How To Burn 3000 Calories A Day?

Effective diet and lifestyle practices to burn excess calories and lose weight safely.

Medically reviewed by Reda Elmardi, RDN
Written by Priyanka Sadhukhan, MSc (Nutrition), CDE
Edited by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma
Fact-checked by Aparna Mallampalli, BEd, MSc (Microbiology), Diploma In Nutrition  • 

Burning calories every day can help you shed pounds and stay fit. But this raises many questions. How many calories should I burn a day to lose weight? How many calories to burn a pound? How many calories does the average person burn a day? How do you burn 3,000 calories a day to burn 15,000 calories in 5 days? If these are your questions, we have all the answers. Read on.

You need to burn 3,500 calories to shed a pound of fat. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, burning 3,000 calories per day would be a great start to your fitness journey.

There are many ways you can expend 3,000 calories per day. The right diet and exercise plan can take you towards the best shape of your life. Continue reading to know more.

Weight Loss Goals

Understanding the path of your weight loss goal is the first step towards losing those extra pounds. There may be many around us who would be overweight, and each person has their set parameters to burn the calories.

According to the survey conducted by NHANES in 2017-18 on the US population, about 1 in 11 adults are said to have severe obesity (1). Nearly 1 in 3 adults are overweight. And more than 2 in 5 adults have obesity. It also reported that the % of overweight, obese, and severely obese children in the US are 16.1%, 19.3 %, and 6.1%, respectively.

A heavier person, for example, would burn more calories per day than a thin person. Similarly, an athlete would burn more in a day than an average person spends in a routine physical activity. Hence, a realistic weight loss goal is must to motivate one to shed the extra pounds.

How To Burn 3000 Calories A Day:

To burn 3000 calories a day, you need to alter and eat much lesser than your current diet patterns. This would require dedicated meal planning and portion control in your diet. This means that you must adjust the corresponding amount of calories in the diet before you can achieve the goal. A healthy adult requires 2000 calories for basic functions of the body. Anything you eat above this is used for walking, talking, working, and other regular activities.

Interestingly, 3500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat. So, in order to lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3500 calories more than you consume. Alternatively, if a person consumes 3500 calories and has no physical activity, it will contribute excess fat equal to one pound. To begin with weight loss, the focus should be on reduced calorie intake and the intensity and duration of the workout plan – it should burn about 1000 calories. This will create a calorie deficit that will immediately start burning the fat. It should take a week to burn a pound of fat in this manner. Also, beginners tend to burn fat faster compared to the regulars.

A Pound A Day

Woman swimming to burn 3000 calories a day.
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A week is considered a good timeline for a healthy journey toward stable weight loss. Nonetheless, if losing an entire pound in a single day is important, for some reason, high-intensity interval training is ideal. But if you would rather engage in more interesting physical activities, here are some intense activities that help burn calories.

  1. Running: A very effective activity, running burns 850 calories an hour. However, you would need to run for 4 hours to burn 3000 calories.
  2. Cross Country Skiing: An intense one-hour session burns 1100 calories.
  3. Swimming: Swimming intensely for an hour helps you burn 700 calories.
  4. Squash: The sport burns 850 calories in an hour.
  5. Biking: Intense biking for an hour also burns 850 calories.
  6. Boxing: Boxing burns 800 calories in an hour.

Other similar intense activities that help burn calories include cycling, rock climbing, dancing, Pilates, weight lifting and yoga. Any of these would need a dedicated 4 to 8 hours to effectively burn away 3000 calories.

Zero Calorie Foods

Woman eating healthy food as a way to burn 3000 calories a day.
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Eating healthy is a crucial part of a weight loss goal, be it something as quick as ‘a pound a day’ goal. You should ensure your body obtains the necessary nutrition despite the drop in calories. Eat vegetables and whole grains that are high in fiber but low in calories. Have zero-calorie foods like apples. These foods barely have 50 calories that the body burns to digest them, hence the name. They also provide nutrition and energy as calorie reduction eventually results in a crash. You can also have refreshing beverages like green tea to boost metabolism.

protip_icon Quick Tip
Arugula, beets, carrots, lettuce, kale, papaya, and radishes are some of the nutritious foods with relatively fewer calories that you can add to your diet.

Eat Breakfast

Woman having healthy breakfast to burn 3000 calories a day.
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The first meal of the day should always be breakfast. This is the time where you can eat healthy foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. You should consume at least 200 grams of protein and 30-40 grams of carbs per meal. If you skip breakfast, you may find yourself hungry later in the day.

protip_icon Quick Tip
Incorporate high-protein and low-carb foods like eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, and edamame, along with ground chicken, turkey, and beef in your breakfast.

