How are calories burned?
In essence, calories are burned via physical activity, and that includes everything from basic physiological functions like breathing, to competing in a triathlon. In order to lose weight, the calories you consume must be less than the ones you’re burning, which is referred to as a caloric deficit. One of the major determining factors of weight loss is identifying your basal metabolic rate, which is how many calories you burn naturally, without any extra effort. This is what most people think of when referring to having a fast or slow metabolism. For men, basal metabolic rate can be calculated by multiplying their weight times 13; for women, times 11. For example, a 160-lb woman burns about 1760 calories daily, even if they’re the ultimate couch potato! You can also use an online calculator that factors in age, height, and current level of activity. After doing the math, you only have to make up the difference to meet your 5000 calorie a day goal. But how realistic is this exactly? EXPERT TIP Dean Theriot Dean Theriot Personal Trainer Dean Theriot is a Personal Trainer and the Owner of Timberline Fitness in Houston, Texas. With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, Dean specializes in personal, group, and sport-specific training. Dean holds a BS in Exercise Physiology from LSU. Dean combines resistance and cardiovascular training with pilates exercises for comprehensive workouts for his clients. His sport-specific training includes football, basketball, and baseball. Dean Theriot Dean Theriot Personal Trainer Your health comes first. Calories cannot be restricted too dramatically in any truly safe manner. Everyone has an individual amount of calories they need to maintain their basic metabolic needs. Going significantly below that caloric intake is not healthy.
Is it possible to burn 5000 calories a day?
The short of it--yes!If you’re just embarking on your fitness journey, it’s suggested that you start small, beginning with a more attainable goal and slowly working yourself up to burning 5000 calories a day. Working with a fitness instructor to ensure your safety and continued weight-loss success is also encouraged. Walking on the treadmill for an hour on an incline is a great way to start shedding calories, and ultimately, those pesky pounds. In fact, contestants on The Biggest Loser have attributed this form of cardio to the majority of their weight loss. Then, you can start implementing more rigorous workout routines, like HIIT and cycling. High energy workouts, coupled with significant changes in lifestyle, can certainly render the extreme results you seek, as long as you’re prepared to sweat it out! The proof will be in the pudding— or lack thereof.
Calorie Burning Workouts
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). In one HIIT session, you can expect to burn up to several hundred calories, depending on a variety of factors. One major incentive of HIIT is that it typically requires only 20-30 minutes of your time, although it definitely makes up for it in intensity! HIIT is designed to take turns testing your cardiovascular endurance while alternating with brief periods of rest. Do a light warm-up prior to beginning your circuit. Prepare to do each exercise for about 45 seconds, with 15 second intervals of rest, and repeating for 3-4 rounds. Some calorie burning HIIT workouts include: Burpees- This full body workout will truly make you feel the burn! Engaging multiple muscle groups at once, you’ll start in a standing position. Then, bend down into a squat, and place your arms on the ground in front of you to get into a pushup position. Perform a pushup, pop right back up, and jump. Rinse and repeat until drenched in sweat! Mountain Climbers- Targeting arms, core, and quads, the name of this exercise sets high expectations, and rightfully so! Begin in a pushup position. Then, lift one knee up to your chest, followed by the other. Before you know it, you’ll have climbed a mountain—horizontally, on your living room floor. Push-Ups-This exercise is a tried-and-true method to burning calories and shedding pounds. Beginning in a plank position, simply lower yourself as close to the ground as possible and then prop yourself back up. A great way to tone up your arms, chest, and shoulders, a few rounds of pushups will have you catching your breath—during the few seconds of rest you get!
Cycling. Depending on the intensity of your ride, cycling can burn upwards of 300 calories an hour. Whether your workout takes place on a stationary bike at the gym or on a scenic bike trip in the country, cycling can be a fun and efficient way to keep chiseling away at the 5000-a-day calorie goal... and those six pack abs!
Swimming. #If you want to feel the burn without technically breaking a sweat, swimming is a great option. Both a full body exercise and fulfilling hobby, swimming can burn about 500 calories on average per hour with the amount of effort it takes to stay afloat.
Walking and Running. Whether you’re walking on a treadmill or running a cross-country marathon a la Forrest Gump, cardio even in its simplest form will help your caloric deficit along. Going on an hour-long walk around your neighborhood at a moderate pace can burn hundreds of calories, and don’t underestimate its benefits to your cardiovascular health! If you do decide to speed up, running can burn closer to 1000 calories an hour. Look at that—only 4000 more to go!
Weight Training. Weight training works by introducing resistance to specific muscle groups. The more muscle mass you gain, the faster your metabolism becomes, and the more calories you burn! Muscle growth is essential to overall health and can help you achieve the tight and toned look of your favorite fit-fluencers.
Diet and Hydration
Prioritize protein and drinking water. There’s a ton of weight-loss benefits to eating a protein-heavy diet. First, consuming protein can help you feel fuller longer. This immediately reduces the risk of snacking and overeating, minimizing your overall caloric intake. Some studies show that people on high-protein meal plans eat an average of 400 calories less than those eating more carb or fat focused foods. Protein also mitigates muscle loss, which can slow down your metabolism. Finally, digesting protein burns more calories than its macronutrient counterparts. Simply put, 20-30% of the protein you eat is burned simply by swallowing and letting your body do its thing!
