Once you decide you want to lose weight, it can be difficult to know what to do next. (Should you try a keto or DASH diet, for example?) But no matter what type of eating plan you follow, there is a weight loss rule that is control: you have to create a calorie deficit, or when you burn more calories than you absorb. Without it, you are unlikely to lose weight.
It looks super simple, right? Well, there is some detective work involved in the beginning to find out how many calories your body needs, followed by a little math to calculate what you need to eat to have a deficit. And then, of course, you have to find out what it really looks like in the food department to help you achieve your goals.
Of course, you weren’t born knowing about calorie deficits, how to find your own and what you need to do to put it all into action. However, don’t be overwhelmed: there are many ways to approach this. Here’s everything you need to know.
First, what is a calorie deficit?
Some basic principles: A calorie is a measure of energy. The calories in food provide the body with the energy it needs to survive. When you eat food, it is broken down by your body to release that energy to be used immediately or stored for later, depending on what you need at that moment.
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Your body needs to eat a certain number of calories to maintain your weight, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Changes Diet. And therefore, “a calorie deficit is when you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight,” she explains. If you eat fewer calories than necessary, your body will use the calories you have stored to burn for energy. As a result, you will lose weight.
Each person’s calorie needs and deficits are different and depend on a number of factors, such as how much you exercise, your genes, your hormones and your metabolism, says Sonya Angelone, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
How much calorie deficit do you need to lose weight?
Finding your exact calorie deficit can be a little tricky, but it is generally believed that cutting 500 calories from your daily intake should lead to a weight loss of a pound a week.
“The classic definition is based on the fact that a pound of fat contains 3,500 calories,” says Angelone. “If you eat 500 calories less than you need to maintain your weight, you will lose a pound a week.” If you want to lose a pound a week, you can try a 1,000-calorie daily deficit. You just don’t want to cut more calories than that. “Healthy weight loss is considered to be one to two pounds a week,” notes Gans.
However, you don’t necessarily need to lose 500 calories a day from your diet to lose weight. “Any deficit will lead to weight loss,” says Angelone. “It will only take more or less time, depending on the size of the deficit.”
Creating a calorie deficit is not a perfect science. The speed of your metabolism is a factor, along with the type of calories you eat, says Angelone. (Some nutrients, like sugar, are used more easily and quickly than those with fiber, she explains.) Your body also compensates for short-term calorie changes, temporarily boosting your metabolism if you eat more for a few days and decreasing it if you eat less.
How do I find my calorie deficit for weight loss?
There are many different ways to find your calorie deficit, and some are more accurate than others. There are different ways of calculating calorie requirements, but Angelone says he often uses the Harris-Benedict equation, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation or the Katch-McArdle formula with customers. Here’s how to find your deficit in a few different situations.
With your doctor or nutritionist
Each practitioner has a slightly different approach. Angelone will make calculations based on body measurements, such as weight and height, along with the level of exercise. And Gans prefers a more discreet approach. “I try to leave math out of the equation and instead focus on my patient making small changes that can naturally lead to weight loss,” she says.
But some doctors may even send you on a metabolic test, which measures how many calories you burn at rest (like when you’re sitting down), to try to get an accurate number.
With a formula
There are several formulas to help you calculate your calorie needs, but a study published by Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics I found that the Mifflin-St. Jeor’s equation it is very accurate. This equation calculates your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the minimum number of calories your body burns at rest.
For women, Mifflin-St. Jeor’s equation is: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161.
Thus, the BMR equation for a 25-year-old woman who is 5’4 “and weighs 150 pounds would be this: BMR = (10 x 68) + (6.25 x163) – (5 x 25) -161 = 1,413 calories
O Harris Benedict equation it is often used for comparison. This equation is: TMB = 655.1 + (9,563 x weight in kg) + (1,850 x height in cm) – (4,676 x age in years).
For the same 150-pound woman, the BMR using Harris Benedict’s equation would be: BMR = 655.1 + (9,563 x 68) + (1,850 x 163) – (4,676 x 25) = 1,490 calories
The results are slightly different depending on the formula you use. And, emphasizes Angelone, “this is still an estimate, since so many factors affect weight loss”.
With an online calculator
Don’t feel like doing math? There are many calculators online that can help. The National Institute of Health’s body weight planner is good to try, says Angelone. It analyzes your current weight and fitness level, along with your weight loss goals, and helps you map how many calories you need to eat to lose weight during the specified period of time. A good advantage: it also tells you how many calories to look for when reaching your ideal weight to help maintain it.
Okay, so now how do I really achieve this calorie deficit?
There are a few different ways to create a calorie deficit and, ideally, you would consider a combination of all of these changes:
- Do more strength training. Exercise in general can help burn more calories, but strength training helps increase your body’s energy needs by increasing the amount of calories you burn at rest, says Angelone. Muscles “require calories or energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so if you have more lean muscle mass, you will need more calories to maintain your weight. That way, you won’t have to cut back so much on food to create a deficit, ”she says.
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Your body converts most carbohydrates to sugar, and those calories are always absorbed or stored in your body for later use, says Angelone. Cutting out carbohydrates means that your body will store less in the future.
- Add more protein, fiber and healthy fat to your diet. “Prepare your meals with fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, so that you are still satisfied, although the size of your entrée may be smaller than you are used to,” says Gans. Adding more fiber, protein and healthy fats to your meals will “help you stay satisfied longer and help you eat less,” adds Angelone.
- Stop eating after dinner. Angelone says it is usually “the best way” to get a deficit. “Most people have already met their calorie needs, so eating after dinner or before bed just adds extra calories,” she says.
- Keep a food diary. Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it really works. Writing down what you eat regularly can be telling and can also help you plan where you can cut. “Just monitor the amount ingested,” says Angelone. “Decrease a little from there to avoid getting too hungry and overeating later.”
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