How to Successfully Burn 1000 Calories a Day

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Written by Taisiia Dobrozorova

Taisiia Dobrozorova is a nutrition and fitness writer at Unimeal and a healthy lifestyle devotee. She has accomplished several courses on health, nutrition, dietology.

on January 18, 2022

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Medically reviewed by Dr. Olena Avdiievska, MD, RDN

Dr. Olena Avdiievska is a nutritional and medical expert at Unimeal. She is an MD and RDN in Dietology and nutrition and a university professor with 76 scientific publications. 

Unimeal provides articles with trustworthy and experts-proved information. Our health content is reviewed by professional nutritionists and trainers to extract for users the most verified and medically checked data.

You can burn 1000 calories not only in a day but in one workout. To do this right and not harm your health, consider all the pitfalls we've collected for you in our article.

* Disclaimer: before taking drastic measures to lose weight, be sure to consult a doctor or nutritionist. Also, to draw up a workout program for burning calories, we recommend that you contact a professional trainer.

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Starting to play sports, many dream of burning 1000 calories every day and losing weight quickly. Is it even possible to burn 1000 calories in one workout? Yes, it is. But for this you need, for example, without a break, jump with a rope for an hour and a half! Which is not easy, even for a trained person. 

So, strive not to burn as many calories as possible at a time but to ensure that your workouts are intense and regular. With any activity, you need to consider the intensity¹P. De Feo. (2013, November). Is High-Intensity Exercise Better Than Moderate-Intensity Exercise for Weight Loss? Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases: NMCD. DOI:10.1016/j.numecd.2013.06.002 of execution. Do a little research and create an individual program, including gym and food.

Also, to start effectively cutting calories, find out what maintenance level will be optimal for your body.

Is it healthy?

Briefly: yes, but it depends.

Even if you don't exercise, you may quickly burn 1,000 calories each day. This is due to internal processes that do not stop even at night. Behind the scenes, your body continually pumps blood, runs internal organs, and takes in oxygen²A. Judge, M. S. Dodd. (2020, August 24). Metabolism. Essays in Biochemistry. DOI:10.1042/ebc20190041. 

These vital activities use energy or calories. That is why accurate counting is so important. In other words, you need to pay attention to your BMR (or basal metabolic rate) - the number of calories consumed. 

There are several formulas to calculate your basal metabolic rate. All of them give approximate values. None of the formulas will show you the exact value of your basic metabolism since they do not take into account individual diseases, the state of the hormonal system, pancreas, and other organs and systems. 

So take these values ​​approximately, having in reserve plus or minus 100-150 kcal.

The easiest way to find out your BMR is the formula:

BMR = 1 kcal x weight in kg x 24.

However, this will be a very approximate figure. Further, you can find more complex and accurate methods of calculation:

Harris-Benedict:

The Mifflin-St Jeor:

Katch-McArdle:

Your BMR contributes 60 to 75 percent of your daily calorie expenditure. It's up to you how many more calories you burn via regular activities like showering and dishwashing, as well as exercise. 

It is also conceivable and safe to burn 1,000 calories in addition to your BMR daily, depending on your size and fitness level.

Of course, even though your body is quite capable of handling such weight loss, you should not chase the exact figure of 1000 calories. If you feel a little dizzy, nauseous, or just weak, it's best to take a break and replenish your nutritional energy reserves.

Factors that affect calorie burning

An important point: the calorie consumption of a person weighing 110 pounds (50 kg) and a person weighing 176 pounds (80 kg) will be different. The number of calories burned depends on:

• age, 
• gender, 
• body weight and height, 
• metabolic rate, 
• body fat percentage,
• muscle development,
• physique.

Also, people often forget to consider how active they are during work, how much they exercise each week, and what type of activity. All these factors may affect the individual calorie-burning rate for each person.

What you need to know before you start burning 1000 calories a day (cautions)?

• Consumption is highly dependent on the basal metabolic rate (details about this level and how to determine your daily calorie intake), muscle development, and physique.
• When calculating the load, take into account diseases or eating disorders. Definitely, you should not immediately take up training if you have binge eating or bulimia³E. Burtona, E. Stice. (2006, February). Evaluation of a Healthy-Weight Treatment Program for Bulimia Nervosa: A Preliminary Randomized Trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy. DOI:10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.008. In these cases, it’s better to finish treatment and only then try other methods of losing weight. In such cases, consultation with a doctor is a must.
• When exercising, drink plenty of pure water. It assists in increasing the metabolic rate, removing decay products, and burning calories.
• Take care of yourself regularly, not periodically. So you gradually improve your shape and do not harm your health.

Realistic methods of burning 1000 calories a day

Our metabolism works non-stop, burning calories not only during exercise but also during rest, sleep, and even digestion.

What everyone can do:

• Choose the number of workouts you can maintain from week to week - it can be either three or five 60-minute sessions.
• Increase your calorie expenditure by increasing your mobility at home - walk more often in the fresh air, refuse the elevator, go shopping yourself, move more at home or find yourself an active hobby. You can even get into the habit of doing light cardio on the machine or a simple set of exercises while watching your favorite show.
• Eat whole natural foods - cereals from unrefined cereals, poultry/fish/eggs/cottage cheese instead of sausages and sweet curds, vegetables and fruits, unrefined oils, nuts, and seeds. The body will receive more nutrients from whole foods and spend more calories on absorption.
• Monitor the calorie content of food on your own, or trust professionals. Recently, many eating apps have built-in calorie counters and barcode readers.

Walking

200 kcal - 1 hour

1000 kcal - 5 hours

Yes, walking burns calories! For one hour of walking at an average pace, you can burn about 200 calories. If you accelerate while walking, then you will burn calories faster. Classes are best done in a park or a forest - the load will immediately increase due to bumps in the road, and you will not breathe exhaust fumes from cars passing by you.

Running

450 kcal - 1 hour

1000 kcal - 2.5 hours

Running is the easiest and most effective way to burn calories. For 60 minutes of running at an average pace, you burn about 450 calories. Professional runners use leg weights and special clothing to increase this number and increase endurance.

Calorie consumption during running will become more intense if you climb a mountain or run over rough terrain. In order to spend calories precisely at the expense of fat, it is crucial to keep your heart rate in a particular zone - from 60 to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Therefore, be sure to monitor your heart rate while jogging.

Cycling

270 kcal - 1 hour

1000 kcal - 3.7 hours

In 1 hour of cycling, you can burn 270 calories (at an average speed). It takes about four hours to burn 1000 calories. This is a great way to work out and have fun with friends. An excellent bonus will also be training the legs and relieving tension from the knee joints. Therefore, the bike is a good alternative for people with joint problems.

Home exercises

We do not always manage time to devote time to outdoor activities or a full-fledged workout in the gym. To not waste time and start burning calories quickly, try creating a daily home workout plan.

Below are the most effective types of physical activity to burn fat without losing muscle.

Jump rope

600 kcal - 1 hour

1000 kcal - 1.6 hours

One hour of jumping rope can burn 600 calories! The jump rope is a genuinely magical cardio machine that you can use outdoors and at home. 

Energy consumption depends on your weight and the intensity of your jumps. On average, it is 9 calories per kilogram of your weight. That is, with a weight of 60 kilograms in one hour of training, you will be able to burn about 600 calories. 

And the jump rope trains the muscles of the buttocks, back, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.

Exercise "Burpee"

1.4 kcal - 1 burpee

1000 kcal - 714 burpees

This explosive cardio exercise engages the muscles of the entire body and burns about 1.4 calories per rep. Burning 1,000 calories using just this exercise is quite tricky, but you can significantly increase calorie consumption by including it in your training program - about 140 calories in 10 minutes.

Kettlebell workouts

15 kcal - 1 minute

1000 kcal - 1 h 5 min

Scientists found that kettlebell swings burn more than 20 calories per minute if you work for at least 20 minutes. You can also not be limited to just swings, but do circuit training for different muscle groups and include, for example, squats and kettlebell lifts over your head. Energy consumption will vary from 9 to 13.5 kcal per minute.

Jumping out of a squat

13.5 kcal - 1 minute

1000 kcal - 1 h 15 min

You can modify regular squats to be more effective while doing them with jumps. Such an exercise doubles the metabolic rate for another 30 minutes after exercise.

Interval training and HIIT

Interval training and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are the most effective methods to burn fat fast. However, they won't suit everyone due to the load and intensity. 

For instance, interval training may include several exercises (2 - 5), and you need to do them in turn. It involves more muscles simultaneously (e.g., intervals walking, rope jumping, stretching, and running). The gap for rest between them is shorter (ideally equal to zero).

