Have you ever felt like you've been exercising every day, but the scale just won't budge? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fail to lose 1 kg because they forget the basic formula.
Weight loss occurs when calories burned exceed calories consumed. This means that even if you exercise regularly, if you're still overeating, the results won't be as good. The focus isn't just on exercise, but on creating a calorie deficit.
That's the main key if you really want to burn calories and lose 1 kg.
Now, here comes the classic question: "Actually, how many calories do you need to burn to lose 1 kg?" The answer isn't as simple as a single number, as it depends on your weight, activity level, and diet.
What is a calorie?
Before we delve deeper into the details of weight loss by burning calories, let's first understand the definition of a calorie. A calorie is a unit of energy the body needs to function.
From breathing to moving to thinking. Every food you eat contains calories, and your body burns them to produce energy. To lose weight, you need to keep your calorie intake lower than your calorie expenditure.
When calories in exceed calories out, the remainder is stored as energy reserves (fat), which is why weight gain can occur. If your current goal is a flat stomach and better health, learn to maintain a calorie deficit and engage in regular physical activity.
But don't go to extremes, as a large calorie deficit can disrupt your metabolism and lead to muscle loss. Start by understanding your body's needs with a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator. to know the ideal condition and determine the first steps towards a healthy body.
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Here's How to Know How Many Calories You Need to Burn to Lose 1 Kg
Losing weight isn't magic; it's all about calorie counting. Scientifically, 1 kg of fat is equivalent to approximately 7,700 calories. This means you need to create a calorie deficit of that size to lose 1 kg of weight.
A deficit can come from two things: eating less or burning more through physical activity. If you want faster results, combine the two. So don't be surprised if the results aren't instant; healthy progress takes time and consistency.
To make it easier, you can follow the realistic deficit guide below:
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500 calorie deficit/day → Lose approximately 1 kg in 15 days . Suitable for beginners who want to lose weight steadily.
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A 1,000 calorie deficit per day will result in a loss of approximately 1 kg in 7–8 days . This is faster, but ensure adequate nutritional intake.
The simple steps: calculate your daily calorie needs , reduce them to your target deficit, and balance it with regular exercise. Just be consistent, because if you maintain your deficit in a healthy way, the number on the scale will go down without any drama.
To accelerate progress, SVRG offers a bundled package of tools for optimal calorie burning. Not only will you lose weight, but using this tool will also increase your muscle mass. So the focus isn't weight loss, but fat loss.
Factors that Influence the Number of Calories Burned
1. Age & Gender
The number of calories your body burns each day is influenced by many factors, two of the most significant being age and gender. Men generally have a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR) than women due to their greater proportion of muscle mass.
And as you probably already know, muscles are calorie-burning machines, even when you're lying down. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your calorie burn, even when you're doing normal activities.
However, as we age, our BMR tends to decrease. This occurs due to a natural process called sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass while body fat tends to increase.
Also Read: 8 Effective Forearm Muscle Exercises to Strengthen Your Grip
2. Body Weight & Body Composition
The more you weigh, the more energy your body needs to move and perform basic functions, from breathing and digesting food to simply standing.
This means that people with a higher body weight will naturally burn more calories, even during the same activity. However, body weight alone is not enough to measure calorie-burning efficiency.
Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it requires more energy even when you're at rest. Therefore, someone with more muscle mass will have a higher BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
Also Read: 8 High-Protein Foods to Build Muscle Faster
3. Food Effects
One often-overlooked factor in the calorie-burning process is the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). This is the energy your body needs to digest, absorb, and store the nutrients from the food you eat.
When you eat, your body is actually "working" and burning calories. The difference is that each macronutrient has a different burning rate, and this is where TEF becomes interesting to understand.
Protein has the highest TEF, with approximately 20-30% of consumed calories being used directly for digestion. Carbohydrates follow at 5-10%, while fat has the lowest, at only 0-3%. This means that eating foods high in protein not only keeps you fuller for longer, but also helps the body passively burn more calories.
Don't wait until you have a pot belly, start maintaining your lifestyle now.
A simple but often overlooked fact: 1 kg of fat = 7,700 calories. This means that if you want to lose fat, you need to create a calorie deficit. Burn more than you consume. But remember, this isn't about extreme hunger, it's about balance .
The combination of regular exercise and a more controlled diet is the most effective and safe way to maintain a healthy weight without suffering. Start taking care of your lifestyle now before your stomach starts protesting.
No need to wait for time to go to the gym. You can start from home. SVRG has a variety of exercise equipment to help you stay active and burn calories from the comfort of your living room. From walking pads and dumbbells to mini steppers , there's no excuse to delay. A healthy lifestyle is an investment, not a punishment.
