How we calculate calories burned
This calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system, a scientific standard for measuring the energy cost of physical activities. One MET is the amount of oxygen consumed while sitting at rest.
The standardised formula used:
Calories = (MET × 3.5 × weight_kg ÷ 200) × duration_minutes
MET values are drawn from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the standard reference used by exercise scientists and researchers. They represent population averages rather than a measurement of your individual metabolism.
Understanding calorie deficits
A calorie deficit happens when you burn more energy than you consume, prompting your body to draw on stored fat for fuel. How large that deficit should be matters just as much as whether one exists at all.
Why 250-300 kcal a day is a sustainable sweet spot
A moderate daily deficit of around 250 to 300 calories is widely regarded as a sustainable approach to gradual weight loss. It's small enough to maintain through normal daily life and exercise, without the extreme hunger and fatigue that come with crash dieting.
Very large deficits can prompt the body to respond by downregulating other functions, such as slowing metabolism, reducing energy for hormone production, and increasing muscle loss alongside fat loss. This can leave you feeling drained and make the weight harder to keep off long-term.
A modest, consistent deficit — built from a mix of mindful eating and regular activity like the exercise you've just calculated above — tends to produce results that last, rather than a rapid loss that rebounds once normal eating resumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The MET system is well-regarded and widely used, but individual factors like genetics, metabolic rate, and fitness level can cause real-world results to vary somewhat from the estimate.
Free weights performed at a vigorous, continuous pace tend to burn more calories than machine-based training at a similar intensity, largely because they engage more stabiliser muscles. Circuit-style training with minimal rest between sets burns the most of all strength-based options.
Many people use exercise calories to understand their activity levels rather than to precisely offset food intake, since exercise burn is often overestimated by fitness trackers and calculators alike.
Not necessarily. Very large deficits can be harder to sustain and may cause the body to slow its metabolism to compensate. A moderate, steady deficit is often more effective over the long run. Speak with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine.