Features

There is only one way to lose weight. You have to burn a higher number of calories than you consume.

Warning

While it is possible to create a calorie deficit that will result in more than 16 pounds of weight loss in 2 months, it's generally not advisable to do so. Rapid weight loss is usually the outcome of a significant loss of water and muscle mass.

Objective

The goal of weight loss is not to lose muscle pounds; it's to drop fat pounds. Losing muscle mass is actually counterproductive to this objective because muscle burns fat.

Recommendation

The American Council on Exercise recommends that you create a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories by reducing your calorie intake by 250 calories less than what your need is, and burning an additional 250 calories every day through exercise.

Tips

Use the Mayo Clinic's Calorie Calculator in the Resources section of this article to estimate your daily caloric need. Deduct 250 from this estimate and make the result as your daily calorie allowance. Use the Physical Activity Calculator to obtain an estimate of how many calories you can burn performing certain exercises.

Source:

OSU.edu: 10 Tips for Sensible Weight Control

More Information:

Mayo Clinic Calorie Calculator

AceFitness.org: Physical Activity Calculator

umm.edu: Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss