Why heavier people burn more calories

For example, if you weighed pounds, then an hour of running at a pace of 5 miles per hour would burn calories but if you lose 40 pounds it will only burn calories. But you can increase the pace to 8 miles per hour and burn 1, calories in an hour. You can also add strength training to your routine to build muscle mass.

This will slow your weight loss while reducing your body fat percentage, allowing you to get fitter while continuing to burn calories at a high level.

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By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Anthanont P, et al. Does basal metabolic rate predict weight gain? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Goldman L, et al. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.

Accessed Aug. Losing weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 7, Lam YY, et al. Indirect calorimetry: An indispensable tool to understand and predict obesity. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Bray GA. Because you can burn more calories quickly when you are overweight, you may experience more significant weight loss when starting an exercise program than a friend who only has a few pounds to lose.

Weight loss happens when you create a calorie deficit, meaning you eat fewer calories than you burn off. Because you burn more calories than your skinny friend, you can create a bigger deficit and see results.

You have to watch your food intake, however. If you eat back all the calories you burn off during a walk, you will not lose weight. If you are overweight and out of shape, you may lack stamina. If you are only able to sustain a walk of 10 to 15 minutes, you will burn fewer calories during that exercise session than a smaller person who can last an hour.

Work your way up to at least 50 minutes per day, five times weekly for significant weight loss. You can't rely on your weight alone as a predictor of the calories you'll burn because your weight doesn't provide information about body composition.

Exercise intensity is a major factor determining how many calories you burn. A lighter person might burn more calories running than a heavier person, for example, if she runs uphill or at a faster speed. Overall physical fitness also may affect the calories you burn because as you get into better shape, your body learns to work more efficiently.

Although your weight can help you burn more calories, it also can be a hindrance, particularly if you are significantly overweight.

You might not be able to move as quickly, exercise as long or do challenging, intense routines.