dietitian before making any dietary changes, or deciding how much calories to burn a day. Cease and seek medical attention for chest pain, dizziness, fainting or unusual difficulty breathing.
Conclusion: Calculate Burned Calories, Then Act on It
To calculate burned calories, you need a MET value, your weight and the duration. Use a trustworthy steps to calories calculator or steps and calorie calculator formula and treat every figure you get, such as "1 hour of walking calories burned," as an estimate. Compare what calories you burn in a day with how much calories to burn a day for your goal, and adjust your answer to how many calories to be burn in a day gradually. Ready to start? Enjoy walking with a little help from GetMyMettle Alpha Whey Protein, to help you get your daily dose of protein while moving.
FAQs
How much calories to burn a day is healthy?
The recommended amount of moderate activity for general health is 150 minutes per week, or approximately 22 minutes of moderate activity daily. For weight loss, how much calories to burn a day through exercise is usually about 200-300 kcal, alongside a small cut in food intake.
How do I use a steps to calories calculator?
Plug in the number of steps and weight into a steps to calories calculator, or divide your steps by 1,000, multiply by 0.585, then by your weight (kg); this simple formula also works as a steps and calorie calculator.
Is a step to calories calculator accurate?
When you calculate burned calories with a step to calories calculator, the estimate is only approximate. The outcomes vary by stride, pace and terrain, results can differ from one steps and calorie calculator to another, and wearables could be off by over 20%.
What is 1 hour of walking calories burned for a 70 kg person?
For a 70 kg person, 1 hour of walking calories burned is about 266 at a moderate pace and 336 at a brisk pace, and a step to calories calculator should give you a similar range.
How many calories to be burn in a day to lose 1 kg in a month?
As an approximation, 1kg of fat is equivalent to 7,700kcal, so for a 1kg per month fat loss, the answer to how many calories to be burn in a day is a deficit of about 250kcal, which a steps and calorie calculator will help you to track.