How to Lose 1 Pound of Weight
Weight ManagementWeight Loss

How to Lose 1 Pound of Weight

How to Lose 1 Pound of Weight
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Updated on January 21, 2026
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Part of losing weight means taking in fewer calories than you burn. Even the latest weight loss medications and intensive interventions like bariatric surgery work in a similar way: helping you consume less than your body needs to maintain your current weight.

Calorie counting can help you lose weight, but it has its limitations. Here’s what to expect while using the common goal of 1 pound (lb) of weight loss as an example scenario.

How Many Calories Do You Need to Burn to Lose 1 Pound?

It used to be thought that to lose 1 lb of fat, you needed to burn 3,500 more calories than you ate.

 Put yourself in a 500-calorie daily deficit and you’d have 1 lb less fat on your frame at the end of a week.

While the 3,500-calorie guideline can work in broad strokes for some people, it’s not always that simple.

“It is accurate that a pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories, but a calorie deficit of 500 calories [per day for one week] does not necessarily equal a pound of lost fat for every person,” says Gary Foster, PhD, chief scientific officer at WW (formerly Weight Watchers), who is based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

How BMR Can Help Some People With Weight Loss

If you’re counting calories to lose weight, start by estimating how many calories you burn — that is, use for energy — on an average day. To do this, you can turn to an online metabolic rate calculator. These help determine basal metabolic rate (BMR), which refers to the number of calories the body burns every day for energy to maintain basic biological functions.

Your BMR is an estimate of how many calories you burn in 24 hours — and how many calories you need to eat every day to simply maintain your weight, says Sari Greaves, RDN, of LBS Nutrition in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

The general guideline for daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories. But this number will vary between people based on factors like age, height, and weight.

The old 3,500-calorie rule would predict that if you achieve that 500-calorie deficit at the end of each day, you would lose 1 lb in seven days. But that equation tends to oversimplify and overestimate losses. Ultimately, age, activity level, body size, and body composition all influence how many calories a person burns throughout each day.

How to Lose 1 Pound

How to Lose 1 Pound

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Why Reducing Calories Doesn’t Always Work

Caloric reduction doesn’t always guarantee weight loss, says Audra Wilson, RD, CSCS, a bariatric dietitian and strength and conditioning specialist in the Northwestern Medicine metabolic health and surgical weight loss program at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Illinois.

“It is a start, but it’s impossible to simply create a deficit and calculate certainty with weight loss,” she says. “There are many more factors involved, not least of all compensatory measures our bodies take in an effort to maintain homeostasis.” In other words, the body tends to fight back against weight loss.

Your metabolism is always a moving target, but it’s especially adaptable when you’re significantly altering your diet and exercise habits. Weight loss can result in dramatic changes to your BMR: Your metabolism slows down because the body appears to resist changes to its level of energy expenditure.

Counting calories cannot prevent this frustrating weight loss side effect, but it can help guard against unintentional overeating as your hunger increases.

Ultimately, it will take trial and error to learn how many calories you need to cut to lose weight. A BMR calculator is only a starting point.

Is Fast or Slow Weight Loss Better?

The science on rapid weight loss is still a matter of debate. The pace of weight loss doesn’t necessarily have an impact on body composition or metabolic changes, but most weight loss experts are still hesitant to recommend crash diets.

If you’re losing more than a couple of pounds per week, you’re at a higher risk of not having enough vitamins and minerals in your diet, says Greaves. That’s not because fast weight loss itself deprives the body of nutrients. Rather, when you cut calories to the point of rapid weight loss, your overall food (and therefore nutrient) intake can be unhealthily low.

Anyone maintaining a large caloric deficit, no matter their weight loss strategy, should work with a clinician or nutritionist to make sure that they are meeting their nutrient goals. Even with a conservative deficit of a few hundred calories per day, if you are drastically reducing processed foods or carbohydrates, you may quickly lose water weight, Greaves says.

And in the end, the most significant factor for weight loss success may not be the size of your caloric deficit but the quality of your diet.

It’s easier to stick with a wholesome diet that you enjoy, rather than a crash diet you can’t wait to give up, even if it means your weight loss will be more gradual.

For the same reasons, weight loss experts are typically mistrustful of fad diets that promise extreme, rapid weight loss or exclude entire food groups.

