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What Is the Difference Between Calories Burned & Fat Calories Burned?

A calorie is a unit of energy. It measures the energy food provides to your body. When burning calories, we are using up those energies derived from food and thus preventing excess calories from turning into fat.

  1. Significance

    • When you exercise, your body burns calories from fat. However it also burns calories from carbohydrates and protein. There is not much you can do to isolate the fat you are burning but you can increase your fat burn when you intensify your workouts. The more intense your workout, the more calories you will burn from all sources, including fat.

    Size

    • There are 3,500 calories per pound of body fat, this means that you will need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume to lose that one pound. The calories you are burning may not be all from fat. However the more you burn over a period of time, the amount of fat being burned will also increase.

    Misconceptions

    • There are many claims that if you stay within the fat burning zone, or the low-intensity workout, you will burn more calories from fat rather than carbohydrates and protein. Although it is true that your body burns a higher percentage of calories from fat during low intensity workouts, your total gain of calories burned would still be much lower compared to higher intensity exercises. Calories burned from fat will always increase with the intensity of your physical activity.

    Weight Loss

    • To lose weight from fat, you need to burn more calories than you eat. If you decrease the amount of fat you consume from your diet and eat healthier food choices, then it will be much easier to maintain your weight goal.

    Considerations

    • Consider doing strength training as a part of your exercise regimen. Strength training exercises are helpful if you are trying to lose weight and burn more calories.
      According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, your muscle tissue burns more calories than your fat tissue, and because of this, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.

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