July 6, 2025, 3:03 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
FITBOOK author Nina spent a week burning an extra 1,000 calories each day through exercise, on top of her basic needs. How did she achieve this, and how did it feel?
How accurate is the display on a smartwatch, really? Or put another way: How many calories do you actually burn daily? According to my smartwatch, I average about 2,600, with a good third of that coming from physical activity. These are called “activity calories,” which for me mainly come from taking many, many steps (I have two dogs) and exercising about five times a week. My activity calories are almost always around 700 to 900, without any extra effort. On vacation, when I’m even more active simply because I don’t have to sit at a desk, the consumption is usually higher. I often find myself much hungrier and sometimes a bit “hangry.” So what happens if I consistently burn an extra 1,000 calories every day? Is it very exhausting? Will I be hungrier? Will I automatically be exhausted or sleep poorly? I want to find out and decide to test it myself over the next seven days.
Quick trigger warning!
If you have an unhealthy relationship with food and calories, if your diet preoccupies you excessively, and if you’re struggling with your body, please do not read this article. This is not meant to be a guide to saving calories, but rather an observation of how increased activity levels affect daily life, energy levels, and body awareness.
Calorie Consumption and Weight Loss
To lose one kilogram of fat, you need a deficit of about 7,000 calories. This means that if you suddenly burn 1,000 more calories than usual every day, you could theoretically lose a kilogram in a week—if you don’t eat more to compensate. However, to actually lose a kilogram in a week in practice, you would need to have burned zero calories through activities (which is very unlikely unless you’re bedridden…). It’s also quite likely that your body will want to compensate for the burned calories, making itself known with persistent hunger (more on this later…).
Burning 1,000 Extra Calories Daily for 7 Days – Here’s How I Did It
Day 1
I choose Whit Monday at the beginning of June to start my self-experiment. While others are still asleep in bed or spreading their first holiday roll, my partner and I take our two dogs on a leash at half-past seven and go for a good six-kilometer walk. The first 250 calories are burned, so we can indulge a bit more at breakfast.
In the early afternoon, we go for a short three-kilometer run and then do a quick workout consisting of 20 burpees, a 500-meter sprint, and 20 squats. The result is another 400 calories burned. Although I mostly sat in between and only paced a bit around our house, I already reached over 700 calories. The rest of the day is relatively relaxed with a dog walk, strawberry picking, and ice cream with my nephew.
In the evening, the smartwatch is empty. But that’s okay, as I’m just watching a series on the couch, completely exhausted. Burning calories makes you tired.
Walking Instead of Training
Day 2
I wake up with a ravenous hunger. Maybe I didn’t eat enough yesterday after all that activity? My body makes it quite clear, and I have absolutely no desire for exercise, which is rare for me. Instead, I set off on a long walk with the dogs. It doesn’t always have to be “sport” in the traditional sense; a bit of movement is enough. My smartwatch agrees and confirms in the evening that I burned around 700 calories just by taking numerous steps with the dogs, shopping, and talking on the phone. In the evening, I teach a yoga class and take the subway. This means I have to walk about 1,000 steps from the train to the gym, and by the end of the day, I’ve burned more than 1,000 calories without ever feeling rushed. This is a new realization: You can achieve a lot with steps (and dogs), even without doing sports.
Day 3
I slept well for seven hours and feel like new. Today, I easily hit the 1,000-calorie mark by walking to the train for my appointments. Leaving the car behind burns a good 50 to 60 calories per trip. On the way back, I stop at the supermarket and stock up on oatmeal and bananas. My breakfast is a bit larger than usual this week.
Dogs Keep You on Your Toes
Day 4
The day starts normally with an extended walk with my 13-year-old dog and a short run with my one-year-old, fit dog. In the afternoon, I feel a slight dip; my body seems a bit worn out from the past few days. I eat significantly more than usual today. That’s okay, and the hunger doesn’t feel like boredom or emotional eating, but rather a genuine need for energy. My body seems to be demanding what it has expended. In the evening, I go to bed full and quite tired, falling asleep within just a few minutes. This also seems to be a side effect of the activity.
Burning Calories While Celebrating
Day 5
Today, I’m out early to teach a morning yoga class. I walk the two kilometers each way. In the evening, it gets quite long because a friend is celebrating her birthday. We dance, talk, and move around, and even though my smartwatch’s battery dies at some point in the evening after about 1,000 calories, I’m sure I easily surpassed 1,200 calories today. Fun fact: Celebrating burns a surprising amount, as long as you’re not just sitting in the corner with a drink in hand.
Day 6
Today, I consciously slow down a bit. I feel a bit exhausted and decide to take the day more leisurely. In the morning, I go for a long walk, later I leisurely bike into the city, and in the evening, I take another short walk with the dogs. Without a targeted workout, I end up burning around 980 calories. Almost made it, without it really feeling like “exercise.” I generously forgive myself the last 20 calories since I moved a bit more than the goal yesterday, and I don’t believe the numbers are entirely accurate anyway. It’s clear you can live an active life without meticulously planned training blocks by simply incorporating movement into your daily routine.
How Hard Is It to Burn 1,000 More Calories a Day? A Self-Experiment!
Is Porridge Healthier Than Oatmeal With Milk?
Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Athlete’s Foot
Exercise, Daily Movement – and an Ice Cream as a Reward
Day 7
The last day of my challenge falls on a Sunday, so I have plenty of time for exercise. At least theoretically. Practically, I’m a bit “worn out” after this week, so I start slowly with a long walk with my partner and the dogs. At noon, we go for a run in the great weather, stroll through the city afterward, and have ice cream. By 5 p.m., my watch shows 800 calories burned.
In the evening, we end the day quietly with a barbecue. By setting the table, clearing it, and pacing around the house, I manage to reach 1,000 calories by 8 p.m. and happily put my feet up. I don’t need to mention that I treat myself to a second ice cream today, do I?