If your goals for the new year look anything like the rest of AmericaÂ’s, then thereÂ’s a good chance you want to lose a few pounds. What will it take to lose the weight? The numbers might surprise you. To lose just 1 pound of fat, you have to burn about 3,500 calories. The skinny on fat The gross looking ball of yuck up above is 1 lb . of fat. Everyone wants to get rid of their fat, but the truth is, you could never get rid of all of it. Nor would you want to! In fact, fat is so essential to our health that an average size 10 , slim female carries approximately 100, 0 calories of fat on her body. The average woman * The average man * 5 ft . 4 in weighs 162006 lbs . 5 ft . 9 in . weighs 192006 lbs . Average fat % of 25 - 31 % Average fat % of 18 - 24 % 46 . 5 lbs . of fat 41 . 2 lbs . of fat * In the U . S . Source : http : / / www . cdc . gov / nchs / fastats / bodymeas . htm To lose 1 lb . of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories. Running ( mph ) ~ 4h 17m ( 25 . 7 miles ) Walking ( 3mph ) ~ 13 hours ( 39 miles ) Cycling ( 14 - 16mph ) ~ 4h 20m ( 65 miles ) Yoga~ 17h 10m Calories burned based on the avg. weight for a U. S. male - 182000 lbs. Source: http ://www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/lookup The foods below are approx. 3,500 calories. - 9 Subway Clubs ( 400 calories each ) - 6 . 5 Big Macs ( 542000 calories each ) SNICKERS - 14 Snickers Bars ( 252000 calories each ) - 7 Large Fries ( 500 calories each ) Source : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/search Did you know muscle and fat burn calories? 1 lb. muscle Burns 7 - 10 calories during the day 1 lb. fat burns 2 - 3 calories during the day Source : http://www.livestrong.com/article/438693-a-pound-of-fat-vs-a-pound-of-muscle/