There are more than 142 million American adults who are overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association and a Gallup Poll found that nearly 60 percent of Americans are trying to lose weight.
How to Lose Weight
One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. The American Academy of Family Physicians, AAFP, says to lose one pound per week, you must cut 500 calories per day from your daily calorie allowance. If you do this for seven days, you will lose one pound per week; 500 calories times 7 days equals 3,500 total calories.
Cutting Calories
Experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recommend cutting your calories through both diet and exercise to make your weight loss easier to maintain. Eat 250 fewer calories and burn 250 calories through moderate exercise. This can be done with about 40 minutes of walking.
Pounds per Week
Avoid losing more than 2 pounds per week. According to the AAFP, any weight loss above 2 pounds is probably water weight and lean muscle. Losing weight too fast can also make it difficult to maintain the weight loss, causing you to regain the weight you lost and possibly more.
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