What Is A Calorie Deficit (And Who Might It Work For)?
I am hesitant to write about this because I am not an expert in energy metabolism and it can be very complicated. I also don’t solely work with people on fat loss and my main focus is someone’s overall health goals. That said, there is a lot of misinformation about calorie deficits and they are often touted as an easy A+B=C solution to losing weight – and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
We start to think about calorie deficits when we are interested in losing body fat. Maybe we’ve gained body fat over the pandemic or due to life stressors, decreased physical activity, insulin-glucose disruptions like PCOS, or a new medication that may exacerbate an insulin-glucose alteration, etc. There are so many contributors to fat storage. Here is a figure for your viewing to see what I mean.
The issue I see most often is chronic dieting or weight cycling due to extreme calorie deficits that cannot be maintained over time because the low-calorie deficit is not sustainable for that person’s lifestyle. It is not as simple as saying to yourself, “okay, I want to lose one pound a week, so I will eat 500 calories less daily.” For some, they are not eating enough to lower their intake by 500 calories, and if they did, that may disrupt so many other things down the line such as micronutrient status, immunity, hunger, fullness, appetite, mood, energy, sleep, stress, etc. This could then in turn lead to fat gain.
I think calorie tracking is a great tool with some patients, but we often discuss the pros and cons instead of simply plugging in a calorie amount and leaving it at that. We also discuss how to set it up and that we are using the tool for data purposes to see calorie, carb, protein, fat, or fiber intake over time. Also, we discuss what is coming up for them emotionally/mentally during the tracking “exercise”.
Sometimes altering the balance of macronutrients is helpful. A bit more protein here or a bit more carbs or fat there may help with cravings and possible hypoglycemic events. And in time, some experience fat loss both directly (via overall lower calorie consumption) and indirectly (via more energy for movement or better sleep for example).
Lowering your calorie intake doesn’t need to be extreme and, in fact, I would recommend against that approach. I believe it does more harm than good from my own experience (and with the population I work with). It matters what the original calorie intake started as. Lowering calories by 1,000 for one person may be reasonable if their intake is very high, but completely out of the question for someone starting out consuming much less.
Some may not agree that fat loss is appropriate or safe for anyone, but if it is for you (or of interest), think about:
What can I easily get rid of (read: not eat) that is high in calories that I won’t necessarily notice or miss?
Am I getting enough calories to supply my body with enough energy to regulate stress, mood, sleep, and physical activity (if possible).
Do I need to adjust my macronutrients to better serve my goal and health conditions?
What is the most I can consume to maintain my weight and/or lose fat?
If I am comfortable with my food consumption, feel-good energy, sleep, stress, mood, etc.? What can I do in terms of physical activity to increase the calorie deficit a bit more (ex. walking, running, biking, strength training, etc.)?
The goal in a situation where fat loss is safe and wanted is to create a sustainable plan while supporting overall health and well-being.
Calculating your metabolic rate also factors into your calorie intake, and there are ways to figure out what that is. Some calculators out there are Medgem, an indirect calorimeter (which I have), or InBody testing. You can also use an online calculator using an energy equation, but they may be inaccurate –– which is why I may recommend appropriate tracking/logging to see what your average calorie intake is over a week first then decrease slowly. You can multiply that finding by an activity factor then subtract a certain number of calories (typically something less than what you are currently consuming, start slow, 100-200 calories to see how you feel).
Aerobic activity (planned and unplanned) and strength training will also help increase the deficit day to day. Both are important. If you are increasing muscle you could be increasing your resting metabolic rate over time which would help decrease metabolic adaptation (when you lose weight your body will need fewer calories to support your lower weight). So increasing muscle is a great way to maintain or increase your resting metabolic rate –– so you don’t have to maintain an unsustainable calorie deficit by low-calorie consumption or ultra-high activity level.
Physical activity/movement is important for many other reasons besides fat loss. I find it helpful to find another reason other than fat loss to perform physical activity. For me it’s building strength and for my mental health.
You do not need to figure this out on your own. It can be very complicated for some and can take lots of trial and error to find a way that feels most authentic and doable to you.
If you’re interested in booking an appointment with me, reach out! I also offer free 15-minute consultations.