If you have been on a weight loss journey, you’re more likely to hear of ‘calorie deficit’ or even been on a calorie deficit diet.
For those who don’t, you may wonder what exactly it involves or how it is necessary for weight loss.
Well, here’s what you need to know about calories deficit including what it is, how it affects your weight loss, and the best way to achieve weight loss healthily and in a sustainable way.
Firstly, you will need to understand the basic facts about calories.
A calorie is a unit of energy, which provides energy in the form of heat so that our body can function daily even when they are at rest. When you consume fewer calories than you burn, you achieve a calorie deficit.
The calories you burn or expend each day is known as a calories expenditure which includes;
- Resting Energy Expenditure (REE): REE refers to the calories your body burns when at rest for function such as breathing and blood circulation.
- Thermic effect of food: It involves calories your body burns when digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing food.
- Activity energy expenditure: It refers to the calories your body burns during exercises and non-exercise-related activities such as cleaning and cooking.
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In short, if you consistently provide your body fewer calories than it needs to support these calorie expenditures, it will result in weight loss.
When you create a calorie deficit, your body gets energy or fuel from stored fat. This is the extra weight that has accumulated throughout your body. In a simpler term, stored fat is stored energy. Your body will burn fats for energy for you to keep moving, essentially leading to weight loss.
However, creating a calorie deficit and losing weight is not as easy as it seems. You will need to estimate your resting metabolic rate (RMR) then estimate your total daily energy expenditure to create a specific calorie deficit for weight loss. Researchers estimate that on average individuals need to go on a calorie deficit of 3500 calories per week to lose one kg of fat. Seems a lot? Well, as long as you create a calorie deficit of 500 per day, you will reach the goal.
Here’s how you can create a calorie deficit healthily without needing to starve yourself or go on that juice fast.
1. Eat Fewer Calories
Cutting calories from your diet don’t require drastic changes, there are several strategies that can help you reduce your calories intake to lose weight and maintain it.
For instance, try eliminating the intake of sugary drinks like fruit juice, soda, or alcoholic beverages. Limit yourself with highly processed foods such as fast food, desserts, and breakfast cereals, instead swap it with oatmeal topped with fruits, yogurt, or nuts.
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2. Get Active
The number of calories your body needs daily depends on your activity level. Thus, if you increase your activity level, but still consume the same number of calories from food, you’ll reach a calorie deficit.
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3. Combine Diet and Exercise
It’s when you eat 250 fewer calories each day and then go for a 60-minute walk to burn off the excess 250 calories. It creates a total of 500 calories deficit.
By creating a similar plan each day and keeping consistent, you’d reach the 3500 calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
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