How to Lose a Kilogram of Fat and How Much Energy Is Actually Hidden in It?

How to Lose a Kilogram of Fat and How Much Energy Is Actually Hidden in It?

Is the idea of a kilogram of fat a nightmare for you? Maybe you’re one of those people who feel they’ve gained it reliably in one afternoon and will have to exercise for hours to burn off a cake and two glasses of wine. The other extreme, are people who feel that they have burned a huge amount of calories with an hour’s exercise, so they can eat an extra bar of chocolate, a double burger and drink it down with a litre of Coke without gaining any weight. Neither approach is good, nor correct. Let’s demonstrate once and for all what that kilogram of fat actually is, how much energy it holds, and what we have to do to burn it.

How do you imagine a kilogram of fat?

One kilogram of fat contains 7700 kcal. To give you a better idea, it is an energy contained in approximately 1.45 kg of milk chocolate or 13.6 kg of apples. So, you really don’t have to worry about gaining a kilo of fat after eating 100 g of some food. [3] [4] [8]

If you want to get rid of this kilogram of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit, which is to burn more energy than you take in. You have several ways of doing this. You can either reduce food intake or add exercise, or you can combine the two, which seems to be the most effective method. Our bodies can adapt to a lower energy supply, but you can’t keep lowering food intake forever. Thus, sport is a great way to build fitness, muscle mass, a sexy figure and not have to starve yourself by dieting. [5]

How much energy does a kilogram of fat contain?

How to effectively lose a kilo of fat

For a better idea, let’s see how long it takes for a woman named Misha to burn a kilogram of fat, who doesn’t undertake any sport and maintains her weight at 2000 kcal. [2]

  • If Misha did not change her eating habits and included sporting activity four times a week in which she would burn an average of 500 kcal, she would lose a kilogram of fat in less than 4 weeks.
  • If Misha reduced her energy intake by 500 kcal every day through her diet, she would lose a kilogram of fat in about 16 days. But the question is: How long could she sustain such a low food intake? She would probably suffer from hunger, which could result in overeating, regaining weight and complaining of a slow metabolism.
  • If Misha changed her dietary habits slightly (she cut 250 kcal from her intake) and added an activity four times a week during which she would burn approximately 500 kcal each time, she would lose a kilogram of fat in approximately 15 days. Since she was smart about it and ate sufficient protein, she wouldn’t suffer from hunger, and she wouldn’t even be haunted by sweet cravings. In addition, she would enjoy working on her fitness and muscle mass. Since muscles burn more energy than fat, she would not have to worry about adapting to a lower intake and a slow metabolism.

If you want to find out for yourself what your intake should look like, you can help yourself by calculating this using our calculator.

How to quickly lose a kilo of fat

How to calculate the caloric expenditure during sports? Introducing MET

Now that we know that sporting activities can lead us more easily to our dream figure, let’s take a closer look at how many calories we actually burn. To give a better idea, the approximate number of calories burned per hour of a given activity in an average 65 kg female and 80 kg male is outlined in the tables. In order to calculate the approximate expenditure for your weight, we also add the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value. This value expresses the energy that you expend by a specific activity in relation to lying still. For example, if the MET value for an activity is 4, it means that a person burns 4 times more calories than if they were just lying still for the same amount of time.

Example: If a 60kg person lay down for an hour (MET 1), they would burn 60 kcal. If the same person did an hour of sports that has a MET value of 10, they’d burn 600 kcal.

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How many calories do you burn with winter sports

A large part of the population will reduce their activity during the winter months. Why? It’s just too cold for them outside and the gym is far away or they have many other reasons why it just can’t be done. It’s much easier to wrap yourself in a blanket and enjoy the comfort of your couch. If you want to stay active during the winter months, don’t be afraid to try new sports. Cross-country skiing, for example, is a great way to spend a day outdoors and still burn a large amount of calories.

In the table below you will find a basic overview of winter sports and an indicative number of calories you burn by doing them. Especially with skiing and snowboarding, keep in mind that these are calories burned by an hour of active movement. Sitting on a ski lift does not count towards this time. Likewise, in hockey, the difference is whether you are in the forward position and skate several kilometres within an hour, or whether you will stand in the goal without much intervention.

Caloric expenditure in an average male and female [1]

ActivityMET

Output of a 65kg female per hour

How long before this woman burns a kilo of fat

Output of an 80kg male per hour

How long before this man burns a kilo of fat

Skating at 14.5 km/h

6390 kcal19 hours and 45 minutes480 kcal16 hours

Ice hockey

8.7566 kcal

13 hours and 30 minutes

696 kcal

11 hours

Skiing (active time)

5.3345 kcal22 hours and 15 minutes424 kcal18 hours and 15 minutes
Snowboarding (active time)5.3345 kcal22 hours and 15 minutes424 kcal18 hours and 15 minutes

Cross country skiing at 4 km/h

6.8442 kcal17 hours and 30 minutes544 kcal14 hours and 15 minutes
Skialp (Ski mountaineering)5.5358 kcal21 hours and 30 minutes440 kcal17 hours and 30 minutes
How many calories do you burn by skiing and other winter sports

How many calories do you burn with summer sports

As soon as it gets warmer, we’re drawn outdoors and are naturally more active. You have plenty of ways to move, and it’s up to you how many sports you switch between, so you don’t get tired of them. The table below shows the approximate number of calories burned during these activities. This value depends primarily on the intensity of movement. If you want to get energized before undertaking these activities, a pre-workout supplement may come in handy.

