- One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. You must create a 3500 calorie deficit by eating less or burning more, but usually a combination of the two. For example, let's assume you are currently consuming 2300 calories a day. To lose one pound within one week, you would need to consume 1800 calories, a 500 calorie deficit, each day for a week. If you add exercise into the equation, you are likely to lose more.
- It is difficult to determine how many calories to consume in order to lose weight without first knowing how many calories you are currently eating each day. A good method to see where you are and where you want to be is to keep a food journal, whether on paper or online. Keeping track of the foods you are eating and adding up the calories can be an eye opening experience.
- The standard number of pounds to safely lose within a week is one to two. If you create a 500 calorie deficit each day, whether by eating less or exercising more, you should lose one pound by the end of the week. If you create a 1000 calorie deficit, by both eating less and exercising more, you should lose two pounds by the end of the week. A deficit of more than 1000 calories a day is generally considered unsafe.
- Some people believe the key to weight loss is to swear off carbs or cut sugar from your diet. While it's best to limit these foods, the calorie equation is the most reliable formula for calculating weight loss. Of course, if you look closely at the foods that are high in sugar or complex carbohydrates, you'll notice these foods are also high in calories.
- It's important to eat enough of the right foods. It's easy to fall victim to the idea that a larger calorie deficit will create better weight loss results, but it's important to eat enough calories to keep you body functioning properly. If you eat too few calories, your body will want to hold on to every calorie it can.
