Burning 800 calories per day through exercise and other daily activity can be a good initial goal for weight loss, but may not be enough for everyone. The number of calories you need to burn per day to lose weight depends on several factors like your current weight, gender, activity level, metabolism, and weight loss goals. Quick answer: For some people 800 calories per day is enough, but for many it is too low and not sustainable. Read on for a full discussion.
How Many Calories Should You Burn Per Day?
The number of calories you should aim to burn per day depends on your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your TDEE is an estimate of how many calories you burn through your basal metabolic rate (BMR), plus additional calories burned through activity, exercise, and digestion.
To determine your TDEE, you need to first calculate your BMR. This is the number of calories your body burns at rest to perform basic bodily functions. An online BMR calculator can help you determine your BMR based on your age, gender, height and weight.
Once you know your BMR, you can calculate your TDEE by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor:
– Sedentary (little exercise): BMR x 1.2
– Light activity (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
– Moderate activity (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
– Active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725
– Very active (hard daily exercise + physical job): BMR x 1.9
As an example, for a 30 year old 150 lb moderately active woman with a BMR of 1360 calories, her TDEE would be:
1360 x 1.55 = 2108 calories
To lose 1 pound per week, she would need to burn 500 calories per day through exercise and activity. So 2108 – 500 = 1608 calories is how much she can eat to lose 1 pound per week if she burns 500 calories through exercise.
So in her case, 500 calories per day would be enough to safely lose weight. 800 calories may be too aggressive and difficult to sustain long term.
Is 800 Calories Enough to Lose Weight?
Burning 800 calories per day can certainly contribute to weight loss for many people. But for some, 800 calories may be too low to be safe or sustainable. Here are some factors to consider:
– Current weight – In general, heavier individuals require more calories for basic functioning so may be able to sustain an 800 calorie burn. Lighter individuals may require less.
– Gender – Men tend to have higher BMRs than women and require more calories. So an 800 calorie burn may be difficult for some men to sustain.
– Activity level – The more active you are, the higher your calorie burn needs will be. Sedentary individuals may be able to handle an 800 calorie burn, while very active people may require more fuel.
– Age and metabolism – Younger adults and those with faster metabolisms can typically sustain a higher calorie deficit and burn than older adults or those with slower metabolisms.
– Weight loss goals – Those looking to lose a large amount of weight may be able to sustain an 800 calorie burn for a certain period. But those with less weight to lose may require a more modest deficit.
– Diet – If you severely restrict calories through diet in addition to burning 800 per day through activity, it can compromise energy, nutrition and be unsafe.
– Sustainability – Very high calorie burns often backfire, as they are unrealistic to stick with long term. A more moderate deficit of 200-500 calories is easier to maintain.
So while 800 calories may be appropriate for some people initially, it may be too low for many individuals to realistically sustain or for long-term weight loss.
Should You Burn 800 Calories Every Day?
Burning 800 calories daily is quite ambitious and may not be feasible or recommended for most people on a regular basis. Here are some considerations regarding burning 800 calories every day:
– It exceeds typical recommendations – Most experts recommend a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day at most for safe, sustainable weight loss. 800 is above general guidelines.
– Overtraining risks – Burning 800 calories daily requires intense, prolonged cardio which can lead to overtraining if done continuously without rest days. This can increase injury risk or burnout.
– Appetite may increase – Doing that much activity every single day can ramp up your appetite, making diet adherence harder. Taking 1-2 days off per week helps reset hunger signals.
– Hard to sustain – Getting in 800 calories of exercise each day takes significant time and motivation. Most people will tire of that schedule quickly.
– Can be counterproductive – Excessive calorie burns can backfire. Your body may adapt by reducing non-exercise activity or BMR to compensate, making weight loss stall.
– Not enough variety – Engaging in different types of exercise provides more health and fitness benefits vs just repetitive aerobic cardio day after day.
For sustainable, healthy weight loss for most people, aiming to burn 200-500 calories per day through varied exercise and activity is likely optimal. Carefully monitoring your hunger, energy levels and exercise ability if consistently burning 800+ calories daily is also important.
How to Burn 800 Calories Per Day Safely
If your goal is to burn 800 calories through activity each day, here are some tips to do so safely:
– Get medical clearance – Consult your healthcare provider to ensure you don’t have any underlying conditions that could make a calorie deficit unsafe.
– Calculate your TDEE – Use online TDEE calculators to estimate your maintenance calories and determine an appropriate deficit.
– Adjust diet – Don’t drastically restrict food in addition to high calorie burns, as this risks malnutrition. Aim for a moderate calorie deficit through diet only.
– Include rest days – Avoid burnout by taking 1-2 rest days per week and incorporating lower intensity activities like yoga, walking.
– Fuel properly – Eat enough protein, healthy fats and carbs to power your workouts and recovery. Don’t undercut your calorie burn with inadequate nutrition.
– Prevent overtraining – Vary your training, allowing enough rest between high intensity cardio sessions. Listen to your body.
– Consider supplements – Supplements like caffeine or BCAAs may provide an energy boost on intense training days.
– Use fitness trackers – Devices like Fitbit can help you accurately track calories burned during exercise. Don’t overestimate.
