Burning Calories vs. Burning Fat (What's The Difference) (2023)

Last updated: November 7, 2022

When it comes to losing weight, the terms calories and fat are often thrown around interchangeably.

In reality, there’s a big difference between calories and fat. As a result, it can be frustrating to do what the fitness pros say, only to see minimal results.

We’ve spent hours researching the differences between the two, so you know exactly what to focus on to achieve your body transformation goals.

Compared to burning calories, burning fat requires certain criteria to be met in order to occur.

• Calories are units of energy extracted from the food we eat. All food groups such as carbs, proteins, grains, and fats contain calories in varying amounts.
• Fats are a group of insoluble compounds found in fatty foods. Our bodies naturally extract calories from the food we eat to provide us with energy. However, when too much food is eaten, this calorie surplus gets stored in our fat cells and leads to weight gain.

Our bodies constantly burn calories even at rest to provide enough energy for bodily functions, which means you can burn calories simply by laying on the couch.

Fats are another story. As they are stored in the body, the fat-burning process is much more complex and challenging.

To burn fat, your body requires an elevated heart rate for a prolonged period of time, influencing you to take in more oxygen.

That provides your body with a greater amount of oxygen for the fat-burning process, also known as fat oxidation.

Comparatively, shedding calories only cuts down on water weight and does not impact body fat.

When it comes to losing weight, you’ll want to focus on burning fat if you’re looking to achieve tangible results.

As mentioned earlier, shedding calories alone won’t have any significant effect in helping you lose fat. If you want to slim down, you’ll need to focus on getting rid of the excess fat stored in your cells.

The best way to accelerate your body transformation goals is twofold: engage in intense exercise consistently, and manage your calorie intake. According toLiz Cook, Registered Dieticianof OnPoint Nutrition, the biggest key to weight loss is a calorie deficit.

This can be done by reducing portion sizes, choosing healthier options and cooking more meals at home rather than eating out. It is important to reduce calorie intake or increase energy output because a calorie deficit also plays a big role in weight loss.

Below are some methods to help you with your weight loss journey.

Aerobic exercise includes any form of cardiovascular activity that gets your heart rate up.

Popular choices such as swimming, running, spin class, and aerobics are great choices to accelerate the fat-burning process.

These types of workouts gradually elevate the heart rate and increase the volume of oxygen supplied to muscles. As a result, it provides your body with enough oxygen to facilitate the breakdown of body fat.

When it comes to exercising, your body draws energy from recently consumed calories.

The higher intensity of a workout, the greater the energy demand is on your body.

High-intensity workouts like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) significantly increases the amount of energy your body requires.

Similar to aerobic exercises, calories alone won’t provide your body with the energy it needs.

However, there is another source of energy that’s abundant with even more calories just waiting to be tapped into - your fat reserves.

Perhaps the easiest way to shed pounds and lose fat is: to consume fewer calories.

If you’re looking to shed pounds off your waist, you need to burn more calories than you eat.

The simplest way to do this is to watch your diet and ensure you’re living a healthy lifestyle. It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Shedding body fat is a process that needs certain conditions to be met. Unless your body has what it needs, you won’t be getting fit anytime soon.

By engaging in intense physical activity that makes you breathe hard, you’ll elevate your target heart rate and engage in the fat oxidation process.

This allows your body to torch calories and burn off the energy stored in your fats, shedding pounds and helping you slim down.

Let us know what type of intense exercises you prefer in your workout.

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Isaac is a personal fitness trainer and nutritionist living in sunny Indianapolis, IN. He has spent the last 8 years staying at the forefront of the health and fitness industry. He has helped hundreds of people lose weight, get in shape, and maintain their healthy lifestyles through proper training and eating habits.