Did you know you can lose a pound of fat by cutting just 10 to 55 calories per day? That’s the topic of my video, The New Calories per Pound of Weight Loss Rule. The 3,500 calories per pound of weight loss rule may not be entirely accurate, so what’s the alternative?
There are validated mathematical models that consider metabolic slowdown when cutting calories, and they can be used to make personalized estimates. For example, the Body Weight Planner from the National Institutes of Health and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Weight Loss Predictor Calculator from Louisiana State University.
The NIH Body Weight Planner can provide personalized estimates for calorie intake and exercise to achieve specific weight-loss goals. The LSU Weight Loss Predictor, on the other hand, graphs your expected weight loss based on different calorie changes.
When it comes to the daily intake rule of thumb, a permanent ten-calorie drop in daily intake will eventually lead to about one pound of weight loss, over time. However, cutting calories through portion control alone may lead to increased appetite, requiring an additional 45 calories per pound of desired weight loss to offset hunger. This means it takes about 55 fewer calories per day to lose a pound through diet quantity changes alone.
