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You’re probably wondering what is the exact number of calories in a pound of fat stored in your body and how to efficiently burn them in order to lose weight – the tricky thing is that the deal isn’t that simple. The equation starts in a pretty simple way: if you eat more calories than you manage to burn on a daily level, you’re bound to put on a certain amount of extra weight, while if you cut down on your calorie intake you’re definitely supposed to experience some weight loss. The bad news are that while you would ideally want to lose only body fat, the odds are that you’ll actually lose what happens to be a combination of fat, muscle tissue and water. Let’s take a closer look at how many calories equal a pound of fat and what are some of the best weight management solutions for you!
How Many Calories Equal a Pound of Your Body Fat?
In 1958 a researcher called Max Wishnofsky, MD, calculated that 1 pound of fat stores equal more of less 3,500 calories of energy. Since the publication of his seemingly very simple and precise statement more than 50 years ago, an estimated number of 35,000 weight-loss sites has cited this so-called 3,500 calories-in-a-pound-of-fat rule, making it one of the most important pillars of modern weight management strategies. It seemed pretty straightforward – cut your food intake by 3,500 calories and you’ll infallibly lose exactly 1 pound of fat tissue, but things get much more complicated when you try this out in real life. First of all, the number of calories in a pound of fat tissue isn’t fixed at all times – according to some newer studies, actual body fat tissue contains only 72% of pure fat and this number varies among different types of body fat. While it is true that there are 9 calories per gram of pure fat (which equals 4,100 calories per 1 pound of fat), you must take into account that body fat is by no means simply pure fat. Fat cells, also known as adipocytes of lypocytes contain water and certain proteins as well, which brings us to conclusion that it would be realistic to say that there are anywhere between 3,400 and 3,700 calories in 1 pound of fat in our bodies.
Nutritional plans for burning 3,500 calories in a pound of fat over one week
Nutritionists and dietitians have agreed over a number of years that if you could reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories every day, your final result at the end of the week would be the reduction of your body weight by one pound. They would usually go on to declare that if you could strictly continue with this regime, the maths says that you would continue losing 1 pound of fat every single week, which would theoretically lead to the loss of 52 pounds in one year. Many people started following these guidelines and reported that everything went well for several months, but then the progress stopped for some reason. Some even realized with horror that they have put on some weight back even though they continued to count their calories and deprive themselves of their favorite treats as diligently as they used to in those previous successful months.
Why does the plan for burning 3,500 calories per 1 pound of fat fail in the long run?
3,500 calories-in-a-pound-of-fat dogma obviously didn’t count on adaptive mechanisms of our bodies triggered by metabolic changes. As your body starts fasting, it slowly adapts to newly available levels of energy, which triggers the drop in metabolic rate – this means that your body processes the food you ingest more slowly in order to secure the proper functioning of the system. The typical timeline for reaching the so-called plateau or the point when you still eat less but don’t lose weight as fast as before is between 6 and 9 month after the beginning of the diet, but sometimes it can last for a whole year. We are all different and for that reason there isn’t a single precise one-formula-fits-all solution for burning those calories in one pound of excess weight. Modern dietitians know that they must take into consideration many factors, such as height, age, gender, individual level of physical activity and desired weight loss in order to tailor the weight loss program that will meet dieters’ individual needs and preserve their well-being at the same time.
Tips For Burning the Calories in a Healthy Way
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Many people get discouraged when they find out what is the exact number of calories in a pound of their excess weight, and it seems to them that it will be impossible to get rid of those fatty layers they dislike so much. The road to success isn’t short and easy, but with these practical tips it won’t seems so impossible any more:
1. Reduce the size of your portions
Yes, you read well – very often it is perfectly acceptable to eat all your favorite food, as long as you stick to smaller portions and eat several times a day instead of having only 2-3 large meals a day. Talk to a nutritionist who will determine the best portion size in your particular case.
2. You can eat bigger meals as long as you swap foods with high caloric content with those containing less calories
If your favorite food is ice-cream, you can’t eat big portions of it on a regular basis and expect to experience a weight loss. If on the other hand you swap sugary and fatty foods with healthy fruits and vegetables with low glycemic index, you can eat bigger portions – larger quantities of healthy veggies can actually benefit your health on many different levels.
3. Stay away from alcohol and prepare your own meals
This might come as a surprise, but the fact is that alcohol contains a lot of calories. It is reported that one 5-ounce glass of red wine has 125 calories, while 1.5 ounce shot of whiskey, gin or tequila can contain up to 150 calories, so think twice before you decide to get drunk the next time if you’re planning to lose some weight. Also, stay away from all sorts of unhealthy snacks and fast food – apart from being packed with sugar and fat, they also contain harmful preservatives to prolong their shelf life. Cook for yourself and you’ll drastically reduce the amount of ingested calories.
Now that you know how many calories make a pound of your fat tissue, try doing something to reduce your weight – your body will be thankful for all your hard efforts! Share your success stories with us!
