Contrary to what you may have heard, the formula for weight loss is an easy one: you must burn more calories than you consume. Approximately 3,500 calories equals one pound. So in order to drop a pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. There are two ways in which you can burn additional calories: by restricting your diet or by increasing your exercise. Once you understand the average amount of calories your body needs and burn extra calories, the path to weight loss becomes that much easier.
Function
Our bodies require a certain amount of calories based on our activity level, age and weight. For example, a 30-year-old, 150-pound woman will burn about 2,080 calories per day just by living. Consuming calories beyond that amount will result in weight gain.
Losing Weight through Diet
If your body requires 2,080 calories per day, by reducing your caloric intake to 1,880, a loss of 200 calories, you can expect to drop a pound in about 17 days.
Losing Weight through Exercise
If your body requires 2,080 calories per day, by taking up moderate cycling five times a week, you will burn an additional 250 calories per day. At that rate, you will lose a pound in 14 days (assuming you don't increase you caloric intake).
Misconceptions
People who struggle to lose weight, yet closely monitor their caloric intake and output may be thwarted by hidden calories. Often, when tallying our daily intake, we neglect to consider any hidden calories we may have consumed, like those found in drinks, extra helpings, large portions and forgotten snacks.
Considerations
The best way to monitor your caloric intake is by writing down everything you put into your mouth. Keep a small journal with you at all times and record everything that you eat, including portions sizes (if you don't know, guess). At home, using an online calorie counter (see the Resources section below), look up the nutritional content of your daily menu to find ways to cut calories from your diet.
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