With patience and consistency, burning 800 calories per day through exercise can be safe and effective when done intelligently. But aim to build up to this high calorie burn goal over time rather than jumping in all at once. Maintaining realistic expectations and taking a patient approach is key.
How Can You Burn 800 Calories Per Day?
Here are some example workouts that can help you burn ~800 calories per day through exercise:
Running (45-60 mins)
– Running at a moderate pace of 9:30-11:00/mile for 45-60 minutes burns 600-800 calories for a 155 lb person. The calorie burn depends on factors like speed, terrain and body weight.
Swimming (60-90 mins)
– Swimming steady laps at a moderate pace for 90 minutes can burn 700-800 calories. The duration needed depends on your swimming speed and efficiency.
High Intensity Interval Training (60 mins)
– Doing cardio intervals like sprints, biking, rowing etc at maximum effort with recovery intervals burns 700-850 calories in an intense 60 minute session.
Kettlebell Circuit (45 mins)
– Performing a non-stop kettlebell circuit workout engaging multiple large muscle groups can torch 700+ calories in 45 minutes.
Incline Walking (90-120 mins)
– Power walking up steep inclines like a treadmill at 15% gradient for 90-120 minutes burns approximately 800 calories.
Cycling Class (60 mins)
– Vigorous spinning or cycling classes with intervals and resistance drills can burn 700-900 calories in a 60 minute session.
Any exercise you can sustainably perform for extended durations that engages large muscle groups and elevates your heart rate significantly can help you burn 800+ calories. Mix up your workouts for variety.
Exercise vs Diet for Weight Loss
Both exercise and diet are important contributors to weight loss, but diet often plays a bigger role for most people. Here is the breakdown:
– Diet for weight loss – To lose one pound per week, you need a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day which is typically best achieved through dietary changes alone. This equates to 3,500 calories per week.
– Exercise for weight loss – Exercise helps burn extra calories to contribute to your deficit. But most workouts burn 200-600 calories. It’s harder to achieve big deficits through exercise alone.
– Diet for keeping weight off – Monitoring your food intake more closely helps with long term weight maintenance, since exercise levels can fluctuate day to day.
– Exercise for keeping weight off – Staying active through exercise helps maintain lean muscle mass that helps elevate your metabolism to make weight maintenance easier.
– For optimal weight loss, a balanced approach is best – Cut 250-500 calories from your diet per day and burn another 250-500 calories through exercise. This moderate deficit of 500-1000 calories each day promotes safe, sustainable loss.
Diet and exercise complement each other for weight loss. An 80-20 or 70-30 split, with diet providing the majority of the deficit, is often an attainable goal for many people.
More Tips for Burning 800 Calories Per Day
Here are some additional strategies to help you safely achieve a daily calorie burn of around 800 calories:
– Add NEAT calories – Opt for active transit like walking or biking and take breaks at work to pace or take the stairs. Little bursts of activity add up.
– Build muscle – The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Do 2-3 strength training workouts per week in addition to cardio.
– Monitor your data – Use a fitness tracker and food journal. Checking your calorie burn vs intake each day keeps you accountable.
– Drink water – Hydration supports metabolism and exercise performance so you can maximize calorie burns during workouts.
– Pick an activity you enjoy – You’re more likely to sustain an intensive training regimen if you genuinely like the exercise method.
– Allow for rest days – Listen to your body and take 1-2 rest days per week to recover. You may burn extra calories doing active recovery.
Reaching 800 calories burned through exercise and activity daily is an intense but attainable goal with dedication. Ensure you fuel and rest enough to support your efforts. Be patient and modify the goal as needed.
Sample Daily Routine to Burn 800 Calories
Here is an example of what a daily routine might look like to achieve an ~800 calorie burn:
– Morning fasted cardio: Treadmill intervals – 45 mins (350 calories)
– Breakfast: Oatmeal and protein shake (500 calories)
– Snack: Greek yogurt and berries (150 calories)
– Lunch: Grilled chicken salad (500 calories)
– Afternoon workout: Swimming – 60 mins (700 calories)
– Afternoon snack: Hummus and veggies (250 calories)
– Dinner: Fish and brown rice (400 calories)
– Evening walk – 30 mins (100 calories)
Total calories burned from exercise = ~800 calories
Net calories from food = 1800 calories
To burn 800 calories daily, you need a significant amount of time dedicated to exercise. Having meals and snacks planned out to properly fuel your efforts is also key to sustain this high daily calorie burn. Adjust this sample routine as needed to suit your preferences.
The Takeaway
Burning 800 calories per day through exercise and activity can certainly create a sizeable daily calorie deficit to facilitate weight loss. However, this high calorie burn is not realistic, necessary or advisable for many people long term.
A more appropriate target is likely a moderate calorie deficit created through a combined approach of diet and exercise. For most, aiming to burn an average of 300-500 calories daily through exercise while also reducing food intake by another 200-500 calories is safe, effective and sustainable.
Patience and consistency are key if pursuing an ambitious exercise regimen to burn upwards of 800 calories daily. Ensure you properly fuel your body, take rest days, incorporate variety, and modify your workouts if needed. Burning 800 calories or more each day takes serious commitment but can be done healthfully. Just be sure to consult your provider and listen to your body.