How do I determine the number of calories burned?

That's the question of the day?  I'm sorry to say that unfortunately, there is no real easy answer, or even more there is no good way to determine the number of calories burned.  

There are a lot of factors that go into calculating an estimate on the number of calories you burn during a workout.  Including:  Age, weight, fitness level, environmental conditions (are you running against the wind), your percentage of body fat, and how trained you are for a specific activity.

So, when you ask me how many calories you burn doing a specific workout, I really cannot answer it.  I know if you use Fitday.com, you can go into activities and put in that you biked for 20 minutes (and it might as about an estimated speed), it will use that information plus the information in your profile to determine an approximate number of calories burned.  I also know that my heart rate monitor tells me instantly an approximate amount of calories burned.  All these are estimated numbers.

But in reality, you do not need to go crazy about counting calories because its the overall picture that makes the biggest influence.  In general, you burn 10,000 calories a week at rest.  Research suggest that burning an additional 2,000 to 3,000 or more per week is needed to control body weight.  If you are fitting in an accumulated 60-90 minutes of exercise a day, which would get you to the extra 2,000 to 3,000 calories a week burn, you are right on target!

Also, if you continue to workout regularly and eat healthy you will get the results you are looking for!  Just watch what and how much you eat!  Your goal is to consume less calories then your body will burn off in a day!  Your body also burns calories by everyday life (the type of job you have impacts this, just breathing burns calories).   

 I feel like I am giving you the easy out answer by saying there are no real ways to calculate the calories burned.  I know that 2 people doing the same workout will get totally different numbers for calories burned!  I know that you can't focus on this number!  That you just need to be aware of how much you eat and try to stay in your range.  (If you don't know your recommended range for your workout, check out the Million Dollar Club for additional information on calculating your daily needs.  It will be a good starting point!)

I like to use the program Fitday!  If I enter all my foods I eat for the day and enter my workouts, I can see in a glance if I am burning more then I am consuming!  If that's the case, my scale will eventually go down.  If I am eating more then I am burning, then I know my scale will go the wrong way!

I posted more about this, or similar topic, in an older post called Do the Math?

Sorry there is no easy answer, but stick with your program and the results will come!  Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your Beachbody!