Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCalories and FatHow Many Calories You NeedHow to Reduce Calories
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Calories and Fat
How Many Calories You Need
How to Reduce Calories
One pound of body fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat.
In theory, you lose a pound of fat after you consume 3,500fewercalories than your body needs.
However, other factors can affect one’s ability to lose weight. Exercise, certain conditions, medications, sleep, and genetics all play a role.
This article explains how to calculate your calorie and weight loss needs and steps you can take to lose a pound or more of fat.
Verywell / Getty Images
Excess calories are stored within specialized fat cells (adipose tissue) throughout the body.
In 1958, Max Wishnofsky, MD, after analyzing the literature, determined that one pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories.
In practice, this would mean if you ate an extra 350 calories a day—equivalent to a medium muffin or piece of cake—you would gain an extra pound about every 10 days (350 x 10).
However, it is more complicated than a simple calculation.
Experts nowagree that the 3,500-calorie-per-pound rule works fairly well in the short term and for those who want to lose only a few pounds.
However, this rule doesn’t apply over the long term, especially for those trying to lose a significant amount of weight.
The rule overestimates weight loss in this situation because a drop in metabolic rate occurs over time as body weight decreases, and people are less likely to adhere strictly to their weight loss plan.
Calorie needs vary at different life stages, such as adolescence, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. Other factors that can affect calorie needs include:
Accurately calculating basal metabolic rate (BMR)Researchers have developed new formulas based on your weight, age, gender, and physical activity to estimate BMR and calorie needs.Accurately calculating your BMR is useful before planning weight loss. Tools like theBody Weight Plannercan help.
Accurately calculating basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Researchers have developed new formulas based on your weight, age, gender, and physical activity to estimate BMR and calorie needs.Accurately calculating your BMR is useful before planning weight loss. Tools like theBody Weight Plannercan help.
Here are several ways to reduce calories to help with gradual weight loss.
Swap Foods with High Added Sugar and Saturated Fat for Other Options
Swapping foods with high added sugar or saturated fat for other foods can provide important nutrients and keep you satisfied while you lose weight.
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. Moderation is key.
A Note on Eating DisordersIf you or a loved one are coping withdisordered eating or an eating disorder, contact theNational Alliance for Eating Disordersfor support at +1 (866) 662-1235.
A Note on Eating Disorders
If you or a loved one are coping withdisordered eating or an eating disorder, contact theNational Alliance for Eating Disordersfor support at +1 (866) 662-1235.
Change Portion Sizes
The main goal of changing portion sizes is to put more of the foods that provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other valuable nutrients onto your plate.
Another goal is to slowly decrease the portions of highly processed foods that are high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.
By increasing your servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while decreasing fast food, fried foods, processed meats, sweets, and sweet drinks, you will feel full (satiated) and improve your overall health.
When preparing your meal, visualize the USDA MyPlate, including fruit, vegetables, grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy in your meal.
Plan Meals
Planning and preparing meals is a great tool for keeping healthy eating and weight loss on track.
Although any type of meal preparation requires planning, there are several ways to approach it, such as choosing a specific day or days or the week to:
Create a meal schedule or calendar so you’re not deciding at the last minute what to make and to ensure you have the needed ingredients available.
This might include specific meals or foods on specific days of the week, such as Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday, etc.
Use a Calorie Counter
While counting calories may be helpful for some people in some circumstances, it’s not for everyone.
The main goal of weight loss is to improve overall health and to feel better. This means shifting eating patterns to include more fiber, lean protein, whole grains, and anti-inflammatory foods (like fruits and vegetables) rather than a specific number of calories.
A calorie-counting app may be a useful weight loss tool to consider if it may help you stay on track with your health goals, consume more nutrient-rich foods, and feel satiated.
Add Physical Activity
For most of us, our daily lives don’t offer many opportunities for being active.
Children might not exercise as much in school, and many people drive to work and spend much of the day sitting.
Exercise also helps prevent bone and muscle loss.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following:
Examples of different exercises include the following:
The main point is to get moving and gradually increase the amount of activity to reach recommended levels.
Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
Stay Hydrated
Water is vital for many body functions, such as bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, preventing constipation, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.
Water may also aid in weight loss:
The total water needs for adults are estimated to be3.7 liters (15.5 cups)formalesand2.7 liters (11.5 cups)forfemales.
“Total water needs” means water from all sources—plain water, water in other beverages (such as coffee, tea, and milk), and water in foods (like fruits, vegetables, and soups).
Summary
Knowing how many calories it takes to gain or lose a pound of fat can help you avoid gaining weight or shed extra pounds.
Many factors can affect weight loss, but calculating your BMR can help in developing a weight loss plan.
Strategies such as swapping lower-calorie foods, meal planning, adding exercise, and staying well-hydrated can help support your weight loss efforts.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Liu L, Wess J.Adipocyte g protein-coupled receptors as potential targets for novel antidiabetic drugs.Diabetes. 2023;72(7):825-834. doi:10.2337/db23-0095
Thomas DM, Gonzalez MC, Pereira AZ, Redman LM, Heymsfield SB.Time to correctly predict the amount of weight loss with dieting.J Acad Nutr Diet. 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. Today’s Dietitian. 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?
Harvard T.H. 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?
Paz-Graniel I, Becerra-Tomás N, Babio N, et al.Baseline drinking water consumption and changes in body weight and waist circumference at 2-years of follow-up in a senior Mediterranean population. Clin Nutr. 2021 Jun;40(6):3982-3991. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.05.014
U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.Dietary reference intakes for electrolytes and water.
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
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
