What 'active calories' really means on your Burnie home screen
You open Burnie and see a number called active calories. It is only the energy you burn by moving — not your breathing, not your heart rate, not your sleep.
You open Burnie. Right there on the home screen is a number. It says 'Active calories.' It looks simple. But what does it really count? And what does it leave out? This is your plain guide to reading that number on your own screen.
What the number is — and is not
Active calories is the energy your body burns because you moved. Walking to the bus, sweeping, taking the stairs — all of this is active calories. A quick evening walk counts too. Scientists call it active energy expenditure. One medical textbook says it is 'the additional energy expenditure above REE and TEF that is required for performing daily activities.' REE means resting energy, close to your BMR. TEF is the small burn from digesting food. So the number on your screen does NOT include the energy to stay alive. That part — your BMR — is counted by Burnie on its own. Active calories is only the extra slice on top, from moving.
What your active-calories number includes and excludes
The active-calories number on my screen is every calorie I burned today.
mostly falseMostly false. The number is only the movement slice. The biggest part of your daily burn is BMR — the energy to stay alive. BMR is about 60% of total burn. Active calories is about 30%. So if your screen shows 300 active calories, that is not your whole burn. Burnie adds your BMR to your active calories to find your full calories-out. The active number is just the part you can lift by moving more.
How to read your own number
The bottom line
Your active-calories number is the moving slice. It is only the energy you burn above your BMR from walking, chores, and exercise. It does not include your breathing, your heart rate, your sleep, or your blood pressure. Burnie reads it from your phone or your own entry. It adds this to your BMR, then subtracts your food. If it feels too low, you can type your own. Move a little more to grow the slice — and let your food logging carry the rest.