A calorie deficit happens when there is less calorie intake than calories burnt from daily activities. This motivates the body to consume the stored body fat, and weight loss is achieved. The recommended safe and continuous weight loss is a calorie deficit of about 500 calories through diet and physical activities as prescribed by registered dietitians.
There is a lot of information available about weight loss, and it can be confusing. People resort to popular fad diets, which restrict entire categories of food, or take “shortcuts” with “superfoods” to achieve quick results. Nevertheless, clinical nutrition professionals are always grounded in the truth of achieving weight management by understanding the principles of rest and activity, reflected by energy intake and metabolism in weight loss.
Weight loss can be achieved by understanding how to rightfully control the energy balance. Instead of falling prey to fad diets and gaining fluctuating weight, health institutions’ clinical standards can be employed to achieve safe and effective fat loss.
What is a calorie deficit?
A calorie deficit is a condition wherein the total number of calories burned by the body exceeds the total number of calories consumed via food and drink intake [UT MD Anderson, 2024]. The body needs to find other sources of energy to function normally, and will start to rely on stores.
According to Jessica Tilton, UT MD Anderson senior clinical dietitian, the state of a calorie deficit can be achieved by consuming fewer calories, increasing daily activity levels, or both [UT MD Anderson, 2024]. People burn different number of calories in a day, and this is dependent on their total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). TDEE consists of the body’s basal metabolic rate (the energy spent on basic functions of the body) and any other movement. If a person consumes calories lower than their TDEE, they have created a calorie deficit.
How does the body burn fat during a calorie deficit?
The body needs to break down triglycerides (the main constituents of body fat) when in the state of calorie deficit. This triglyceride is then released into circulation and can be utilized by different organs or even skeletal muscles for energy.
It is fascinating that the body can then excrete these fats from the body. When the body fat is broken down and then further processed into different metabolites, a large amount of it is converted to carbon dioxide which is excreted by the lungs and the respiratory system. The remaining amount is converted to water which can exit the body through the various excretory routes (sweat, urine, and tears) [INTEGRIS Health, 2016]. Thus, establishing a regular calorie deficit helps the body to gradually deplete its fat stores in the body to air and other bodily fluids.
What are my daily caloric requirements in order to attain fat loss?
The amount of calories an individual requires is contingent on many different criteria, such as: gender, age, height, weight, level of activity, etc. Before an individual can attain a caloric deficit, they need to ascertain their maintenance calories, or in other words, the score necessary to secure no loss in weight.
A lot of people in the medical profession lean towards the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Body Weight Planner as a reliable framework to calculating maintenance needs [UT MD Anderson, 2024]. The next step after determining maintenance calories is to consume a diet that is around 500 calories less in order to lose ½ – 1 lbs weekly [Mayo Clinic, 2024]. Opt for a 500-calorie reduction if the goal is to lose weight at a sustainable pace over the long term, compared to no weight loss over the long term.
What is the value of a registered dietitian in attaining weight loss?
The dangers of very low calorie diets, like the loss of muscle or malnutrition, are reason enough to not attempt them on your own. Registered dietitians develop therapeutic diets that integrate knowledge and self-management to inform people of the tools that they require to make great decisions to sustain a healthy lifestyle, appropriate to their medical history.
Through dietetics, registered practitioners can:
– Help the patient understand their lack of diet or undeveloped lifestyle.
– Identify conditions that obstruct weight loss, like insulin resistance, hormones, or stress.
– Determine the right level of nutrition within the caloric deficit diet to sustain bodily functions. [UT MD Anderson, 2024].
How can you achieve a calorie deficit while still eating safe and healthy?
Calorie deficits are easily achievable without starvation and with normal strategies to adjust intake. Clinical professionals suggest simple and small lifestyle adjustments to bring meal intake naturally while keeping physical satisfaction.
- Food swaps: Saving 250 calories by replacing a 16 ounce flavored latte with black coffee is definitely achievable. Replacing ranch flavored tortilla chips with air popped popcorn is also achievable while enhancing fiber and reducing calorie intake. [Mayo Clinic, 2024].
- Portion control: Using smaller plates and serving with smaller portions of food will always help and keep total calorie intake down. Portion control has been shown to be an effective strategy in keeping weights down as people have underestimated how much food they consume.
- Increase physical activity: To maintain a healthy diet, you are required to have some sort of fitness regime on top of a healthy diet. To maintain a healthy diet, a person is required to be physically active and complete moderate exercise of 150 minutes a week to maintain a healthy weight [UT MD Anderson, 2024].
What are some of the most known and commonly believed myths about calorie deficits?
A lot of people assume that by cutting 3,500 calories, they are guaranteed to lose exactly one pound. This rule proved to be a good and useful generalization to have in the past, but modern day medical professionals and clinical specialists have noted how energy balance has become quite dynamic. [UT MD Anderson, 2024]. For all people, the body requires only a small amount of energy to function as a person loses weight and the physical body becomes smaller. In a weight loss plateau, this means that the initial calorie deficit is set to become the person’s new maintenance.
Another myth we often see is the theory of “starvation mode.” Many people think that if you eat too few calories, you can completely stop yourself from losing weight. It is true that if you have a significant and long term deficit in calories, metabolic adaptation may occur. This is the body slowing down its resting energy expenditure to save fuel. However, this does not completely stop weight loss. It just slows the rate the body loses fat. This is why moderate and professionally guided changes to diet and calorie intake is so important.
Are you ready to start losing weight in a sustainable and long term way?
Knowing the biological and scientific reality of a calorie deficit gives people the knowledge to understand their body and to take control of their health in the best possible way. This can be done by focusing on health and nutrition dense in calories, cutting portion size, and being active on a regular basis. You can sustainably achieve your weight loss goals making extreme restrictions on your diet. If you find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight, maybe consider stopping by your local dietitian to create a plan for healthy and long term nutrition.
FAQ
What is the safe amount to calorie restrict in my diet to begin losing weight?
Most medical advice suggests a daily calorie intake that is 500 calories less than the body requires to maintain its current weight. This will result in a healthy and sustainable weight loss of 0.5 to 1 pound a week (Mayo Clinic, 2024). If calorie intake is reduced more than this, muscle can be lost and malnutrition can occur.
Will calorie restriction negatively metabolize my body?
Yes, with extensive calorie restriction, metabolic adaptation can occur. The body loses mass and therefore needs less fuel to function and does expend less energy [UT MD Anderson, 2024].
Am I stuck counting calories for the rest of my life to keep the pounds off?
Definitely not! Think of counting calories as part of a beginner’s course. You learn how to identify proper portions and recognize which foods are filling and which are less so. You’ll find yourself doing this naturally with little to no effort in no time.
Why am I not losing weight if I am in a calorie deficit?
While trying to watch your calorie intake is a good thing, this is possibly a sign that you’re actually over consuming calories unintentionally. There are other reasons like conditions that cause hormonal imbalance, not sleeping enough, being overly stressed, and some prescribed medications which are proven to hinder your ability to lose weight [UT MD Anderson, 2024].
