Ever wonder if a mile a day is enough to lose weight? Is a mile on the treadmill or spin bike at the gym enough to burn calories?
While it’s true that you can lose weight running or biking, it’s not always easy. Sometimes, you have to find out how much is enough. Once you do, you’ll never want to go back to eating whatever you want again. The trick is in how you define weight loss. Does it mean you have to reach your goal weight? Is it more important to beat your old weight or at least reach a healthy number?
Let’s take a quick look at how much calories you need to consume to lose a certain amount of weight.
How Much Weight Can You Lose On 500 Calories A Day?
When you’re wondering how much weight you can lose on 500 calories a day, you have to first determine how much you need to eat to maintain your current weight. To do this, simply take your daily calorie intake and divide it by 500. This will give you your daily calorie need. Now you can subtract energy burned during exercise or chores, and you’ll have your daily calorie allowance left over. Divide this number by five to get the number of calories you need to lose per day. (You’ll burn more calories than you consume, so you’ll need to either exercise more or eat less.)
For example, if you currently weigh 150 pounds and you want to lose 10 pounds, you’ll need to eat 3,500 calories a day to maintain your current weight. Dividing 150 by 500 gives you 3. So to lose 10 pounds, you need to consume 500 calories less than you need to maintain your current weight. To figure out how much weight you can lose in a day, you simply need to take your calories and divide it by 500. In this case, you can lose 2 pounds in an hour. (You’ll have to slowly reduce your calories over a longer period to see this kind of weight loss. Going from 3,500 calories a day to 2,500 calories a day gradually over two weeks will help you reach your goal weight.)
How Much Weight Can You Lose On 1,000 Calories A Day?
If you really want to lose a lot of weight, you can try 1,000 calories a day for weight loss. To maintain your current weight, you need to eat at least 1,500 calories a day. Dividing 1,000 by 500 gives you a 20 pound weight loss per day. If you exercise regularly, you can exercise more so you have more energy to burn. In this case, you should be able to lose 40 pounds in a week. (You’ll have to steadily reduce your calories over a longer period to see this kind of weight loss. Going from 3,500 calories a day to 1,500 calories a day over two weeks will help you reach your goal weight.)
What’s great about this is that you don’t necessarily need to lose a specific amount of weight to benefit from this diet. It’s possible to eat 1,000 calories a day and still be within your normal weight range. If you’re not sure how much weight you should lose, this is a good place to start. The important thing is that you’re eating less than you need and that you’re losing weight steadily.
How Much Weight Can You Lose On 1,500 Calories A Day?
Those who are looking for a more extreme weight loss route can try 1,500 calories a day for better results. To maintain your current weight, you need to eat at least 2,000 calories a day. Dividing 1,500 by 500 gives you a 30 pound weight loss per day, and if you exercise regularly, you can exercise so you have more energy to burn. In this case, you should be able to lose 60 pounds in a week. (You’ll have to steadily reduce your calories over a longer period to see this kind of weight loss. Going from 3,500 calories a day to 1,500 calories a day over two weeks will help you reach your goal weight.)
What’s great about this diet is that it’s easily adjusted to fit any schedule. You might find that you lose a pound a day when you eat early in the morning and then you lose a pound a day when you eat late at night. Since the calorie count is the same, you’ll be able to maintain your weight. However, if you want to lose weight, it’s best to eat at the times your body requires the most energy. (Try to avoid eating when you sleep, as your body needs the energy to function properly. Sleeping and eating should not be mutually exclusive terms.)
How Much Weight Can You Lose On 2,000 Calories A Day?
For those who are looking for even better results, you can try eating 2,000 calories a day for weight loss. To maintain your current weight, you need to eat at least 2,500 calories a day. Dividing 2,000 by 500 gives you a 40 pound weight loss per day, and if you exercise regularly, you can exercise so you have more energy to burn. In this case, you should be able to lose 80 pounds in a week. (You’ll have to steadily reduce your calories over a longer period to see this kind of weight loss. Going from 3,500 calories a day to 2,000 calories a day over two weeks will help you reach your goal weight.)
What’s great about this diet is that it doesn’t necessarily require you to lose a specific amount of weight to benefit from it. It’s possible to eat 2,000 calories a day and still be within your normal weight range. If you’re not sure how much weight you should lose, this is a good place to start. The important thing is that you’re eating less than you need and that you’re losing weight steadily.
Once you reach your goal weight, you should be able to continue losing weight without having to adjust your calorie intake. However, if you decide that maintaining your current weight is more important to you than losing more weight, simply add a few hundred calories back into your diet each day and you’ll be fine. Remember, if you want to lose weight, it’s best to eat 500 calories less than you need to maintain your current weight. Never go back to eating whatever you want again.