the science of shedding a pound

The *average person needs approximately 2000 calories a day to sustain body weight--this is why you see on most food labels that all the health information says "based on a 2000 calorie per day diet". (Meaning, if you were to sit and rest for 1 day, your body would burn 2000 calories on it's own, so therefore, eating 2000 calories a day would even it out and maintain your weight)....in theory of course.

The average pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories.
So if you deficit your daily calories by 500 to 1500 calories a day, and burn 500 calories through exercise you would be losing a total of 7,000 calories per week, which equals a loss of 2 pounds per week. (Maybe this will help you understand why losing more than 2 pounds per week is said to be unhealthy. Anymore then 2 would cause you to eat to little and/or exercise too much.)

Losing weight slowly is the key. You always hear that you want to implement a "lifestyle change" instead of just a plain old diet. Well, it's true! Everyone knows--especially us moms, that there are days where you have to do what you have to do, whether it be skipping the gym one day, or stopping at McDonald's another day (for the sake of the kids, of course). Implementing a healthier diet and smaller portions day-to-day will keep the weight off (or lose it), and then when the time comes to go out to a restaurant, go to a party, or PMS... it will not matter as much in the scheme of things.

*2000 calories is just an estimation, everybody's bodies burn calories at a different rate.