You can calculate your weight loss rate directly from your calorie deficit. Your calorie deficit is the difference between the number of calories you burn and the number of calories you consume. You must also ensure that your expected weight loss rate falls within a safe range.
Calorie
The food calorie, known more formally as the kilocalorie, is a unit of energy used almost exclusively to measure the energy in food. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations generally defines the calorie as the quantity of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius. A calorie is approximately equal to 4.184 joules, although the calorie isn't an exact unit of measure. This is primarily because the value of the calories is determined experimentally, and there isn't wide acceptance on the initial conditions of this experiment.
Fat
Your body obtains a specific number of calories by burning a given quantity of fat. For example, 1 lb. of fat contains about 3,500 calories. This relationship between fat and calories allows you to predict your weight loss rate from your calorie deficit.
Calculation
Assume for this example that your calorie deficit is 1,000 calories per day. This is equal to 7,000 calories per week, which will result in a weight loss of 7,000 / 3,500 = 2 lbs. per week. This is the maximum weight loss rate recommended by the National Institutes of Health.
Minimum Intake
MayoClinic.com recommends that adult females consume at least 1,200 calories per day, and that adult males consume at least 1,500 calories per day. This is generally the minimum caloric intake you need to keep your body burning fat instead of muscle. You need to meet this minimum requirement regardless of the number of calories you burn.
Weight Loss
A weight loss rate of 2 lbs. per weight means that you should burn a total of 2,500 calories per day if you're male and 2,200 calories per day if you're female. This will allow you to lose 2 lbs. per week and still meet your minimum calorie intake.
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