# Burning calories **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2000, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633 "2000-03-31T10:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/1 "2000-03-31T10:17:00Z")
I was randomly wondering: How many calories does it take to walk up to the twelfth floor of a building? How about to walk down? If someone did that three or four times a day (walking up and down), how many calories would he or she burn per day? What about walking at a moderate or fast pace for 30 minutes? I hate gyms, and jogging makes me feel like a fool, BTW. A related question: assuming diet stays the same, is there any quantifiable correlation between calories burned and no. of lbs lost? Just trying to get some sense of the size of the challenge facing me (so to speak). DHR ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/2 "2000-03-31T10:59:00Z")
[This](http://homearts.com/helpers/calculators/burncal.htm) might help. Unfortunately, searches are swamped by a zillion commercial diet sites. I’ll keep looking. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/3 "2000-03-31T11:02:00Z")
[Calories Burned during Exercise Lists exercises and calories burned](http://www.nutristrategy.com/). Still not quite what yer lookin’ for. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/4 "2000-03-31T13:46:00Z")
IIRC, there is not an exact coorelationship between calories and weight-loss, but as a rule of thumb, about 2500 calories (20000 BTU’s) roughly translates to a one pound weight loss. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/5 "2000-03-31T14:01:00Z")
FWIW, food Calories are 1000 calories. So when we’re talking about Calories in food, we’re actually talking about kilocalories. Just thought I’d depress people. 😃 * * * “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/6 "2000-03-31T14:03:00Z")
Yeah, LA, but psychologically, this could work wonders, imagine restrcting yourself (should one need to) to 2 million calories a day rather than 2 thousand :). ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/7 "2000-03-31T14:58:00Z")
Johnny, don’t those equations take the calorie/Calorie exchange into account? Otherwise, we’d all be applying for our own zip codes. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/8 "2000-03-31T15:35:00Z")
I don’t have any extensive health/nutrition/fitness background, but here are some attempts at answers: How many calories does it take to go up 12 floors? Don’t know, and–of course–it varies with your weight. My guess is that it will take twice as many calories to elevate a 100-lb person ~120 feet as opposed to a 200-pounder. Walking/jogging for 30 minutes: You can estimate about 100 calories per mile. Again, that varies with weight, but the running/jogging/walking doesn’t matter so much as the distance. There’s not a statistically significant different calorie burn in the rate at which you travel. It’ the distance that counts. So, if you walk for 30 minutes, that’s about 150 calories. If you run for 30 minutes, that might be 500 calories. There is research to indicate that the rate does affect what _type_ energy (fat vs carbo) is used as fuel, but I don’t have any info on that. You’ve probably already seen that a pound of fat is about 3500 calories. So, if your weight is stable with your current diet, you’ll need to walk or run “several” (again, depends upon your weight) miles a day to lose a pound of fat a week. ---
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/9 "2000-04-01T03:55:00Z")
android, I hit on the site you recommended, since I’ve wanted to know the same thing. I DO go to a gym, but the only thing they help you calculate is heart rate, I guess to make sure you don’t keel over. ## The site says in black and orange that it has been hacked. Do you have another one?? Judy ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/10 "2000-04-01T19:04:00Z")
[http://www.nutristrategy.com/backup.htm](http://www.nutristrategy.com/backup.htm) ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/11 "2000-04-01T22:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Mjollnir: > \*\* > > Don’t know, and–of course–it varies with your weight. My guess is that it will take twice as many calories to elevate a 100-lb person ~120 feet as opposed to a 200-pounder. > > \*\* You may want to switch that around. Also I think you should consider whether or not the 200 lb. person has the same muscle mass as the 100 lb. person or if that extra 100 pounds is at least partly more muscle. The more muscle mass the greater the basal metabolic rate. I see your point in theory though. ---
**Author:** ![Phil\_Saoud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@Phil\_Saoud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phil_Saoud)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/12 "2000-04-02T15:44:00Z")
A few miscellaneous observations: 1. The amount of calories (kcal) burned when climbing stairs does indeed depend on your weight. 2. Calories burned does not translate directly into fat burned. Your body uses 9 calories to burn 1 gram of fat. However, it takes only 4 calories to burn 1 gram of carbohydrates (glycogen). Your body starts out by burning a high percentage of carbs. The percentage of fat burned increases along with your workout duration. 3. Excercizing at the wrong intensity level may not give you the benefits you’re looking for. If you are not in good shape to begin with, attempting to climb 12 flights of stairs three times may be too difficult. If the workout is too intense, you probably won’t stick with it. Even if you do, you risk injury to your knees (espcially on you descent). 4. If you are serious about working out and you can afford it, I strongly suggest that you buy a heart rate monitor. They start at around $60 (U.S.). Some fairly basic models will identify target zones and calories burned. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2000, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/13 "2000-04-02T20:28:00Z")
The best exercise if you’re a bit, or a lot, out of shape? Swimming. No problem with joints, go as quickly or as slowly as you like. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/14 "2000-04-03T00:02:00Z")
Problem, though, android: I don’t think I’ll ever be sufficiently “in shape” that I’ll be comfortable appearing in public in a swimsuit. And so far my apartment complex has refused to allow me to dig my own pool. ---
**Author:** ![Llardball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Llardball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llardball)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2000, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-calories/9633/15 "2000-04-03T02:51:00Z")
Maybe this will answer your questions. [http://espn.drkoop.com/tools/calculator/calories\_burned.asp](http://espn.drkoop.com/tools/calculator/calories_burned.asp)