Lose one pound a week

The majority of fitness professionals advise slow weight loss as the safest and most helpful approach. A sensible weight-loss program allows you to lose weight slowly -- about one-half to one pound per week. Slow weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat, not just water weight that can be rapidly regained.

Most people need around 15 calories per pound to maintain their weight. A person of 150 pound would not eat food that contains calories more than 2250 per day in order to maintain his/her weight.

In order to burn one pound, a person need to burn 3500 calories more than they are used. For example, dropping calories by 300 per day and increasing daily movement to burn off an extra 200 calories should result in a weight loss of one pound a week.