One pound of fat is the equivalent of 3,500 calories. However, when you lose a pound, you may not simply be losing fat, which makes the calculation difficult to define with certainty.
Identification
To measure the calories burned in one pound of weight loss, you need to know your body composition and measure it before and after the weight loss. This will help identify precisely whether you lost water weight, a combination of fat and muscle or simply fat.
Measurement
To accurately measure your body composition, you can either use hydrostatic measurements -- where you are immersed in water -- to get an accurate body fat measurement or calipers to measure at various parts of your body. A less expensive and easier method is to measure your body mass index, or BMI, which is not as accurate, but can be helpful for minor weight-loss assessment.
Expert Insight
As a general measure, you can use the 3,500-calorie figure to help define your caloric requirements. This number is generally used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when discussing weight-loss approaches.
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