Estimated calories burned only from walking

[dotwave]

I'm trying to figure the legitmacy of the amount of calories I'm actually burning based on the number of steps I'm taking. With a BMR of about 2100 and doing 15,000 steps, can my total estimated burn be 3600 calories? Most of my walking was at work as I am a cashier/floor person. It's hard to believe that I would burn an extra 1,500 calories just from 15,000 steps.  5'9", male, 247 lbs.

What are your thoughts? Because I hardly ever eat anywhere close to 3100 calories, let alone anything above 2400.

[slysam]

With a BMR of 2100, sure. If your BMR is 2100, this is about 1.7 times your BMR which is considered very active. A 15k step count probably is at that level (if you aren't getting false step credit), I think the average is suppose to be 4,000 steps for a North American with a fairly sedentary job. But the more you weigh the more your BMR, the more you burn. This will decrease as you lose weight (if that is your goal). Here is a link to a TDEE calculator, i would not say it is more accurate than Fitbitbut it can give you a good second opinion. I would suggest using "Mifflin" for the BMR option (there are a few choices, but that is closest to fitbit's BMR) and at your step count look at the very active, 1.7 multiplier.

[dotwave]

I suppose. It's just hard to imagine 15000 steps at work would mean burning this much compared to walking 15,0000 steps straight as a walking exercise. Unless it takes this into factor as well meaning I would have burned more calories walking 15,000 steps than just making 15,000 steps at work?

[Heybales]

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@dotwave wrote:

I suppose. It's just hard to imagine 15000 steps at work would mean burning this much compared to walking 15,0000 steps straight as a walking exercise. Unless it takes this into factor as well meaning I would have burned more calories walking 15,000 steps than just making 15,000 steps at work?

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Steps isn't really a useful stat to figure anything out from by itself.

Fitbit is using that with stride length to figure pace, pace and mass can be used in calculations with 4% of measured.

It also can tell if full stride or short stride.

See what kind of pace causes that calorie burn, use the Gross option since that's what Fitbit is reporting.

Also be aware you are looking at total day burn, but this might remove some shock as to the level your mass being moved can burn.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html

Oh yeah - you don't burn an extra 1500 just from the walking. Your waking metabolism sitting of RMR is higher than your sleeping metabolism of BMR by probably 200-250.

The energy required to digest your food is usually about 10% of what you eat. So if holding to good deficit of 1000, that's eating 2600 - so burning 260 processing food.

Your other daily activity besides walking burns calories too, all movement.

[slysam]

I was in a hurry when I last posted and forgot to include the TDEE calculator link: http://http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ , There are others, I just include this one since it allows you to choose among three different BMR estimates and five activity levels and kind of explains what it is doing. I think Mifflin is closest to Fitbit's BMR (my fitbit bmr is just 2 calories fewer than this calculators estimation of Mifflin--likely a rou ding error or something like that). I think for new users (and some experienced users) plugging in your stats, Mifflin BMR, then running the calculator for each activity level could giv you an educated idea what the range of calorie burn possibilities there are for people like you (height, weight, age, gender, general activty level). Often people overestimate their actiivty before they have a fitbit, but some underestimate.