Whether you are struggling to lose one pound or one hundred, you will need to eliminate 3,500 calories of energy for each pound. That sounds like a high number, considering you had to intake 3,500 extra calories to gain each pound, yet when we break the total down into seven days of the week, it is much more manageable.
Overweight
In the United States from 2007 to 2008, 72.5 million adult Americans were obese, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports . You may or may not fall into this category. Your goal may be to fit into your favorite pair of jeans, or you may have high blood pressure from excess weight and are on a quest for a healthy lifestyle.
Calories
A calorie is a unit of energy. The foods you eat contain calories which the body uses as fuel. It is as if you were putting gas into a car. If the tank is empty, the car will not drive. Your body needs calories in order to survive. It needs a balance of calories in and calories out in order to maintain weight.
Weekly Goals
You must create a 3,500-calorie deficit in order to lose 1 lb. of body weight. If you aim to eat 500 less calories every day for one week, you will lose 1 lb. The American Council on Exercise suggests participating in an exercise program that will burn 500 to 1,000 calories each day. The combination of 500 less calories incoming and 500 more calories outgoing every day will equal a loss of 2 lbs. for you for one week.
Nutrition Labels
On the nutrition labels of foods, you can locate the number of calories in the foods you eat. Pay attention to serving size, which is located on top of the label. If you eat two servings of the food, multiply the calories by two in order to accurately track your daily calories. It also helps to keep a food log with the number of calories written down so you can see the best option for eliminating calories.
Small Changes
You did not gain your excess weight overnight, so do not expect to lose it that quickly either. Make small changes in your diet and exercise and you can expect to see results. The key is to create a total of a 3,500-calorie deficit for each pound of body weight you want to lose.
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