Caloric expenditure in an average male and female [1]

ActivityMET

Output of a 65kg female per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS WOMAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Output of an 80kg male per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS MAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Running at 10 km/h

10.3670 kcal11 hours and 30 minutes824 kcal9 hours and 15 minutes

Cycling at an average pace

8520 kcal14 hours and 45 minutes640 kcal12 hours

Mountaineering

6390 kcal19 hours and 45 minutes480 kcal16 hours

Skateboarding

5325 kcal23 hours and 45 minutes400 kcal19 hours and 15 minutes
Footbal8520 kcal14 hours and 45 minutes640 kcal12 hours
Tennis7.3475 kcal16 hours and 15 minutes584 kcal13 hours and 15 minutes
Volleyball5325 kcal23 hours and 45 minutes400 kcal19 hours and 15 minutes

Inline skating

7455 kcal17 hours560 kcal13 hours and 45 minutes
How many calories do you burn running and with other summer sports

How many calories do you burn with strength training, squash and other indoor sports

Well, we also have a variant for those who are fans of indoor activities. Even indoor spaces offer many possibilities, and sometimes you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. How about some yoga? You can also do strength training in the living room. The rate of calories burned again depends on the intensity and weight of the weights lifted. However, the primary purpose of strength training should not be to burn calories, but to build muscle mass, which will then burn energy even if you just lie back on the couch. [6] [7]  

Caloric expenditure in an average male and female [1]

ActivityMET

Output of a 65kg female per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS WOMAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Output of an 80kg male per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS MAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Yoga

3195 kcal39 hours and 30 minutes240 kcal32 hours
Pilates3195 kcal39 hours and 30 minutes240 kcal32 hours

Strength training

6–10390–650 kcal11 hours and 45 minutes – 19 hours and 45 minutes480–800 kcal9 hours and 45 minutes – 16 hours

Elliptical machine training

5325 kcal23 hours and 45 minutes400 kcal19 hours and 15 minutes

Dance

7455 kcal17 hours560 kcal13 hours and 45 minutes
Aerobics7.3475 kcal16 hours and 15 minutes584 kcal13 hours and 15 minutes
Badminton5.5358 kcal21 hours and 30 minutes440 kcal17 hours and 30 minutes
Basketball6.5423 kcal18 hours and 15 minutes520 kcal14 hours and 45 minutes

Bag boxing

5.5358 kcal21 hours and 30 minutes440 kcal17 hours and 30 minutes
Squash7.3475 kcal16 hours and 15 minutes584 kcal13 hours and 15 minutes

Recreational swimming

5.4351 kcal22 hours432 kcal17 hours and 45 minutes
How many calories do you burn with strength training and indoor sports

How many calories do you burn with regular daily activities

The latest list of activities is likely to surprise those who feel that sport is the only way to burn calories. That’s not true, every extra bit of movement really counts. Even if it’s walking down the stairs, a short walk to the post office, or just cleaning the flat. That, too, can be a decent workout at times.

If you are interested in more information about how to burn  calories with normal daily activities, you should not miss the article What Is the Most Important Factor When Losing Weight?

Caloric expenditure of an average male and female [1]

ActivityMET

Output of a 65kg female per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS WOMAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Output of an 80kg male per hour

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THIS MAN TO BURN A KILO OF FAT

Vacuuming and mopping the floor

3.3215 kcal35 hours and 45 minutes264 kcal29 hours and 15 minutes

Moving boxes

4260 kcal29 hours and 30 minutes320 kcal24 hours

Car repair

3.3215 kcal35 hours and 45 minutes264 kcal29 hours and 15 minutes

Chopping wood

6.3410 kcal18 hours and 45 minutes504 kcal15 hours and 15 minutes

Gardening

4.3280 kcal27 hours and 30 minutes344 kcal22 hours and 30 minutes

Walking on a straight at 4 km/h

3195 kcal39 hours and 30 minutes240 kcal32 hours

Motorcycle ride

2.8182 kcal42 hours and 15 minutes224 kcal34 hours and 30 minutes

Cooking

3195 kcal39 hours and 30 minutes240 kcal32 hours

What is should you remember?

As you can see, burning a kilo of fat using sport alone is not easy and can cost you more than 10 hours of intensive training. Remember, therefore, that sport is not the only way to burn a kilo of fat. If you are trying to lose weight, it is usually most effective to increase your sporting activity and normal daily activities and reduce your calorie intake. You should realize you didn’t gain a kilo of fat in one day, so you can’t expect to get rid of it so quickly. Be patient, be consistent, and you’ll see the results sooner than later.

Do you have a favourite sporting activity that helps you lose weight and improve your mood? Share your tips with us in the comments.

Sources:

[1] Compendium of physical activities – https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/winter-activtities

[2] James Hill, Wyatt, H. R., & Peters, J. C. – The Importance of Energy Balance – https://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2013.09.02.111

[3] FoodData Central – https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html

[4] Databáze složení potravin ČR – https://www.nutridatabaze.cz

[5] Faidon Magkos On adaptive thermogenesis: just another weight-loss tale? – https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa262

[6] Pratley R, Nicklas B, Rubin M, Miller J, Smith A, Smith M, Hurley B, Goldberg A. – Strength training increases resting metabolic rate and norepinephrine levels in healthy 50- to 65-yr-old men. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8175496

[7] E. L. Melanson – The effect of exercise on non-exercise physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388457/

[8] Kevin Hall – What is the Required Energy Deficit per unit Weight Loss? – https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803720