How Much Should I Eat To Lose 1 Pound A Week?
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How many calories should I eat to lose 1 pound a week?
There are a lot of variables that go into calculating how many calories you need to eat to lose one pound a week. Body size, activity level, and metabolism all play a role.
But on average, to lose 1 pound a week a male would need to stick to a diet of about 2,000 calories a day, and a female about 1,500 calories a day.
This is based on the UK’s NHS estimate of daily average caloric requirements – 2,500 calories for a male and 2,000 calories for a female, respectively.
By eating 500 calories less per day than what you need to maintain your current weight, you will lose around 1 pound per week – based on a commonly used rule of thumb of 3,500 calories per pound of weight loss, and recommended by the mayoclinic.com.
Of course, this is just a very rough estimate. Every person is different, so it’s important to speak with a doctor or nutritionist to get customized advice. But if you’re looking to lose weight, cutting down on calories is a good place to start.
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How to lose weight at a rate of 1 pound a week
A calorie deficit occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. This can be through diet, exercise, or a combination of both. As mentioned earlier, a common guideline is that a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound of fat loss. So to lose 1 pound a week, you would need to create a calorie deficit of around 500 calories a day.
This can be done by cutting back on your calorie intake, increasing your activity level, or ideally, doing a combination of both. Creating a calorie deficit is not always easy, but it is necessary in order to meet your weight-loss goals.
But assuming you wanted to achieve 1 pound of weekly weight loss through diet alone, how much would you need to limit your food intake by?
Diet - how much should you eat to create a big enough calorie deficit?
Before you can create a calorie deficit, you need to know your daily maintenance level. This is the number of calories you need to eat each day to maintain your current weight.
You can find out your daily maintenance level by using a calorie calculator. Once you know your daily maintenance level, you can begin to create a calorie deficit by cutting back on your intake.
*The following calculator is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.
Once you have your maintenance level, you would subtract 500 from this and create a calorie budget that you don’t exceed. For example, if your maintenance level is 2,000 calories, you would create a daily budget of 1,500 calories.
This would give you a daily deficit of 500 calories, which would lead to a weight loss of one pound per week. Creating a calorie deficit is essential for weight loss, but it’s also important to make sure that you’re still getting the nutrients your body needs.
Otherwise, you may end up feeling fatigued or even sick.
For example, if you don’t get sufficient protein, you may lose muscle mass. And if you don’t get enough fiber, you may experience constipation. So while it’s important to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, it’s also important to make sure you’re still eating a healthy, balanced diet.
If you have any concerns, be sure to talk to a doctor or dietitian before starting your weight loss journey.
Burn extra calories with exercise
It’s a common misconception that you need to starve yourself to lose weight. In reality, cutting back on calories is only part of the equation. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, exercise can play a vital role.
And the good news is that exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. Even brisk walking is very effective when it comes to weight loss.
The surprising fat melting power of going for a stroll
Most people believe that in order to lose weight, they need to hit the gym for some intense workouts. However, even moderate exercise like brisk walking can be effective for weight loss.
According to Harvard Health, a 155-pound person burns approximately 175 calories in 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace of 4 miles per hour.
So if this person walked for 30 minutes every day, they would burn an extra 1,225 calories over the course of a week. This equates to approximately 1.4 pounds of extra weight loss a month.
Of course, the more you walk, the more calories you’ll burn and the more weight you’ll lose.
While vigorous exercise is certainly beneficial for overall health, it is not necessary in order to lose weight. Simply put, any amount of physical activity can help to burn calories and lead to weight loss.
So next time you’re looking to shed some pounds, don’t feel like you need to go all-out at the gym. Just lace up your shoes and go for a walk instead.
Why your progress might slow down
Losing weight is often seen as a simple equation: burn more calories than you consume and the pounds will come off. However, those who have struggled with their weight for years know that it’s not always that easy. In fact, the more weight you lose, the harder it can be to lose more.
The body is constantly trying to maintain a state of equilibrium, and when you start to lose weight, it will adjust your metabolism in an attempt to regain the lost weight. This can make it more difficult to keep the weight off.
So in order to maintain your progress of 1 pound per week, you may need to increase your exercise or decrease your calorie intake as you lose weight.
Don't go to hard on yourself if you fall off track
People who are hard on themselves are more likely to give up when they face setbacks because they feel like they’re failures. On the other hand, people who show themselves compassion are more likely to see setbacks as temporary and view their diet as something they’re committed to long-term.
So if you find yourself slipping up on your diet, don’t be too hard on yourself. A little self-compassion may be just what you need to get back on track.
We all have good intentions when it comes to our diet. We start off the week with a plan to eat healthy meals and snacks, and we’re feeling motivated to stick to it. But then life happens, and we find ourselves reaching for the cookies or ordering takeout.
It’s easy to beat ourselves up over these slip-ups, but the truth is that they’re perfectly normal. In fact, research has shown that self-compassion can actually be more effective than self-criticism when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
When we’re kinder to ourselves, we’re more likely to forgive our mistakes and get back on track. So if you find yourself indulging more often than you’d like, cut yourself some slack. A little compassion may be just what you need to get back on track.
You've reached your goal, now how do you stay there?
Losing weight is hard enough, but keeping it off can be even harder. In fact, according to one study, most people who lose weight put all or most of it back on. There are a number of reasons for this.
However, there are some people who are able to keep the weight off long-term. These individuals tend to have a strong motivation for losing weight, and they are also willing to make lasting changes to their diet and lifestyle. While it may be hard to achieve sustained weight loss, it is possible with dedication and commitment.
Here are some useful tips.
Make lasting changes to your diet and lifestyle
There are a few things you can do to make lasting changes to your diet so you don’t put back on the weight you lost. You won’t need to be as strict as you were when trying to lose weight, but you will need to be mindful of what you eat.
Try to focus on making small changes rather than overhauling your entire diet. Making small changes will help you stick to your new diet in the long run. In addition, don’t be too strict with yourself – allow yourself the occasional treat.
Remember, the key is to find a balance that you can maintain over time. With a little effort, you can make lasting changes to your diet so you keep the weight off for good.
Exercise regularly
You don’t have to make major lifestyle changes to see results. 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, as recommended by the American college of sports medicine, will help you maintain your weight. This can be broken down into 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week.
If you find it hard to make time for exercise, try to incorporate it into your daily routine. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park further away from your destination. Even small changes can make a difference.
Weigh yourself regularly
One study found that people who regularly weigh themselves are more likely to be successful in maintaining their weight loss.
Participants were divided into two groups: those who weighed themselves every day, and those who weighed themselves less than daily. The researchers found that the daily weighing group was more likely to maintain their weight loss over the course of the study.
They also found that the daily weighers were more likely to lose additional weight, even though they weren’t specifically trying to do so. This suggests that regular weigh-ins may help to prevent weight gain, even when people are not actively dieting.
So if you’re struggling to stay on track, try stepping on the scale once a day. It might just help you stay slim for life.
Conclusion
Calculating precisely how many calories you need to eat to lose a pound a week can be a little tricky, but it’s worth it if you want to see results.
It’s also important to remember that diet and exercise are both important for weight loss, so try to include some physical activity as part of your weight loss plan.
And, most importantly, don’t get discouraged if you fall off track every now and then.
References
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-should-my-daily-intake-of-calories-be/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065#
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/calorie-restriction-risks
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-plateau/art-20044615https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00223980.2021.1992334
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8651838/https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/trending-topics-resources/physical-activity-guidelines
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380831/