Quite honestly, I don’t have the slightest idea. 

Nor do I care… which is why I was a bit flummoxed by this article in the LA Times on estimating the calories burned during exercise.  The author goes into considerable detail about the margin of error involved with different devices – and she appears to have done a good job on her research.  She correctly points out that the calorie counters on different cardio devices may be off by as much as 25% – 30%, indirect calorimetry is a PITA, and that even high-tech gizmos like the BodyBugg  have their limits.

Okay then.

Problem is, she never asks – let alone answers –  the question, “is it necessary to count exercise calories at all?”  In my experience, it isn’t, and (in my humble opinion) borders on obsessive.  Whenever I had to change my weight (up or down), I simply kept track of a) my daily food intake; and b) my weekly weight and body comp.  That’s all I ever needed to know to assess my progress, and – if necessary – make adjustments to my program.

And as for working “…off 300 calories from a slice of pepperoni pizza or 400 calories from a piece of apple pie” – well, I’ve never bothered with that, either.  I’ve never been so wracked with guilt over an indulgence, that I felt the need to ”balance the books” that way.  I simply maintained my normal workout schedule and ate a little less over the next day or two. Badda-bing, badda-boom. 

The deal is, it’s good to be systematic and methodical when you’re trying to lose weight and get into shape.  But it CAN be overdone.  Constantly fussing over calories is no way to live.

The point of exercise is to improve your physical health, strength/endurance and body composition.  It’s great for your emotional health too… exercise can lift your mood, enhance your energy and engender feelings of satisfaction, accomplishment and empowerment.  Sure, working out burns calories, but to focus on the cals is to miss the forest for the trees.  Focus on your performance instead, and strive to improve/evolve.  Do that, and the calories will take care of themselves… you won’t have to worry about whether you’re burning enough to get/stay lean.

Share