Once A Runner…

How Many Calories AM I Burning?

I’ve been pretty much taking the figures Nike+ gives me at the end of a walk at face value, but now I’m not so sure. Granted, I haven’t yet calibrated my Nike+ for walking and running. I’m not able to run any appreciable distance to make it worthwhile right now, but I may have to once I’m able to start running again.

I’m certain that I’ve decreased my intake of calories somewhat, but I’m not strictly counting calories. I’m starting to think I may have to reevaluate my weight-loss goals a little bit. Not really a huge problem, actually. Or else I may just have to decide that losing weight is something that will happen over time and accept it as a by-product of improved general fitness and not an end in and of itself. Probably a healthier approach for the long run anyway.

What brought on the doubts, though, was an article by Amby Burfoot from Runner’s World: How Many Calories Are You Really Burning?. That running burns more calories than walking is not exactly a surprise, but the interesting part is the difference between Total Calorie Burn and Net Calorie Burn — something of which I was aware but really never paid a whole lot of attention.

I’m going to have to keep this chart from that article in mind as I factor weight-loss objectives into my overall physical fitness regime:

            Your Total Calorie Burn/Mile     Your Net Calorie Burn/Mile
Running     .75 x your weight (in lbs.)      .63 x your weight

Walking     .53 x your weight                .30 x your weight

According to that chart, what’s in the sidebar probably doesn’t really represent my progress towards pounds lost in exactly the way that I was thinking. I have to assume they represent Total Calorie Burn (TCB), but they are still a positive factor nonetheless. More calories burned plus less calories consumed will equal steady weight loss. And as long as my Net Calorie Burn (NCB) plus restricting my eating a little totals to a 500-calorie/day deficit, I can expect to lose around a pound/week.

With what I’m doing right now, I’m just probably going to have to expect to hit a plateau soon and for progress to slow, or else augment NCB with further restriction of calories.

Once I can run again, of course, I believe things will improve more dramatically.