How Many Steps to Lose a Pound?

Losing one pound of fat requires burning approximately 3,500 more calories than you consume. Depending on your body weight and walking pace, that translates to roughly 70,000 to 100,000 steps — or about 5 to 7 weeks of adding 2,000 extra steps to your daily routine.

That number sounds large until you break it down. Add a 20-minute walk after dinner each day, and you're most of the way there by the end of the month.

The Calorie Math Behind Steps and Weight Loss

The foundation of weight loss is simple: a deficit of 3,500 calories burns one pound of stored fat. Steps contribute to that deficit through the calories you burn walking.

Here's how the math works:

1 pound of fat = 3,500 calories
Average calories burned per step = ~0.04 calories (for a 155-lb person at moderate pace)
Steps to burn 3,500 calories = 3,500 ÷ 0.04 = ~87,500 steps

So a 155-pound person walking at a moderate pace needs roughly 87,500 steps to create a 3,500-calorie deficit — the equivalent of one pound of fat.

Body weight is the biggest variable. Heavier people burn more energy per step because they're moving more mass. The formula adjusts proportionally: a 200-lb person burns about 0.05 calories per step, while a 120-lb person burns closer to 0.033.

To get a precise number for your weight and pace, use our Steps to Calories Calculator.

Steps to Lose a Pound by Body Weight

The table below shows how many steps it takes each weight group to create a 3,500-calorie deficit, based on average moderate-pace walking:

Body Weight	Calories per Step	Steps to Lose 1 Pound
120 lbs	~0.033 cal	~106,000 steps
150 lbs	~0.040 cal	~87,500 steps
180 lbs	~0.048 cal	~73,000 steps
200 lbs	~0.052 cal	~67,000 steps
220 lbs	~0.057 cal	~61,500 steps
250 lbs	~0.064 cal	~55,000 steps

Key takeaway: If you weigh more, each step does more work. A 250-lb person needs nearly half the steps of a 120-lb person to burn the same pound of fat.

Walking speed also matters. Brisk walking at 3.5–4.0 mph burns 20–35% more calories per step than a slow stroll, reducing the step count required.

Realistic Timelines: How Long to Lose a Pound Through Walking

Most people aren't going to walk 87,500 steps in one day. The practical question is: how long does it take if you add extra steps gradually?

Extra Steps per Day	Steps Toward 1 lb Goal per Week	Weeks to Lose 1 Pound (155 lbs)
1,000 extra/day	7,000/week	~12-13 weeks
2,000 extra/day	14,000/week	~6-7 weeks
3,000 extra/day	21,000/week	~4-5 weeks
5,000 extra/day	35,000/week	~2-3 weeks

Adding 2,000 extra steps per day is the sweet spot for most people — achievable without major schedule changes, and fast enough to see meaningful results within a month or two.

If you currently walk 5,000 steps a day, increasing to 7,000 will produce about 1 pound of loss every 6–7 weeks from walking alone. Combine that with modest diet changes and you can cut that timeline in half.

Check the walking to lose weight chart for a visual breakdown of how steps translate to weekly and monthly weight loss.

How to Add More Steps to Your Daily Routine

You don't need a gym membership or a dedicated 60-minute walk to add 2,000 steps. Here are practical ways to accumulate them throughout the day:

At work:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator
Walk to a colleague's desk instead of emailing
Take a 10-minute walk on your lunch break
Walk during phone calls and meetings

During errands:

Park at the far end of the lot
Walk to nearby shops instead of driving
Get off public transit one stop early
Walk the long way around the grocery store

At home:

Walk around the block after dinner
Pace while watching TV
Do a 5-minute walk between tasks or work sessions
Walk the dog a longer route

These micro-walks add up fast. Three 10-minute walks throughout the day accumulate roughly 3,000–4,000 steps and produce the same calorie burn as one 30-minute walk.

Walking Alone vs. Walking Plus Diet

Walking is powerful — but it works best as part of a combined approach.

Walking alone: Adding 2,000 steps/day creates a deficit of about 80 calories/day, leading to roughly 0.5–0.7 lb/month from steps alone.

Walking plus diet: Reducing daily calories by 250–300 (one less soda, smaller portions) alongside extra steps doubles or triples the rate of fat loss. Most people lose 1–1.5 lbs per week with this combination.

The research is clear: a 12-week study found that sedentary adults who increased to 10,000 daily steps lost an average of 5.7 lbs — but those who also cut 250 calories per day lost 9.3 lbs. Same walking, roughly twice the result.

For a deeper look at how steps alone burn calories compared to the 500-calorie target, see how many steps burn 500 calories. And if belly fat specifically is your goal, does walking reduce belly fat covers the research on visceral fat reduction.

Use our Weight Loss Walking Calculator to model exactly how long it will take to hit your goal based on your current step count, weight, and calorie target.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many steps does it take to lose 10 pounds?

At roughly 87,500 steps per pound (for a 155-lb person), losing 10 pounds from walking alone requires approximately 875,000 steps. At 10,000 steps per day, that's about 88 days — roughly three months. Combined with a modest diet reduction, you can reach 10 pounds in 6–8 weeks.

Can you lose weight just by walking?

Yes. Walking creates a calorie deficit that burns fat over time. You don't need intense exercise or a strict diet to see results. Studies consistently show 5–9 lbs of weight loss over 12 weeks for people who increase daily steps without any diet changes.

Is 10,000 steps a day enough to lose a pound a week?

For most people, 10,000 steps alone burns 300–400 calories per day — about 2,100–2,800 per week. That's 60–80% of the 3,500-calorie deficit needed for one pound. To hit exactly 1 lb/week from walking, most people need 12,000–14,000 steps or must combine walking with a small calorie reduction.

Does walking speed affect how many steps to lose a pound?

Yes. Walking briskly at 3.5–4.0 mph burns 20–35% more calories per step than walking at 2.5 mph. A brisk walker loses a pound faster than a slow walker taking the same number of steps. See our walking for weight loss guide for speed-based calorie comparisons.

Do steps on hills or stairs count more?

Absolutely. A 5% incline increases calorie burn by approximately 50% compared to flat walking. If you're regularly walking hills, stairs, or hiking trails, you'll reach your pound-loss target much faster than the flat-ground estimates in this article.

How many steps a day should I aim for to lose weight?

The 10,000 steps a day benefits article covers this in detail, but 8,000–10,000 steps is a strong daily target for steady weight loss. If you're starting from a low baseline, simply adding 2,000 steps per day to whatever you currently walk is a proven, sustainable strategy.

What's the fastest way to lose a pound through walking?

The fastest approach is combining high step counts (12,000–15,000/day) with brisk walking pace, incline terrain when possible, and a 250–300 calorie daily diet reduction. This combination can create a full pound of deficit in 7–10 days.

Start Tracking Your Steps Today

Knowing how many steps it takes to lose a pound is only useful if you're actually counting them. The Steps: Workout & Pedometer app automatically tracks your daily steps, calories burned, and distance — synced directly with Apple Health.

Free tools to plan your walking weight loss:

Weight Loss Walking Calculator — Enter your weight and step goal to see exactly how long it takes to lose a pound
Steps to Calories Calculator — Convert any step count to calories burned
Daily Step Goal Calculator — Find the right daily step goal for your weight loss timeline

Ready to lose weight through walking? Download Steps free on the App Store and start tracking your progress today.

How Many Steps to Lose a Pound? The Math Explained