Are you looking to drop five, 10 or 20 pounds? No matter what your weight loss goal is, the first step to losing weight is to understand how your body burns calories. In order to burn one pound, you need to burn 3,500 calories. Once you know how many calories your body needs, you can focus on burning the excess, either by decreasing your caloric intake or increasing your caloric expenditure.
Average Calories Burned Per Day
The amount of calories you burn in a day depends on your age, weight, activity level and gender. A 150-pound woman will burn about 2,080 calories per day. An active 150-pound woman may burn an additional 200 to 500 calories per day.
Losing Weight through Diet
Decreasing your caloric intake will result in weight loss. If your body needs 2,080 calories per day and you decrease your calories by 300 (the equivalent of a bowl of cereal, a large candy bar or a mocha), you will lose one pound in just under 12 days.
Losing Weight through Exercise
Exercise is a great way to increase your cardiovascular health, lower your blood pressure and lose weight. If your body needs 2,080 calories, by taking up moderate cycling for 30 minutes a day, five times a week, you can burn an extra 250 calories per day. Assuming you don't increase your food calories, you will lose one pound in about 14 days.
Considerations
The best way to safely and quickly lose weight is to combine diet and exercise. By decreasing your caloric intake by 300 and increasing your caloric output by 250, you can expect to drop one pound in less than a week.
Tip
Pay close attention to portion sizes and hidden calories found in fats, drinks and sugars. Be sure to write down everything you eat, and how much. At the end of each day, refer to an online calorie counter to compare your food log and ensure you know exactly how many calories you are consuming.
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