The best way to lose weight is to increase your activity to burn more calories and eat fewer calories each day.  If you consider that a pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, in order to lose 1 pound in a week you would need to expend 3,500 more calories than you eat in that particular week.  You would could lose this weight through either increased activity or decreased eating or a combination of both. For most people, losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a sensible and reasonable goal.  Sure if you watch a show like Biggest Loser, contestants are losing 5+ lbs per week.  However, most people aren't able to complete an exercise and eating program like they do on this weekly show. 

The following program will help you use this combination of increased activity and eating less to total 3,500 calories for 7 days.

A consistent walking program can strengthen muscles, which tones and shapes your body. This increased muscle mass gained from a good walking program or weight loss workouts, actually boosts your metabolism. This means that it’s possible to burn calories long after you stop moving, so you don't have to get all of your walking in at once. If you don't have time for long walks, find pockets of time throughout your day for short jaunts.

Time does not matter as much as distance. If you speed up to walking a mile in 13 minutes or less, you will be burning more calories per mile. But for most beginning walkers, it is best to increase the distance before working on speed.Any form of walking burns calories and improves muscle definition. But to get the most from your walk, concentrate on these main points:

• Choose distance over speed as you start your walking program.  This is because it's better to walk at a steady pace than walk too quickly and have to quit early. As your fitness level improves, you’ll need to speed up gradually.  At very high walking speeds you are using more muscle groups with arm motion and with a racewalking stride.
• Bend your arms up to 90 degrees, but try to keep your elbows in, while not letting your hands cross in front of your chest.  This is because too much side to side motion can slow you down.
• Go for the hills. To help build your muscles, alternate inclines. If you don’t live near hills, try walking up stairs or bleachers.  The “Stairs” in Santa Monica are one of the most popular places to workout in the Los Angeles area.

• Brush your thumbs against your waistband as you swing your arms back and forth.  Concentrating on this motion will help improve your speed.
• Focus on quicker, not longer steps.  Try to shoot for between 45 to 50 steps every 20 seconds or about 150 steps per minute.
• Warm up slowly. Walk the first few minutes at an easy pace to get your body prepared. If your start is too brisk, you risk burning only the immediate sugar supply in your body rather than the stored fat you want to lose.
• Stand tall and keep your eyes on the horizon – just don’t look down because it can slow you down.
• Push off your toes with each stride and pretend your showing someone the bottom of your shoes (also makes you go faster).
• Walking poles may help you burn more calories, as well as build some arm strength.  You could even add light weights that attach to your wrists or ankles.
• If you're walking in deep snow or sand, it’s equivalent to adding resistance so you could be burning as much as double the calories (if you had been walking on a flat sidewalk).

The Calories Burned Estimator:  inputs include the exercise you completed, your weight and length of time you performed the particular exercise.