Energy balance
The popular '3,500 kcal/lb' rule for weight loss is mathematically incorrect because it assumes a constant energy density of lost tissue, whereas actual weight loss involves a nonlinear shift between fat and lean mass that changes the caloric equivalent per pound lost.
Stop using the '3,500 kcal per pound' rule to predict your weight loss. It is mathematically flawed because your body loses a mix of fat and lean tissue, and the energy cost of losing that mix changes as you lose weight. Fatter individuals require a larger energy deficit to lose the same amount of weight compared to leaner individuals. Use a dynamic model or track actual progress rather than relying on a static conversion factor.
the fundamental assumption of the 3,500 kcal/lb conversion factor is incorrect... the caloric equivalent of body-weight change is actually not a constant. Rather, the mass–energy conversion factor depends nonlinearly on the initial body-fat mass, with fatter people requiring a greater energy deficit than lean people for the same amount of weight loss
Why this rating
Based on a validated mathematical model using data from 157 subjects across multiple longitudinal studies.
Source
Mechanisms of Metabolic Fuel Selection: Modeling Human Metabolism and Body-Weight Change
Kevin D. Hall · IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine · 2010
DOI 10.1109/memb.2009.935465
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- Obese individuals lose more total weight than leaner individuals for the same caloric deficit, but it takes significantly longer to reach the weight loss plateau due to a higher proportion of fat mass loss and slower metabolic adaptation.Good
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