“You can lose weight eating 1,200 calories of anything; but in order to be healthy, the kinds of calories you eat matter,” says Dr. Foster, who advises choosing more foods that are high in protein, unsaturated fats, and fiber and fewer that contain lots of saturated fat and added sugars.

Even the texture of hearty food makes a difference: People naturally eat hundreds of fewer calories when they choose a minimally processed meal instead of an ultraprocessed one.

Depending on the weight loss approach you take, your food choices will look different. A registered dietitian-nutritionist can help you build your plate in a way that supports nutrition and your weight loss goal.

People using newer weight loss drugs are likely to achieve greater health benefits alongside their weight loss through a focus on consuming a diet rich in protein, vegetables, and certain fruits; minimizing their intake of ultra-processed foods; and improving their exercise habits.

Diet and Exercise for Weight Loss

Whatever your weight loss goal or method, the general consensus is that losing weight requires a combination of healthier eating and increased movement.

Among people not taking weight loss drugs, research is clear that using diet and not exercise, or vice versa, can make sustained weight loss less likely.

 Pursuing one without the other is setting yourself up to regain the weight later and struggle to lose significant weight in the first place.

“Diet and exercise go hand in hand,” says Wilson, adding that for some people, diet changes can help take the weight off and exercise can help with maintenance.

Finding the right tools can make a big difference for your weight loss journey. Check out our curated list of the best weight loss apps to help you track food intake, set goals, and achieve your fitness objectives.

For those using a newer weight loss drug, physical activity may not be necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss. But that doesn’t mean movement is without merit. For one, when used with obesity medications, exercise can promote well-being, research suggests. Physical activity can also help preserve lean muscle mass when weight loss medications are in play.

One way to stay on target is to track your food and movement in a journal or on a smartphone app or website, many of which allow you to keep tabs on both your calories consumed and calories expended through exercise and everyday tasks. The more digital self-monitoring tools like apps and wearable tech that people use, the more weight they may lose.

Small changes that increase your activity and reduce your caloric intake can lead to more sustainable weight loss.

Finding the right tools can make a big difference for your weight loss journey. Check out our curated list of the best weight loss apps to help you track food intake, set goals, and achieve your fitness objectives.

Tips to Create a Calorie Deficit

Try adopting these diet and lifestyle habits that can support a goal to lose 1 lb.

  • Mix up your workout. Strength training and cardiovascular (aerobic) training have distinct health benefits, and each can help contribute to your weight loss efforts.

  • Prioritize protein. During weight loss, consuming even more protein than the recommended dietary allowance enhances fat loss while helping retain muscle mass and bone density.

  • Eat whole grains. Whole grains fill you up and take longer to digest than the simple carbohydrates in processed flour or white rice. Whole grains also contain lots of healthy fiber, which may further aid weight loss.

  • Think before you drink. Sodas and sweetened fruit juices contain tons of calories and added sugar, which can contribute to weight gain and hurt your health in a variety of ways.

     Alcohol is another source of calories to keep in mind.
  • Eat regular meals. “Skipping meals can cause dips in your blood sugar and make you more prone to overeating later on in the day,” Greaves says.

The Takeaway

  • If you want to lose weight, achieving a calorie deficit is important.
  • Although the math is not as reliable as once thought and challenges can arise, counting calories has merit.
  • Even if you can't track calories indefinitely, doing so for a short time can provide meaningful insights into your dietary habits and provide longer-term benefits.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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  5. Li X et al. Distinct Factors Associated With Short-Term and Long-Term Weight Loss Induced by Low-Fat or Low-Carbohydrate Diet Intervention. Cell Reports Medicine. December 20, 2022.
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Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.

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K. Aleisha Fetters

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K. Aleisha Fetters is a Chicago-based fitness writer and certified strength and conditioning specialist who empowers others to reach their goals using a science-based approach to fitness, nutrition and health. Her work has been featured in various publications including Time, Men's Health, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Self, O, U.S. News & World Report, and Family Circle.  She also creates editorial content and programming for Exos, a sports performance company.

Fetters earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She has written multiple books -- Give Yourself MORE, Fitness Hacks for Over 50, My Pocket Guide to Stretching -- and coauthored The Woman’s Guide To Strength Training. She is regularly interviewed as an expert on strength training, women's fitness, and mindset. She works with trainees in person and online.

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