Losing weight requires that you burn more calories each day than you consume. A pound of fat consists of 3,500 calories, so consuming 500 calories less than your body burns each day will result in a 1 lb. weight loss each week and consuming 1,000 calories less than your body burns daily will result in weight loss of 2 lbs. weekly. Losing 1 to 2 lbs. weekly is a slow, gradual loss that will likely result in successfully maintaining the lost weight.
Step 1
Multiply 250 by 10 if you are a woman or by 11 if you are a man to determine your baseline caloric needs. For example, if you are a woman weighing 250 lbs., you require a baseline of 2,500 calories daily to maintain your weight.
Step 2
Calculate the amount of calories you burn daily through activity by multiplying your baseline caloric needs by 0.2 if you spend most of your day sitting, 0.3 if you spend most of your day standing, 0.4 if you spend most of your day walking and 0.5 if you perform physical labor most of the day. For example, if you are a woman who spends most of her day sitting, you would multiply your baseline caloric level of 2,500 calories by 0.2 to arrive at the product of 500 calories.
Step 3
Add the amount of calories you burn daily through physical activity to your baseline caloric needs. For example, if you are a woman who spends most of her day sitting, you will add 2,500 calories to 500 calories to arrive at the sum of 3,000 calories. This is the approximate number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your weight.
Step 4
Subtract 500 calories from the number of calories you need to maintain your weight if your goal is to lose 1 lb. per week or 1,000 calories if your goal is to lose 2 lbs. per week. For example, if you are a woman who spends most of her day sitting and wishes to lose 2 lbs. per week, you would subtract 1,000 calories from 3,000 calories, which is the total needed to maintain your weight, to arrive at 2,000 calories.
References
- "Handbook of Obesity Treatment"; Thomas A. Wadden PhD and Dr. Albert J. Stunkard; 2004
- "Foundations of Nursing"; Lois White, Gena Duncan and Wendy Baumle; 2010
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