Straightforward question-Is there an answer?

Good Morning, all.  Does anyone know approximately how much of a calorie defecit  you need to lose 1 pound?  I have heard that 3,500 calories OVER=1 pound gained...Is that accurate?  Is it the same?

Energy is energy, no matter if it's on it's way in or out. 7000 Calorie deficit will lose a kilogram, 7000 Calorie surplus will gain a kilogram.

yes.

1 lb = 3,500 calories of energy. 

undereat 3,500 calories = lose 1 lb.  over-eat 3,500 calories = gain 1 lb.

if you divide that across a week... and eat 500 calories less per day than you burn (from living and all you do)... then that is 7 days times a 500 calorie deficit = 3,500 calories = 1 lb weight loss for the week...

if all things else are the same.... and that's where it gets tricky...

our body retains water and swings up and down... along with the weight of food we eat and eliminate... so those swings affect things.

for example... the 10 days before totm, women usually gain say 5 - 10 lbs in water weight.  but if they don't over-eat during that time, then the extra water comes back off.

so one of the best ways to guage how your doing is to pick say the same time each month to weigh.  usually day 3 or 4 after you start is your lowest weight for the month...

so if you compare that same time with last month... then you can see if you are losing at the rate you think you should be losing based on the amount of food you're eating and the amount of calories you estimate that you burn, using the calculators.

hope this helps :)