How to Calculate Calories Burned

When you decide on a diet plan and an exercise program with a definite weight loss objective in front of you, it's necessary that you make a quantitative estimation of the calories you take in and the calories you burn. The calculation enables you to choose activities and programs that can burn calories steadily everyday.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is never going to be possible to precisely calculate calories burned during exercise, as that would require advanced equipment for measurement. However, you can certainly get a rough idea.

Every person has a different metabolic rate and a unique physiology. The metabolic rate is the speed with which your body processes calories and burns them. People with low metabolic rates, but high food intake, tend to put on weight considerably faster. That is why, if you have a low metabolic rate, you need to work harder at burning calories.

Another important factor that affects calorie burning is the degree of strain that a physical activity puts on your body and the increase in heart rate that it causes. A high heart rate indicates a sufficiently strenuous activity and burns calories faster, if it's sustained for a long period of time. Such workouts include aerobics, running, and swimming.

To calculate calories burnt, as accurately as possible, you need to have a planned exercise routine with a log which has details of how much time you spent in every exercise activity. Also, what can come in handy is a weighing machine, using which you can periodically monitor your weight loss progress.

Some ways in which you can get an idea about the number of calories burned are as follows:

You will find many sites on the Internet, that will give you an estimate of number of calories burnt in various physical activities. They usually come with a form interface, wherein, you select the type of activity and enter the time spent in doing that activity or exercise.

Once you do that, you will get values of the amount of calories you have burnt. These sites base their calculation on knowledge of average values of calories burnt and certain calculation formulas based on the concept of 'Metabolic Equivalent' of a physical activity.

The simplest way to monitor the burning is to measure your weight periodically. This is an indirect way of monitoring. If you are engaged in sufficient physical effort, then you will burn the stored calories and eventually lose weight. This is the simplest indirect way of calculation.

Qualified physical trainers can be consulted and they can help you calculate the amount of calories consumed in your exercise regimen. He will calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and suggest improvements in your exercise program, that can help you burn more calories in lesser time.

Design a customized weight loss program that takes your special needs into consideration, based on calculation of your spent calories. The fact that you are willing to make an effort to control your calorie intake and measure the burning rate, speaks volumes about your commitment to improve your health.