In 10-30 minutes (depending on fitness), you can bring yourself to physical exhaustion, which will not leave a stone unturned from the internal energy. Thus, it is a double-edged sword.

More physical activities to try

The scientists of Harvard Medical School offered several tables where they calculated the number of calories people of different weight categories burn with various types of activities in a 30-minute session. We slightly improved their calculations by increasing the training time to an hour. Here's what we got. 

Calories burned in 1-hour activities

How to recover to lose weight?

After a workout, afterburn occurs - an additional process of burning calories. According to study⁴J. LaForgia, R. T. Withers, C. J. Gore. (2006, December). Effects of Exercise Intensity and Duration on the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. Journal of Sports Sciences. DOI:10.1080/02640410600552064, the more energy you will need to get your body back to its resting condition.

Afterburn lasts from 8 to 24 hours - it depends on the characteristics of the body and the intensity of the workout. You burn more calories during afterburn than during exercise. The metabolism accelerates⁵M. D. Schuenke, R. P. Mikat, J. M. McBride. (2002, March). Effect of an Acute Period of Resistance Exercise on Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption: Implications for Body Mass Management. European Journal of Applied Physiology. DOI:10.1007/s00421-001-0568-y, and your task is to maintain this speed for as long as possible. 

It's best to do cardio and go for walks on the days between gym trips (and for most people, three times a week is enough) - this will help burn calories, almost without using muscle glycogen stores. 

Another way to boost your metabolism is to add high-protein foods to your diet. Just one protein shake after a workout in the gym increases metabolism by 5-10%.

How much to eat to shed the extra flab?

If you think that exercise alone is almost useless for weight loss, you're dead right.

Of course, most of the calories you burn during exercise, but the result will also largely depend on your diet. After all, with a hearty lunch and dinner, you can return all the calories dropped by sweat and effort on the treadmill. So how much food do you need to consume to achieve the desired weight?

Everything is, in fact, very simple. You need to eat less than you burn. Research⁶C. Koliaki, T. Spinos, Μ. Spinou, et al. (2018, September). Defining the Optimal Dietary Approach for Safe, Effective and Sustainable Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults. Healthcare (Basel). DOI:10.3390/healthcare6030073 proves that decreasing your calories by 500 to 600 a day can help you lose 1 pound of extra weight in a week.

This is about the number you should stick to stay within healthy limits.

Also, this amount will be optimal for weight loss. If you want to maintain your weight⁷M. A. van Baak. (1999, September). Physical Activity and Energy Balance. Public Health Nutrition. DOI:10.1017/s1368980099000452, eat as much food as you burn calories.

FAQ

What happens if you burn 1000 calories a day

On average, cutting about 500-1,000 calories may result in a weekly weight loss of roughly 1-2 lbs (0.5-1 kg). That sounds quite optimistic, doesn't it? But it becomes more complicated, though, since you normally decrease the amount of fat, muscle, and water when you lose weight.

That’s why it's better not to overdo calorie burning. Too rapid transformation from couch-potato to an “athlete” will, obviously, not bring you well-being. Possible side effects include headaches, fatigue, dehydration, and nerve cell death in the worst cases. Consult your therapist before increasing your normal amount of exercises.

How much weight do I lose daily if I burn 1000 calories a day

You can burn up to 2 pounds in a week by burning 1,000 calories every day. A pound has around 3,500 calories in it. Burning 1,000 calories every day for 7 days will result in a calorie burn of 7,000 calories or 2 pounds. You can get this number if you consume the same amount of calories every day. To compensate, you'll need to burn more calories.

How much do you have to work to burn 1000 calories a day

To burn 1000 calories, you need exercise for at least 90 minutes, with rest periods in between. Of course, such a workout in one go can be exhausting, so try to use other approaches to achieve your goal. For example, pay attention to the equipment you are working on.

Make an effort to use calorie-burning exercise equipment. The University of Rochester Medical Center studies claim that a 160-pound individual may burn 648 calories on a basic elliptical trainer in an hour, while moderate stationary biking burns 504 calories each hour.

Summary

A sensible approach to weight loss is to switch to a balanced diet with a calorie deficit and moderate exercise. Set realistic and safe goals.

Don't chase the number of thousand calories in one workout only because of this technique's popularity. Round numbers are beneficial to marketers, not your body.

Exercise regularly, not occasionally. So you will gradually acquire a beautiful shape and do not harm your health.