A Calorie Deficit: The ONLY Way to Lose Weight

Are you looking for the secret to losing weight? 

Have you been going from diet to diet trying to find THE ONE that will make those pounds disappear?  

There are hundreds of diets for fat loss.  Ones ranging from low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat, crash diets, detox diets and sooooo many fad diets.  

Today in the health and fitness world, coaches love to separate themselves.  Nearly every ad or post appears to be an attempt to differentiate themselves by spouting off what they do right and what everyone else does wrong.  

But do you know what they ALL have in common? 

A Calorie Deficit.  

Do you know why?? 

Because that is the ONLY way to lose weight.  

What Is a Calorie Deficit? 

In today’s world, ‘calorie deficit’ is practically a household term, but that doesn’t guarantee you understand it.  

So… What is it? 

A calorie deficit is a shift in the Calories In vs. Calories Out equation in favor of the Calories Out.  

Simply put – you eat fewer calories than you burn.  

Calories are a unit of energy that can be taken from the food we consume or what’s stored on our body. 

When your goal is to change your body composition, you’re looking to change or reduce the energy stores on your body (AKA fat stores).  

A calorie deficit is created to give you the energy to maintain your day-to-day activities (can’t stop you from eating) while also pulling from the energy stores on your body.  

How Do I Get Into a Calorie Deficit? 

While there’s clear evidence that the only way to lose weight is through a calorie deficit, there are a number of ways to create a calorie deficit.  

Step 1: Determine Your Maintenance Calories

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually want to drop into a calorie deficit, but instead identify maintenance level calories.  

This allows you to set up the most accurate calorie deficit for fat loss.  

Unfortunately, this is not a number that can be Googled or determined from a general equation found on the internet.  It’s one that requires individual characteristics (height, weight, sex, activity level, etc) plugged into an equation (Harris-Benedict or Mifflin-Saint Jeor).  

Gradually work yourself up to maintenance level calories by increasing intake by 10 to 15% every 7 to 14 days.  

Once you’ve established maintenance calories, you’ve primed your body for a calorie deficit.   

Want to know the 3 reasons why you need to find maintenance calories? CLICK HERE to watch.  

Step 2: Start Small 

One of the biggest misconceptions about calorie deficits is the idea of “the bigger the better.” 

You’re eager to shed the pounds, I get it and I can appreciate that! 

But creating too large of a calorie deficit is a recipe for disaster.  

That leads to: 

• Rapid Increase in Hunger & Cravings (Willpower and motivation only go far)
• A Slowed Metabolism (which means to continue to lose in the future you’ll have to eat less and less) 
• An Unrealistic Lifestyle (if you want to actually keep the weight off, this is key!)

So, how small should you start? 

Well, 500 is the most renowned number for a calorie deficit… 

Here’s why: 

But that doesn’t mean you have to EAT 500 less calories.  

Oftentimes, a more mild deficit (200-300 calories) is an appropriate starting point.  

Now, how do you create a calorie deficit? 

A calorie deficit can be created in 3 ways: 

For our Complete Performance clients, we find a zig-zag strategy suits our clients best: 

It’s important to know, the perfect way to create a deficit is one that suits your lifestyle long-term! 

Step 3: Stay Consistent 

If a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight, then consistency is the secret to a calorie deficit.  

Hate to break it to you, but you’re NOT going to lose weight as fast as you think – even if you elect for a conservative approach.  

As soon as the scale stops moving, you’re going to be tempted to slash more calories or add more activity, but I’m begging you – STAY CONSISTENT! 

With our Complete Performance team, we tell our clients that a change to one’s caloric deficit will come only AFTER 10-14 days of stagnation at the current caloric deficit.  

Just like you need to resist the urge to go from diet to diet, it’s just as important to give a calorie deficit it’s time to work its magic.  

Common Mistakes with Calorie Deficits

Lack of consistency is the number one mistake people make with calorie deficits for fat loss, but it’s not the only mistake… 

Here are 3 big mistakes that can cost you BIG during fat loss. 

#1 Not Finding Maintenance Calories 

In short, this just puts you in a position where you have to guess your deficit calories.  

Now, I know you want to guarantee fat loss this time, so why would you make a guess on the path to get there? 

Excitement.

Don’t let the excitement get to you! 

The pounds WILL come off.  

And they’ll STAY off if you find maintenance calories first 😉 

Oh, and for real – if you want to learn about why we find maintenance before a fat loss phase, CLICK HERE! 

#2 Creating Too Big of a Deficit 

Back to that “Go Big or Go Home” mentality… 

Fat loss is NOT the place for that.  

Again, tame that excitement and put your faith in a consistent calorie deficit as opposed to a larger one.  

The larger deficits only set you up for: 

• Extreme Hunger 
• Big-Time Cravings 
• Low Energy & Increased Fatigue 

Take a look at our [GUIDE] Calories 101 to find the most appropriate calorie deficit for you.   

#3 Too Long of a Deficit  

Oftentimes it’s believed that you find a deficit that works and you stay there.  

You should never LIVE in a calorie deficit.  

I won’t lie, calorie deficits are tricky.  

That’s why it’s not recommended to go at this alone.  

If you’re looking for additional guidance on setting up a calorie deficit for your fat loss, CLICK HERE for more information.