{"id":4029,"date":"2025-02-20T20:15:45","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T09:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/understanding-calorie-deficit-can-it-aid-in-weight-loss.html"},"modified":"2025-02-20T20:15:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T09:15:46","slug":"understanding-calorie-deficit-can-it-aid-in-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/understanding-calorie-deficit-can-it-aid-in-weight-loss.html","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Calorie Deficit: Can It Aid in Weight Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever tried to lose weight, you\u2019ve probably heard about the importance of a calorie deficit \u2014 but what does that mean?<\/p>\n

Being in a calorie deficit simply means \u201cyou eat fewer calories than your body uses,\u201d explains\u00a0Dana Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, a senior dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.<\/p>\n

You can be in a slight calorie deficit or a significant calorie deficit, depending on how many calories you remove from your diet, says\u00a0Emily Tills, MS, RDN, CDN.<\/p>\n

Of course, that\u2019s not as easy in practice as it is in theory, as you already know if you\u2019ve ever tried to\u00a0reduce your calorie intake. And if you run a calorie deficit long enough, Tills adds, your body may\u00a0metabolically adapt\u00a0to conserve energy.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about creating a calorie deficit and avoiding potential pitfalls.<\/p>\n

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How Many Calories Do You Need to Eat Each Day?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

Before you can create a calorie deficit in your diet, you\u2019ll need to figure out how many calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight.<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average sedentary man between ages 21 and 50 needs between 2,200 and 2,400 calories per day. The average sedentary woman in the same age range needs between 1,800 and 2,000 calories per day.<\/p>\n

However, the exact number of calories needed to lose or maintain weight is individual to you. It can be influenced by several factors, including muscle mass, fat mass, nutrition and dieting history, and overall health history, Tills says.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to figure out all of those things alone. \u201cThere are predictive equations that can be used to approximate how many calories we need in a day,\u201d Hunnes explains.<\/p>\n

One good example is the National Institute of Health\u2019s\u00a0Body Weight Planner, which factors in your sex, height, current weight, and activity level. But while this can be a useful tool, your best bet is to consult with a registered dietitian who can give you their professional opinion and a personalized plan.<\/p>\n

Once you have this number, figure out how close to or far from it you are by tracking what you\u2019re eating and drinking for a week. From there, you can calculate how many calories you\u2019ll need to cut from your typical eating plan each day to run a calorie deficit.<\/p>\n

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How Do You Run A Calorie Deficit?<\/h2>\n

According to Hunnes, you can run a calorie deficit in three different ways: through diet alone, through exercise alone, or through a combination of the two. (If you\u2019re relying on exercise for part of your calorie deficit, be aware that we often overestimate calories burned during exercise, and cardio machine calculators aren\u2019t always accurate.)<\/p>\n

\u201cStart with a mild deficit of 200 to 300 calories to help with fat loss and weight loss,\u201d Tills suggests. For example, if you\u2019re currently eating 2,000 calories per day, start your calorie deficit by aiming for 1,700 to 1,800 calories instead.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on the heavier side, you may be able to start with a more significant calorie deficit, Hunnes says.<\/p>\n

However, before starting anything, consult with a registered dietitian and your doctor \u2014 and be sure you\u2019re not under-eating so much that it takes a toll on your health.<\/p>\n

The next step is to decide how long you plan to run a calorie deficit. Tills recommends setting a time-based goal \u2014 for example, you might plan to run a calorie deficit for four months, followed by a one-month break at maintenance calories.<\/p>\n

This can be more helpful than a weight-based goal (\u201cI\u2019ll run a calorie deficit until I hit my goal weight\u201d) because a weight-based goal doesn\u2019t take into account any\u00a0muscle mass you gain\u00a0or hormonal fluctuations you experience along the way.<\/p>\n

Even when running a calorie deficit, it\u2019s normal for your weight loss to stall at a certain point. \u201cMany people plateau at some point during their weight loss as their bodies adapt to a new energy intake,\u201d Hunnes explains. If this happens, reassess the baseline of how many calories you need per day. When you lose weight, your body needs fewer calories, so you may need to recalculate\u00a0how many calories you need to lose weight.<\/p>\n

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7 Ways to Decrease Your Calorie Intake<\/h2>\n

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When you\u2019re just starting out with a calorie deficit, you want to go for low-hanging fruit. That means prioritizing the easiest ways to decrease calories first. Here are seven simple tactics to help you run a calorie deficit.<\/p>\n