3500 calorie deficit is a myth?

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  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    BFDeal wrote: »
    Katiebear_81 wrote: »
    NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    So 3500 calories equals a pound then? OK, there are 9 calories per gram of fat. There are 453.592g in a pound. 453.592x9=4082.328. Explanations? Go...

    EDIT: Heat lost during the conversion back and forth causes the difference?

    So how does this work, when say, you have two grilled sausages that come out at 277 calories, but their fat content is 20.9g? I've just looked at the closest food packet to me, and that was it.

    20.9 x 9 = 188.1, not 277.

    I am confused. More so than usual. Not going to lie, maths is most definitely my weakest subject!

    Sausages aren't pure fat? Your math isn't accounting for the protein, carbs, etc. that make up the rest of that sausage.

    Maybe your sausage isn't...


    Did someone say "sausage" ?

  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    3500 lbs is an approximation. It is based on the idea that a pound of fat would be about 454 grams, with 85% being fat and 15% being water or other. Take 454 grams * .85 * 9 calories per gram of fat, and you a bit less than 3500 calories.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    It's not a myth. It's science. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. Actually, it's more like 3,555, but most people remember round numbers better, and it makes for a better sales pitch.

    Weight loss is more complex, as others have stated; you lose more than fat when eating at a calorie deficit. You will lose muscle and connective tissue (although in some instances, with the right diet and exercise, folks can gain muscle; but usually newbie lifters in the beginning of a recomp plan; details).

    But the basic science is true.

    People want to argue this stuff, argue the details, but they miss the point. Weight loss and fat loss are difficult tasks, and simplicity makes it more likely for people to succeed. The less complex a diet plan is, the more likely people will stick to it. Research has shown this.

    3,500 calories to burn a pound of weight; it's not exact, but it's close enough to work. Don't get caught in the details.

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