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Being active is important for any weight-loss or weight-maintenance program. When you're active, your body uses more energy (calories). And when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight.

To lose weight, most people need to reduce the number of calories they consume and increase their physical activity, according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In general, that means that to lose 1 1/2 pounds (0.7 kilograms) a week, you need to reduce your daily calories by 500 to 750 calories.

There are other factors that can influence this equation. Because of changes that occur in the body over time, you might need to decrease calories further to continue losing weight or maintaining it.