Calories to Body Weight Converter
Convert calories burned to the body weight they correspond to (3,500 kcal ≈ 1 lb), in pounds and ounces, kilograms, grams, stone and more, and back.
Change the values and press Calculate to work out your own figures.
Enter calories burned to see the body weight they correspond to, or a weight to see its calories.
Show the working
- pounds = kcal ÷ 3,500 = 5,000 ÷ 3,500 = 1.428571 lb
How to use it
Enter calories burned to see the body weight they correspond to, or a weight to see its calories.
Enter an amount, choose what it is (calories burned or a weight) and what to convert it to.
Key facts
pounds = kcal ÷ 3,500 kilograms = kcal ÷ 7,716.179176 (= 3,500 ÷ 0.45359237) kcal = pounds × 3,500
Where 3,500 comes from
A pound of body fat stores roughly 3,500 food Calories (Wishnofsky, 1958), so a 500-Calorie daily deficit is often quoted as a pound a week.
Why real weight loss is usually less
The body adapts: it burns less as weight drops, and early losses include water and some muscle. Models built on measured data (Hall et al., 2011) predict less loss than the 3,500 rule, especially after the first months. Use the result as a rough guide, not a forecast.
Questions
How many calories are in a pound of fat?
About 3,500 kcal by the usual rule of thumb.
How many calories are in a kilogram of fat?
About 7,716 kcal (3,500 ÷ 0.45359237).
Is a calorie here a kilocalorie?
Yes: food Calories are kilocalories (kcal).
Formulas
pounds = kcal ÷ 3,500 kilograms = kcal ÷ 7,716.179176 (= 3,500 ÷ 0.45359237) kcal = pounds × 3,500
Sources
- Wishnofsky M. (1958), Caloric equivalents of gained or lost weight, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 6(5):542–546
- Hall KD et al. (2011), Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight, The Lancet 378(9793):826–837
- NIST Handbook 44 Appendix C (international avoirdupois pound = 0.45359237 kg)
Limitations
- The 3,500-calorie rule is an approximation for body fat, not a physical conversion. Real weight change also depends on water, muscle and metabolic adaptation, and usually slows over time; research models (Hall et al. 2011) predict less loss than the rule over months.
- Not medical advice; talk to a clinician before a large calorie deficit.