Apple Watch Tracking "Calories Burned"

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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I wanted to get an opinion and also check if my understanding below is correct

The move bars represent calories burnt during the day over and above the resting calories burnt.
So if I burn 600 cal in a day it’s good?

How many should I burn on the Apple Watch for weight loss?

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More than yesterday. I recognize that’s an annoying response, but it’s true.

The good thing about using the watch as your tracker is that it’s consistent; none of the tools are perfectly accurate, but using the same one at least lets you control your variable.

To lose weight, it’s a balance: you need to burn more calories than you take in. So your question is like asking “how much money do I need to invest?” There’s two sides to the equation and we have to know your start and end points.

I laid out a long calorie-counting post elsewhere I can find if you’re interested, but my simple recommendation would be:

  1. How much do you weigh now?
  2. What’s your maintenance caloric intake? You can guesstimate at around 13-15 kcal per lbs. of body weight.
  3. You want to be in a deficit, so you can set that up through a combination of diet and cardio. Cardio is crazy hard to manipulate to a point of real control/ contribution. I’d recommend setting a baseline you have to hit (your 600 calories a day as an example), but then use diet as your primary variable. Consider the cardio your salary, so it’s relatively stable as long as you go to work, and your diet is the expenses you can control.
  4. Adjust your diet down progressively as fat loss slows (this is where I wrote a novel before that I can find if you care).
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Yes please if you can share will be really helpful.

So you are saying burn 600 calories on Apple Watch through cardio. And some 500-600 on weight lifting?

I am at 73kgs now. 22% bf. Want to build muscle as well as loose fat. How to think about calories and macros is what I am trying to get to. And also how to use Apple Watch to keep me disciplined and going on.
I agree it’s mot perfect. But atleast if it says I have done only 700 calories ina day. I know them to hit 1000 before I sleep that day. So in that way brings accountability.

That’s my thinking.

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There you go. Now, a disclaimer, counting calories like that is not the only way, but I do find it to be an effective way. It’s really whatever you can sustain.

And you’re thinking about the Watch the right way - use it for consistent accountability. I just wouldn’t go crazy trying to manipulate your cardio as your only variable as you try to lose weight: it’s less efficient than manipulating calories and there are only so many hours in the day as you start having to do more and more. Definitely use it to set and hit your thresholds, as in the example you just gave.

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And some 500-600 on weight lifting?

It’s doubtful you would be burning that much at your weight (in fact a lot of people’s weight) doing resistance training unless you were having ridiculously long sessions. You can set Apple watch to track a “Traditional Strength Training Workout” I do it with mine sometimes and even on a tough squat/deadlift session I’m doing about 250

I just wouldn’t go crazy trying to manipulate your cardio as your only variable as you try to lose weight: - 100%
If you do want to make sure you’re hitting calories burnt just doing some walking is an excellent way to do it which aids recovery

As long as you’re setting up your diet properly and ensuring your deficit factors in your activity levels you’re golden. Just don’t set calories too low as you want to have somewhere to go once fat loss stalls

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How much would you use recovering from a lifting session though?

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Good point, I know you get a calorie expenditure in EPOC for up to 24 to even 72 hours after. Think I’ve read a few studies that downplayed the amount of calories burned I’ll see if I can find the links if I get chance. Quick google search put it between 100-200 dependant on lean mass etc