Defect of "3500 cals per pound"

yarwell

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21872751

Rather than a fixed rate of loss based on a calorie deficit, the authors use a mathematical modelling approach of the dynamic situation and conclude that a better approach than 3500 is a reduction of 10 kcal per day per pound of weight change with half of the weight change being achieved in about 1 year and 95% of the weight change in about 3 years.

First method says 500 calories per day deficit for 1 lb/week loss, after 10 weeks 10 pounds lost, 1 year 50 lbs and 2 years 100 lbs (assuming there's that much to lose in the first place)

Proposed method says 500 calories per day deficit will result in 50 pounds loss eventually, but only 25 lbs in one year and 47.5 lbs after 3 years. In other words the expectations of 3500 cals per pound are too optimistic in the short term (several months).

gaelyngaelyn

Interesting!