A calorie deficit, to those who are not aware of what it actually is, can sound something intimidating, hard, or even dangerous. Nonetheless, the calorie deficit is actually a logical and straight explanation of how we manage to lose weight and burn fat.
In fact, if you’ve ever noticed losing a few pounds and had some success in your weight loss journey, then you’ve unknowingly been in a calorie deficit yourself! Being in a calorie deficit is actually a crucial component of cutting fat and getting lean. In case you’re doing it right, you can also gain some muscle mass too. But if you’re doing the wrong calorie deficit plan, then you could lose muscle!
What is a Calorie Deficit?
The calorie deficit is a state that your body enters when you provide it with fewer calories than it burns on a daily basis. You can burn more calories than you consume either through staying active, simply via dieting or both. Regardless, as long as your body gets fewer calories than it consumes, it is in a calorie deficit state.
Absolutely anyone can enter a calorie deficit. Regardless if we’re talking about competition powerlifters, bodybuilders, absolute beginners, veteran lifters, sports players, or even those who have never been in a gym.
In the end, it all depends on how many calories you put into your body versus how much energy (calories) you use per day. How many calories you put depends on how much and what exactly you eat. How many calories your body uses depends on your daily activity level.
What factors impact the calorie deficit?
There are a lot of factors that could impact your calorie deficit. Keep in mind that everyone is different, with different body types, responding differently.
A lot of things can influence the calories that you burn daily. It comes down to your gender, age, height, and weight, the amount of activity you get on a daily basis, as well as your body composition (your muscle-to-fat ratio).
For example, if you have more weight, you are likely to need more calories to maintain that weight than someone lighter than you. But as said, there are other factors to take into consideration. For example, we usually need fewer calories per day as we age. Moreover, men tend to need more calories than women. It is quite obvious that the more you exercise a day, the more fuel (calories) you are going to need to put into your body to keep it functional. Think of calories as an energy source. As you put gas into your vehicle for energy, you put calories (foods) into your body for energy.
Calories and Weight Loss
It is important to understand that you cannot lose weight in case you are not in a calorie deficit. The calorie deficit is the only way for weight loss. Nonetheless, keep in mind that there are numerous other things that play a role in the way you look. For example, if you only eat fewer calories than you burn, you will see the number on the scale go down. But if you do not exercise and do not eat healthy, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to love what you see in the mirror. That’s because you’re still likely to have a lot of fat. Moreover, you’re likely to feel down, because of the poor food choices.
On the other hand, if you are exercising intensively and regularly while eating a lot of vegetables AND staying in a calorie deficit, then you are going to burn fat, see the number on the scale go down, AND maintain/grow muscle while feeling great!
In order to burn about 1-2 pounds per week, an average person is going to need to lower their daily calorie maintenance requirements by about 500 to 1000 calories (the average person needs anywhere between 2000 to 3500 calories per day).
Keep in mind that to stay in a calorie deficit, you do not need to go hungry. You could eat low calorie foods like vegetables and fruit, with lots of protein and fiber which helps you keep fuller for longer. Another trick is to drink more water (sometimes, we mistake the feeling of thirst for the feeling of hunger). All you need to do is keep a lower-than-maintenance calorie schedule. In fact, you should not be too drastic with your calorie reduction. While it will speed up weight loss, it can wreak havoc on your body’s organs, immune system, metabolism, and/or hormonal balance.
How to Achieve a Calorie Deficit
You need to eat fewer calories than you burn to achieve a calorie deficit. But how do you know how many calories your body burns? Well, there are various methods you can use to find out how many calories your body requires in order to maintain its current weight.
- Nevertheless, one of the simplest ways that offer an approximate measurement is to use an online calorie calculator. How does it work? Well, there are various factors it takes into consideration.
For example, you should know that everything in your body burns calories. You’re actually burning calories even when you do nothing, such as sleeping or watching TV. That’s because your lungs breathing, your heart pumping blood, your muscle repairing, your stomach digesting food, your brain functioning and everything else – are all requiring fuel.
That’s why people tend to burn fat even if they do not exercise, and sometimes, even if they are not trying to lose weight. But it is pretty obvious that you boost the calorie expenditure process as long as you start doing something. Walking, running, lifting weights – all work your muscles. And muscles need that fuel to perform the necessary tasks. This is why a physically active person burns more calories than another who is not. So, if you plan to find out how many calories you need you could use an online calorie calculator. It is not 100% accurate, but at least it provides a good approximation. You need to provide your age, gender, height, weight, and weekly activity level, usually.
Then, you need to eat less than the maintenance number.
The speed of your weight loss will depend on how large a deficit you create. Too large a drop in calories is, obviously, not sustainable. Moreover, it can be unhealthy too. It is recommended for you to reduce the calories by about 500 up to 1000 calories on average per day. If you don’t reduce by 500 per day, your weight loss progress is going to be very slow.
But it is not only about lowering your daily calories by 500 per day for reasons I’ve earlier shared. You also need to eat healthy. Go for low calorie foods like vegetables and fruit, while eating lots of fiber. Do not forget that you should also drink lots of water every day too. These are tricks that can help stave off hunger. Foods that are packed with fiber and protein will help you keep you satisfied for longer. Moreover, they are usually pretty low in fat and calorie amounts.
So you need to reduce calories (eat less) while eating healthier, or increase the amount of exercise that you are getting daily. This can cause a calorie deficit, which leads to weight loss. But ideally is to do both.
Exercising will keep you healthier, and leaner, and boost calorie expenditure. Definitely forget about sugary drinks, and avoid as much high fat foods and processed foods. Have a balanced and healthy diet. Avoid fatty foods and processed foods. Go for green vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean meats such as chicken and fish, as well as low fat dairy products too.
Create a Calorie Deficit and Maintain Your Muscles
To burn fat, you need to stay in a caloric deficit. However, it is important to understand that during a caloric deficit, you are likely to use muscles as a form of energy source, not only fat. This means that while you burn fat, you may also lose some muscles too. This is why it is important to eat healthy (not only less) and to exercise. This will greatly help minimize muscle loss when you’re cutting calories. You need to get plenty of protein and lift heavy in the gym. Proteins are the building blocks of muscles, and protecting them, while lifting heavy ensures you keep those muscles and may even gain more.
The problem is that it can feel too demanding. When eating less, creating a calorie deficit, you may notice a lack of energy, strength, and endurance. This can make it harder to keep pushing in the gym. Moreover, you may start losing motivation too, due to lack of strength and energy. Especially considering that in a cutting cycle, you should work hard, but give up on so many of your favorite foods. This is why a weight loss and cutting cycle can be very hard to maintain.
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