Question about fat and weight loss

[flex_wannabe]

One thing I have never understood about fat calories and weight loss is this: Fat has 9 calories/gram; Supposedly, to burn off a pound of fat requires about 3500 calories of deficit.

However, one pound of fat weighs 454 grams. 454 x 9 = 4086.

So, where did the 3500 number you hear so often come from?
Does it really take 3500 to burn a pound of fat or does it take 4086?

I have not been able to find the answer to this in any of the articles on ABC.

Does anyone know or can anyone point me to an article that explains the discrepancy. Thanks!

[NJI]

One gram of body fat( adipose tissue ) contains 7.7 calories versus 9 calories found in pure fat. The discrepency is the result that body fat also contains protein, connective tissue and water. Fat grams in nutritional analysis is pure.

7.7 * 454 = 3495.8 calories

[stillflabby]

wow, that's cool to know.

thanks for the info

[MJR]

Yeah, great info!

[flex_wannabe]

Thank you NJ, that was very helpful!!

[Grimm932]

Thanks, great to know, I never knew how they arrived at the value 3500 before