One pound of body fat is equal to about 3,500 calories.
To lose weight, you better burn more calories than you eat.
In theory, you lose a pound of fat after you consume 3,500fewercalories than your body needs.
Verywell / Getty Images
However, other factors can affect one’s ability to lose weight.
Exercise, certain conditions, medications, sleep, and genetics all play a role.
Excess calories are stored within specialized fat cells (adipose tissue) throughout the body.
Your body stores fat by enlarging fat cells that are already present or by creating new fat cells.
However, it is more complicated than a simple calculation.
Tools like theBody Weight Plannercan help.
How to Reduce Calories
Here are several ways to reduce calories to help with gradual weight loss.
Healthy food swaps focus primarily on increasing your fiber, protein, and anti-inflammatory foods.
This approach will also support your process of decreasing foods with added sugar and saturated fat.
Do keep in mind there are no “bad” foods.
The main goal of weight loss is to improve overall health and to feel better.
Exercise also helps prevent bone and muscle loss.
Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
Many factors can affect weight loss, but calculating your BMR can help in developing a weight loss plan.
Liu L, Wess J.Adipocyte g protein-coupled receptors as potential targets for novel antidiabetic drugs.Diabetes.
2014;114(6):857-861. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.02.003
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Cake, chocolate, commercially prepared.
Webb, D.Farewell to the 3,500-calorie rule.
2014;26(11):36.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are overweight and obesity?
National Institutes of Health.What causes obesity and overweight?
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.Low-calorie, lower-fat alternative foods.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.What is MyPlate?
Chan School of Public Health.The meal prep guide.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services.Physical activity guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.
Harvard Medical School.How much water should you drink?
Obesity (Silver Spring).
Wishnofsky M.Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight.Am J Clin Nutr.
1958;6(5):542-546. doi:10.1093/ajcn/6.5.542
