How you will burn fat and shed pounds on a treadmill

Lose weight

Running is second only to cross country skiing when it comes to burning calories. In the UK we don’t have the option of skiing on a daily basis so running is the best option when it comes to getting in shape.

By doing a few quick sums, it is possible to calculate how many calories we should be consuming per day and then based on this we can find out how many calories we need to cut from our diet or burn through exercise for effective and safe weight loss.

We all come in different shapes and sizes, with different lifestyle and activity rates. As such we all have a different Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). The BMR is the number of calories you would burn if you sat and did absolutely nothing all day. If you take part in regular cardiovascular exercise you can increase your BMR.

Online calculators allow you to calculate this figure accurately or you can work it out as follows:

Males:

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Females:

BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

For example a male aged 30, with a height of 5’5” and a weight of 190 would have a BMR of 1850

Once you know your BMR you can use the “Harris Benedict” Formula to determine your total daily calorie needs. You simply multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity level as follows:

•Sedentary (little or no exercise) = BMR x 1.2
•Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) = BMR x 1.375
•Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) = BMR x 1.55
•Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) = BMR x 1.725
•Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) = BMR x 1.9

So if our example male from above did little or no exercise, he would need 2,220 calories (1850 x 1.2) per day to maintain his current weight.

If this person wanted to lose 2lbs a week (the most amount it is recommended you should lose in this period) then he would have to reduce his weekly calorie intake by 1000 per day. This is because a pound of fat contains 3500 calories. Reducing your calorie intake by 1000 per day adds up to 7000 calories per week, the equivalent of 2lbs of fat.

Although this sounds like a large number, creating this calorie deficit is achievable with a combination of healthy eating and exercise.

Running burns the following number of calories per pound per minute:

•6-minute mile - 0.115
•8-minute mile - 0.095
•9-minute mile - 0.087

So based on this, calculating the number of calories burned from your run is possible with the following formula:

Calories burned per pound, per minute x your exact weight in pounds = total calories burned per minute.

Then:

Multiply this by the number minutes of activity to give you the total number of calories burned per run.

An even better way to lose weight on a treadmill is through heart rate control programmes. Wearing a compatible chest belt, you enter your details into the treadmill and then it will automatically increase or reduce the difficulty of the workout. This means that you are training in the most safe and effective way.

Not all machines offer this functionality, however heart rate monitor watches and chest belts are available separately and will also let you know when you are training in the right heart rate zone too. You will just have adjust the workout intensity yourself by increasing the speed or incline of the treadmill.

One thing to bear in mind is that as you continue to use the treadmill, you will be losing weight but also gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat. You will notice that your body is changing shape too. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn when working out. The best benefit is that because you have a higher metabolic rate and BMR you will continue to burn more calories even when you are at rest.