Drink Water

Woman drinking water to stay hydratd and burn 3000 calories a day.
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Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Have at least 8 glasses of water each day. When you drink enough water, your body will have no need to go searching for food. Your body will begin to function properly and efficiently.

Maintain A Calorie Log

Everyone has different energy needs. So, even if you know how to burn 3000 calories a day, you need to make a diet plan along with a burn target. All this should be recorded in a diary so that the plan is adhered to. The log will also help you with maintaining consistency towards your goals. Include lean meat with high protein intake in your diet. To complement this, choose an activity that burns the desired amount of calories. Also, use the log to keep track of your daily hydration, sleep, and stress management through mindfulness activities. All these factors work together to ensure an overall healthy lifestyle.

Do Cardio Exercises

Woman jogging to burn 3000 calories a day.
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Cardio exercises help burn calories and keep your heart healthy. They also increase your energy levels and make you feel better about yourself. You can either hit the gym or engage in outdoor activities like jogging, cycling, power walking, and sports like soccer, basketball, or tennis to burn calories. Pair your cardio with strength training for maximum results. Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but it also helps improve your mental outlook.

A blogger emphasizes the correlation between weight and calorie burning, expressing enthusiasm for potential weight loss through a daily 10-kilometer walk. The author shares a personal commitment to resisting junk food and maintaining focus on their health journey, prompting readers to reflect on their own motivational factors for a healthy lifestyle. The blogger specifically mentions, “We’ve decided to aim for 10km per day instead because it’s really quite achievable for us, but by walking this much I am burning over 4000 calories in a single day. I can eat well all day and still keep my calorie intake below 2000, so hopefully the weight should fall off as long as I keep the food I’m putting in healthy (i).”

While the aforementioned strategies may help burn 3,000 calories a day, how can you tell you actually burnt those many calories? The following section has the answer.

How To Calculate Calories Burned?

  1. Determine the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value for the activity you’re interested in. Every physical activity has a different MET value that is used to calculate its intensity and energy expenditure (2).
  2. Weigh yourself. Count your weight in kilograms.
  3. Measure the duration of the activity in minutes.
  4. Calculate energy expenditure per minute with the following formula:
    MET value x Value of one MET x Weight (Kg)/200

For example, if you weigh 65 kilograms and do a 30-minute trampoline (with a MET value of 7.5), the calculation would be:
Energy expenditure = 7.5 x 3.5 x 65 kg/200 = approximately 9.18 calories per minute. Hence, you will burn 9.18 x 30 = 275.4 calories in 30 minutes.

Infographic: 4 Effective Ways To Burn 3000 Calories A Day

Having a goal of burning 3000 calories a day is not easy. It takes a lot of discipline and commitment to stick to your goal. Not only do you have to eat lesser and more nutritious food, but you have to stick to a strict daily workout routine.

There are a few simple pointers that you should keep in mind to make this process easier. Check out the infographic below to know some tips on how to burn 3000 calories a day.

4 effective ways to burn 3000 calories a day (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version
protip_icon Quick Tip
Hit the treadmill, elliptical machine, stair climber, or rowing machine in your gym for a successful cardio workout.

While the above-mentioned ways to lose 3000 calories per day are very much doable, it’s up to you to decide whether it is healthy for you or not. Squash, swimming, running, biking, boxing, etc., are few of the activities that can help you lose about 3500 calories per day. These not only help reduce the amount of excess body fat but also tone and strengthen the important body muscles. If you are aiming at burning 3000 calories per day, you should do this under the supervision of a licensed trainer to avoid any possible strain or side effects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many steps burn 3000 calories?

A person burns approximately 100 calories every 2,000 steps. You will need to go on 6 walks of about 10,000 steps each to burn 3000 calories.

How many calories does a typical person burn in one day?

On average, an adult female burns 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, and an adult male burns 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day.

What is the best time of day to exercise to burn 3000 calories?

Early morning is a great time to exercise to burn 3000 calories as both your body and mind are fresh and energized.

Key Takeaways

  • Reducing calorie intake and including an intense workout that burns about 1000 calories is key to reducing weight for beginners.
  • Daily activities like walking, running, swimming, or boxing can help burn calories effectively and lose weight safely.
  • Consuming high-fiber and low-calorie foods like apples, chicken, nuts, and seeds can help in effective weight management.
  • Drinking 8 glasses of water every day keeps your stomach full and body hydrated.
how to burn 3000 calories a day

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team


Curious about burning 3000 calories a day? Dive into the question of whether it’s a significant feat or not, unraveling the facts and providing valuable insights in this intriguing video. Check it out now!

Personal Experience: Source

References

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.

  1. Overweight & Obesity Statistics
    https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
  2. A youth compendium of physical activities: activity codes and metabolic intensities
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5768467/
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