Description
Maintaining a calorie deficit involves consuming fewer calories than your body uses in a day. This is a common approach for weight loss, as it encourages the body to use stored fat for energy.
Time Commitment
Daily monitoring of calorie intake.
Suggested Frequency
Daily tracking of calories consumed and expended
Time of Day
No specific time of day; focus is on total daily intake.
How to Do It
- Calculate Caloric Needs: Determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) to understand how many calories your body needs.
- Set a Deficit Target: Aim for a deficit (e.g., 500 calories less than your TDEE).
- Track Calorie Intake: Use a food diary or an app to log what you eat.
- Monitor Physical Activity: Include exercise as part of your plan to increase calorie expenditure.
Required Equipment
- Calorie tracking app or food diary
- Kitchen scale for accurate food measurement
Benefits
- Promotes weight loss and fat reduction.
- Can lead to improvements in metabolic health.
- Potentially reduces the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity.
Why it works
A calorie deficit forces the body to use stored energy (fat), leading to weight loss.
Possible Side Effects
- Nutrient deficiencies if not managing diet quality.
- Potential for muscle loss alongside fat loss.
- May cause fatigue or affect mood in some individuals.
Tips
- Focus on nutrient-dense foods to ensure adequate nutrition.
- Combine with regular exercise for effective and sustainable weight loss
- Avoid too large a deficit to prevent negative health impacts.
Supporting Studies and Articles
- Hall, K. D., Sacks, G., Chandramohan, D., Chow, C. C., Wang, Y. C., Gortmaker, S. L., & Swinburn, B. A. (2011). Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet, 378(9793), 826-837. Link
- Weinsier, R. L., Nagy, T. R., Hunter, G. R., Darnell, B. E., Hensrud, D. D., & Weiss, H. L. (2000). Do adaptive changes in metabolic rate favor weight regain in weight-reduced individuals? An examination of the set-point theory. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72(5), 1088-1094. Link
- Wing, R. R., & Phelan, S. (2005). Long-term weight loss maintenance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(1 Suppl), 222S-225S. Link
- Müller, M. J., Enderle, J., & Bosy-Westphal, A. (2016). Changes in Energy Expenditure with Weight Gain and Weight Loss in Humans. Current Obesity Reports, 5(4), 413-423. Link
- Dansinger, M. L., Gleason, J. A., Griffith, J. L., Selker, H. P., & Schaefer, E. J. (2005). Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets for weight loss and heart disease risk reduction: a randomized trial. JAMA, 293(1), 43-53. Link
