To lose one pound, how many calories need to be burned more than consumed?

To lose one pound of body weight, it is generally accepted that one needs to create a calorie deficit of approximately 3500 calories. This figure is based on the understanding that one pound of body fat is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories. Therefore, to achieve weight loss, a combination of reducing calorie intake and increasing calorie expenditure through physical activity can be employed to reach this deficit.

This relationship has been a foundational principle in weight management and is widely used to guide dietary and exercise recommendations. For example, if an individual aims to lose one pound in a week, they would need to create a daily deficit of 500 calories (3500 calories divided by 7 days). Such an approach emphasizes the importance of consistency in both diet and exercise over time to achieve weight loss goals.

The other options suggest calorie deficits that do not align as closely with the widely accepted standard for weight loss in relation to fat loss, which has been extensively researched and observed in various studies on energy balance.