This is a very interesting explanation of weight loss from Dr. Robert Wallace. It's a bit long but read it in it's entirety because it gives a lot of info. It goes like this:

If you are truly serious about losing weight and being healthy, you must take the time to know the energy quotient (number of calories) in every bite of nourishing and well-balanced meal or snack you consume. Whenever you consume 3500 calories more than your body can use, your body stores the excess as 1 pound of fat. To lose that pound, you must consume 3500 less calories than you need. Let's say that your ideal weight should be 120 pounds, but your actual weight is 140 pounds. This means that you want to lose 20 pounds on your diet. As a rule of thumb, a person should consume 18 calories per day for every pound of desired weight. If you want to weigh 120 pounds, your average calorie consumption per day should be 2,160 (18 times 20) Being 20 pounds overweight, you want to burn off the excess 80,000 calories (3500 calories per excess pound times 20 pounds). Since it took time to gain the 20 pounds, it should take a reasonable amount of time to shed the extra 20 pounds-about 24 weeks. By consuming 1700 calories daily, you are burning 460 stored calories. Remember, to be a trim 120, you should be eating 2,160 calories daily. In a week you will have burned off 3,220 calories (almost 1 pound). Once you get down to 120 pounds, you can move up to the 2,160 maintaining calorie limit.

There you have it, the formula for weight loss and the formula for maintenance. Let's give Dr. Wallace a hand and thanks for a well written and concise article that all of us can understand.

Gene C.