If you want to lose weight just decrease your daily consumption of calories and stick to it. but not too low or you will end up gaining weight back, perhaps exceeding the weight you originally were. excercise is good for you in the long-term but it really does not contribute much to weight loss. you would need to run 43 hours non-stop to lose 5 pounds of body fat. The amount of food you need to consume to maintain your current weight depends on your metabolism. If you are active that amount is high, but if you are lazy it is low, which asa result makes it easier for you to gain weight. If you need 2000 calories then you should consume 1500 daily if you wish to lose a pound per week. 3500 calories makes up a pound of body fat. Keep in mind not to go overboard with decreasing your daily calorie consumption.