Hydrating is important during, before, and after your workouts. Some research shows that drinking water can help speed up your metabolism, setting you for optimal calorie burning conditions. Hydrating can also limit confusion around hunger. If you think you’re hungry, drink a glass of water and assess how you feel afterwards— it’s possible you were just thirsty! Additionally, water intake is correlated to squeaky clean kidneys and quality organ function. If you’re struggling to meet your 5000-calorie goal, a quick chug of good old H20 can’t hurt!
Reach for high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods. Similarly to protein, nutrient dense foods can help you feel full, which should keep you from reaching for a candy bar or bag of chips. Tasty as these treats might be, they lack any real nutritional value and result in you consuming empty calories—a no-no when striving to meet such challenging weight-loss restrictions. Instead, stick to lean meats, leafy greens, and legumes—all probably readily available in your fridge and pantry. High fiber foods, like raspberries and broccoli, contribute to the feeling of fullness fat-burning. Fuel your body and your body will fuel your workouts accordingly. Nobody said burning 5000 calories a day would be easy—or delicious— but the fulfillment of meeting your difficult goals could be worth it. EXPERT TIP Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT Certified Personal Trainer Julian Arana is a Personal Trainer and the Founder of B-Fit Training Studios, a personal training and wellness set of studios based in Miami, Florida. Julian has over 12 years of personal training and coaching experience. He is a certified personal trainer (CPT) by the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF). He has a BS in Exercise Physiology from Florida International University and an MS in Exercise Physiology specializing in strength and conditioning from the University of Miami. Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT Certified Personal Trainer Portion control plays a major role in weight loss. Many people struggle to get their portion sizes right when tracking the foods they’re eating. Unless you are weighing and measuring everything you eat, you may be underestimating the amount of calories you’re eating, which can make a big difference in your progress. For example, the difference between one and two tablespoons of peanut butter is almost 100 calories!
Don’t drink your calories. When aiming to burn thousands upon thousands of extra calories a day, being very selective about what you’re putting in your body has to be a top concern. This would be a great opportunity to cut out sugary drinks and alcohol as they serve no real purpose other than pleasure, which is just not the current objective. A single cocktail, like a mojito or Moscow mule, can add 200-300 calories to your daily count, subtracting from the likelihood that you’ll meet your 5000-calorie goal. If the numbers aren’t reason enough, your body takes longer to process and digest alcohol, which slows down your metabolism. The next best time to have an adult beverage might be to celebrate just how far you’ve come in your weight-loss journey!
Spice up your meals. Capsaicin, the main culprit in spicy foods, warms your body up from the inside, literally burning more calories and quickening your metabolic processes. If you’re still not sold on the calorie-burning powers of the jalapeño, some studies show that people are less hungry after consuming spicy foods versus their bland, under seasoned counterparts. Like capsaicin, cinnamon has thermogenic properties that demand more energy to be processed during digestion, and therefore, more calories burned. Try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to your toast at breakfast—your belly fat will thank you as it melts off!
Lifestyle Changes
Invest in a calorie-tracking smartwatch. Purchasing a device to help track your calories can be a total game-changer. A pedometer, like a Fitbit or a Garmin, that tracks both your steps and calories burned is a good option. If you’d prefer something that synthesizes a bit more data, an Apple Watch or a Samsung Watch could fit the bill. No matter which way you go, knowing exactly how many calories you’re burning daily is essential to meeting your 5000-calorie goal!
Make sure you get proper rest. We’ve all heard that sleeping 8 hours a night is the magic number in terms of maximizing your brain and body’s potential. As it turns out—it also helps with calorie burning and weight-loss! You burn about 50 calories per hour you’re asleep and REM sleep is prime calorie burning time. So, aim to go to bed at the same time each night and to wake up at the same time each morning. Consistency is hard but necessary when it comes to getting proper rest.
Add more activity to your daily routine. If you’re communing to work in your car, consider biking to work instead. If you live on the third floor of an apartment building, pretend the elevator is undergoing maintenance... every single day. At the grocery store, park as far away from the entrance as you can to get some extra steps in. After all, every ounce of effort you exert can be measure in calories, which can eventually amount to 5000 if you put your mind—and muscles—into it.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Learn about the benefits of biohacking. Biohacking is the practice of using developing science and technology to capitalize on your body’s functions and abilities. Although often used for weight-loss purposes, biohacking can improve your health as a whole. Some examples of biohacking include cold therapy and intermittent fasting. Cold therapy works by exposing yourself to cold temperatures, whether that means turning your AC down to 65 degrees while you sleep or actively choosing to drink particularly cold water. No matter the method, our bodies will exert more energy to warm us up, which leads to more calories burned. Intermittent fasting aims to limit your eating window, allowing your body to use up its stored calories for energy during your fasting window. Don’t think of any of this as cheating—think of it as scientifically approved loopholes!
Remember to have fun! While weight-loss can sometimes prove to be a frustrating, slow, and stressful process, try your best to remain positive. It’s no secret that stress increases cortisol levels, which can stall fat loss, so pick an active hobby—or three— that you truly enjoy. Playing pickle ball, kayaking, and dancing, for example, can each burn hundreds of calories per hour while providing much needed endorphins. What are you waiting for? Make a playlist of all your favorite songs and go boogie!
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