When starting a diet, one of the best pieces of information is how many calories to cut from daily caloric intake. This will help you determine how many pounds you will lose each week, giving you expectations and goals for the diet. It also helps you determine how much fat needs to be burned during exercise. According to the University of New Mexico, by cutting 3,500 calories per week, you will lose approximately one pound. Increase this number and you lose more weight per week.
Step 1
Determine how many pounds you want to lose each week. According to the University of Virginia, healthy weight loss is approximately 1-to-2 pounds, but some dieters want to lose more per week to prepare for an event. No more than five pounds should be a goal, or it can lead to starvation.
Step 2
Calculate the total amount of calories per pound. For each pound, multiply the figure times 3,500. For example, if you want to lose three pounds in a week, you need to cut 10,500 calories.
Step 3
Calculate how many calories you need to cut per day from the weekly figure. The best way to set goals is to cut calories by averaging the total amount throughout each day of the week. If you plan to cut 10,000 calories per week for a three-pound weight loss, you must cut 1,500 calories per day. This number seems high, but it can be accomplished using diet and exercise.
Step 4
Plan your meals to cut calories. If you currently eat a 2,500-calorie diet per day, you can cut 1,000 calories by eating low-calorie meals. Plan meals that are mainly vegetables and low-fat proteins like chicken and fish. For snacks, choose low-calorie fruits like peaches, watermelon and melons. According to the University of Virginia, fruits lower lung inflammation, which can lead to breathing problems during exercise.
Step 5
Choose an exercise plan. Calories can be burned using hardcore cardio workouts. By burning 500 calories a day, you will accomplish cutting 1,500 calories in the above example. Running, power-walking, treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes are a good way to get the heart rate up and burn calories.
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