How do you lose weight?
Losing weight can be as simple as basic math. One pound is equal to approximately 3,500 calories. If you can reduce the amount of calories you consume and increase the amount of calories you burn, you will lose weight.
By identifying the number of calories you take into your body every day and embarking on a plan to reduce that amount through diet and exercise, you will lose weight. Since most experts agree that a healthy rate of weight loss is about 1 to 1.5 pounds a week, if you can reduce your calories by 500 to 750 a day through a combination of reduced food intake and increased physical activity, you will experience safe, effective weight loss that’s more likely to stay off for the long term.
How many calories do your favorite foods contain?
- Quarter-pound cheeseburger: 500 calories
- Slice of pepperoni pizza: 230 calories
- Glass of white wine: 160 calories
- Can of soda: 150 calories
How many calories do specific activities burn?
For a 175-pound healthy man and a 140-pound healthy woman, here are the calories burned per hour:
- Housecleaning: 300 (man), 240 (woman)
- Brisk walking: 460 (man), 370 (woman)
- Jogging: 730 (man), 580 (woman)
- Skiing: 920 (man), 740 (woman)
By educating yourself about the amount of calories contained by food and burned by activity, you can set up a weight loss plan that works for you.