How Much Calories To Reduce To Lose A Pound Of Fat

Let's start with the basics. How much calories do you need to cut out in order to lose a pound of fat?

One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Therefore, to lose a pound, say, a week, you need to cut out 500 calories a day from your diet. In a month, you will be losing around 4 pounds. In a year, about 48 pounds. If you're just 24 pounds overweight, you can lose 24 pounds in 6 months. Not bad?

Some studies say that those who lose weight gradually, like a pound a week, are more likely to keep a normal weight for a lifetime. So, no need to hurry. What about those quick weigh loss plans or programs? Well, maybe, they are not really quick like overnight or in just a few days.

So how much exactly is 500 calories? Paul Buckley, in his article "Your Simple Plan For Weight Loss", mentions the following tips.

• Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. You cut out 50 calories per cup. 
• Skip the butter and you cut out 100 calories. 
• Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16-ounce soda. That's 200 calories less on your diet. 
• Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs 460 calories; a fresh salad has less than 100. That's 360 calories less on your diet. 
• An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. 
• Eat your corn on the ear. A cup of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Save 80 calories. 
• Switch to low-fat cream cheese to cut out 90 calories per ounce. 
• Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Avoid the thin fries and you cut 50 calories per 4-ounce serving.