What happens when the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn through exercise and other body needs?

Burning more calories than you eat in a day is referred to as a “calorie deficit” and is the basis of many weight-loss equations. The idea is daily calories in minus daily calories out = caloric deficit.

The first thing you need to understand is that one pound of fat is made of about 3,500 of extra calories. To lose one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. For example if you wanted to lose one pound a week divide 3,500 calories by seven to get 500; that means negative 500 calories a day overall.

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There are only 3 ways you can create a deficit of calories each day:

1. Eat fewer calories than you burn each day. Keep in mind that your body burns calories all day long as part of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), because it takes energy (calories) for your body to perform basic functions that are necessary for life—breathing, digesting, circulating, thinking and more. It’s important for you to know what your BMR is so you can estimate how many calories you burn in an average day.  In addition to that, you also burn some calories with normal daily activities like bathing, cleaning, walking, typing and exercising (which uses even more calories each day). So by simply taking in less calories each day, that means less excess calories you have to burn off. Easy ways to do this include: eat less fast food or junk food, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, eat lean protein, reduce the amount of bad fats, and drink more water.
2. Burn more calories than you consume by increasing your physical activity. If you eat enough calories to support your BMR, but add more exercise, you’ll create a caloric deficit simply by burning extra calories. This only works if you’re not overeating to begin with.  Example: If you exercise more to burn an extra 500 calories each day, you’ll lose about one pound of fat in a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). You can workout more or just add more movement into your daily lifestyle. Some ideas: ride your bike walk rather than driving places, always take the stairs, move around at work rather than sitting a desk, play with your kids or dog, do squats while watching TV.  Get creative with your day, the possibilities are endless
3. A combination of eating fewer calories and exercising to burn more calories. This is the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off. It’s much easier to create a substantial calorie deficit when you combine eating less with exercise because you don’t have to deprive yourself so much, or exercise in crazy amounts.  Studies show that the combination of diet and exercise are compounded to increase weight loss more than the equivalent of one method alone. One theory is that the exercise increases metabolism which rev’s the fat burning even more.  Example: If you cut 200 calories a day from your diet and burned 300 calories a day by exercising, you’d lose about one pound per week. Compare that to the other examples above—so you’re losing weight at about the same rate without making such extreme changes to your diet or exercise routine.

The key to any successful weight loss is consistency. Over time your calorie deficit will ‘add up.’ and you will lose the extra weight. But remember to be super accurate with your caloric intake and exercise because after all it is a math equation.”

It’s also important to note that although this seems like simple math, our bodies are actually very complicated. We also have emotions, hormones, stress and more that can factor into the equation so you might not always see the results you expect based on equations alone.

If efforts to lose weight with diet and exercise have been unsuccessful and your body mass index  (BMI) is 40 or higher (or 35 or more and you have a serious weight-related health problem, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or severe sleep apnea), you may qualify for weight-loss surgery. To learn more, visit our weight-loss surgery program page or call us at (310) 836-7000. To find a bariatric surgeon, click here.

Energy is another word for "calories." Your energy balance is the balance of calories consumed through eating and drinking compared to calories burned through physical activity. What you eat and drink is ENERGY IN. What you burn through physical activity is ENERGY OUT.

You burn a certain number of calories just by breathing air and digesting food. You also burn a certain number of calories (ENERGY OUT) through your daily routine. For example, children burn calories just being students—walking to their lockers, carrying books, etc.—and adults burn calories walking to the bus stop, going shopping, etc. A chart of estimated calorie requirements for children and adults is available at the link below; this chart can help you maintain a healthy calorie balance.

An important part of maintaining energy balance is the amount of ENERGY OUT (physical activity) that you do. People who are more physically active burn more calories than those who are not as physically active.

The same amount of ENERGY IN (calories consumed) and ENERGY OUT
(calories burned) over time = weight stays the same

More IN than OUT over time = weight gain
More OUT than IN over time = weight loss

Your ENERGY IN and OUT don't have to balance every day. It's having a balance over time that will help you stay at a healthy weight for the long term. Children need to balance their energy, too, but they’re also growing and that should be considered as well. Energy balance in children happens when the amount of ENERGY IN and ENERGY OUT supports natural growth without promoting excess weight gain.

That’s why you should take a look at the Estimated Calorie Requirement chart, to get a sense of how many calories (ENERGY IN) you and your family need on a daily basis.

Estimated Calorie Requirements

This calorie requirement chart presents estimated amounts of calories needed to maintain energy balance (and a healthy body weight) for various gender and age groups at three different levels of physical activity. The estimates are rounded to the nearest 200 calories and were determined using an equation from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2005

• These levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the IOM Dietary Reference Intakes macronutrients report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for reference-sized individuals. "Reference size," as determined by IOM, is based on median height and weight for ages up to age 18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to give a BMI of 21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males.
  
• Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  
• Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  
• Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
  
• The calorie ranges shown are to accommodate needs of different ages within the group. For children and adolescents, more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories are needed at older ages.

Energy Balance in Real Life

Think of it as balancing your "lifestyle budget." For example, if you know you and your family will be going to a party and may eat more high-calorie foods than normal, then you may wish to eat fewer calories for a few days before so that it balances out. Or, you can increase your physical activity level for the few days before or after the party, so that you can burn off the extra energy.

The same applies to your kids. If they’ll be going to a birthday party and eating cake and ice cream—or other foods high in fat and added sugar—help them balance their calories the day before and/or after by providing ways for them to be more physically active.

Here's another way of looking at energy balance in real life.

Eating just 150 calories more a day than you burn can lead to an extra 5 pounds over 6 months. That’s a gain of 10 pounds a year. If you don't want this weight gain to happen, or you want to lose the extra weight, you can either reduce your ENERGY IN or increase your ENERGY OUT. Doing both is the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

• Here are some ways to cut 150 calories (ENERGY IN):
  • Drink water instead of a 12-ounce regular soda
  • Order a small serving of French fries instead of a medium , or order a salad with dressing on the side instead
  • Eat an egg-white omelet (with three eggs), instead of whole eggs
  •  Use tuna canned in water (6-ounce can), instead of oil
• Here are some ways to burn 150 calories (ENERGY OUT), in just 30 minutes (for a 150 pound person):
  • Shoot hoops
  • Walk two miles
  • Do yard work (gardening, raking leaves, etc.)  
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Dance with your family or friends

Read more tips on ways to eat right and get more active.

Last Updated: February 13, 2013