There are about 3,500 calories in a pound of stored body fat By creating a 3,500-calorie deficit in your diet, exercise plan or a combination of the two, you will drop 1 pound. Approximately 75 percent will be fat and 25 percent lean tissue.
Guidelines
One way to lose fat is to reduce your calorie intake by 500 per day, but not more than 1,000 beneath your maintenance level. Those with little to lose will find 1,000 to be too much. The American College of Sports Medicine warns against letting calories drop below 1,200 per day for women or 1,800 for men. Another way is to reduce calorie intake by 15 percent to 20 percent below maintenance of your current weight.
Women
For sedentary women ages 19 to 30, the American Heart Association recommends 2,000 calories per day for maintenance, 2,000 to 2,200 for moderately active and 2,400 for active. Maintenance for sedentary women ages 31 to 50 is 1,800 calories, moderately active is 2,000 and active is 2,200. Sedentary women age 51 and older need 1,600 calories, while moderately active require 1,800 and active women need 2,000 to 2,200. Subtract 500 calories daily to lose 1 pound a week through diet and exercise.
Men
Sedentary men ages 19 to 30 need 2,400 calories for maintenance, moderately active require 2,600 to 2,800 and active men need 3,000. Sedentary men ages 31 to 50 need 2,200, moderately active require 2,400 to 2,600 and active men need 2,800 to 3,000. Sedentary men age 51 and older need 2,000 calories, moderately active require 2,200 to 2,400 and active men need 2,400 to 2,800. To lose 1 pound, subtract 500 calories per day for a week through diet and exercise. To lose 2 pounds, subtract 1,000 calories per day. You can calculate exercise calories at Calorie Control Council.
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