How to Lose 1 Pound
People who want to lose weight must pay attention to calories. In order to lose weight, it is important that for you to be able to burn more calories than you consume. Even daily activities like sitting or sleeping can burn calories, but if you want to lose weight, you need to partake in more energetic activities. In order to lose 1 pound in a week, you should burn an additional 500 calories every day for the whole week.
One pound a week might sound like slow progress, but according to health experts, slow and gradual weight loss is actually the best and safest option. Losing approximately 1 pound a week will actually lead to long-term loss of body fat.
To lose your first pound in a week, you must burn an additional 200 calories every day, and also reduce your calorie intake by 300 each day.
Heavier individuals will burn more calories than lighter persons, even if they do the same activity. In the chart below, you can see how many calories you can potentially lose by doing certain activities for a duration of 10 minutes.
| Activity | 125 - 174 pounds |
175 - 250 pounds |
250 + pounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Activities | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Sitting while watching TV | 10 | 14 | 18 |
| Sleeping | 10 | 14 | 20 |
| Standing | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| Sitting while talking | 15 | 21 | 30 |
| Changing clothes | 26 | 37 | 53 |
| Washing | 26 | 37 | 53 |
| Locomotion | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Walking (2 mph) | 29 | 40 | 58 |
| Walking (4 mph) | 52 | 72 | 102 |
| Walking downstairs | 56 | 78 | 111 |
| Walking upstairs | 146 | 202 | 288 |
| Running (5.5 mph) | 90 | 125 | 178 |
| Running (7 mph) | 118 | 164 | 232 |
| Running (12 mph) | 164 | 228 | 326 |
| Cycling (5.5 mph) | 42 | 58 | 83 |
| Cycling (13 mph) | 89 | 124 | 178 |
| Routine house chores | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Dusting | 22 | 31 | 44 |
| Making beds | 32 | 46 | 65 |
| Cooking | 32 | 46 | 65 |
| Mowing using power mower | 34 | 47 | 67 |
| Washing windows | 35 | 48 | 69 |
| Mowing using manual mower | 38 | 52 | 74 |
| Washing floors | 38 | 53 | 75 |
| Gardening | 30 | 42 | 59 |
| Weeding | 49 | 68 | 98 |
| Shoveling snow | 65 | 89 | 130 |
| Activities with minimal movement | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Typing on computer | 19 | 27 | 39 |
| Sitting and writing | 15 | 21 | 30 |
| Light office work | 25 | 34 | 50 |
| Light activity while standing | 20 | 28 | 40 |
| Light to moderate manual work | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Assembly line | 20 | 28 | 40 |
| Bricklaying | 28 | 40 | 57 |
| House painting | 29 | 40 | 58 |
| Carpentry | 32 | 44 | 64 |
| Farm work | 32 | 44 | 64 |
| Car repair | 35 | 48 | 69 |
| Heavy manual work | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Pick and shovel work | 56 | 78 | 110 |
| Chopping wood | 60 | 84 | 121 |
| Dragging logs | 158 | 220 | 315 |
| Sports | Calories Burned for Every 10 Minutes | ||
| Swimming (Backstroke) | 32 | 45 | 64 |
| Ping-Pong | 32 | 45 | 64 |
| Golfing | 33 | 48 | 68 |
| Dancing (moderate) | 35 | 48 | 69 |
| Baseball | 39 | 54 | 78 |
| Swimming (Crawl) | 40 | 56 | 80 |
| Badminton | 43 | 65 | 94 |
| Volleyball | 43 | 65 | 94 |
| Dancing (vigorous) | 48 | 66 | 94 |
| Bowling (nonstop) | 56 | 78 | 111 |
| Horseback Riding | 56 | 78 | 112 |
| Tennis | 56 | 80 | 115 |
| Basketball | 58 | 82 | 117 |
| Water skiing | 60 | 88 | 130 |
| Football | 69 | 96 | 137 |
| Racquetball | 75 | 104 | 144 |
| Alpine skiing | 80 | 112 | 160 |
| Canoeing (4 mph) | 90 | 128 | 182 |
| Cross-country skiing | 98 | 138 | 194 |
As a fitness expert, I have been asked many questions about weight loss. Here is one of the most common concerns that people have:
My objective is to lose 1 pound every week by weight training five days a week, following this schedule:
Mondays : Chest
Tuesdays : Abs
Wednesdays : Back
Thursdays : Shoulders
Fridays : Arms & legs
I eat moderate amounts of food in small portions, and I do not eat fast food and junk food. I prefer not to be doing any cardio. I want to know if this kind of program will work.
My answer to this is that it depends on your calorie intake. Normally, you must burn 3500 calories per week in order to lose 1 pound. Weight training exercises do not burn as many calories as cardio exercises, like running. However, if your calorie intake is not that high, you may be able to reach your objective of losing 1 pound a week.
Eating small portions and avoiding junk food is good. It will be helpful if you can record your daily calorie intakes so you can make sure that you are burning 3500 calories a week, or about 500 calories a day. This is what you need to lose 1 pound in a week.