Signs you’re in a calorie deficit.
Okay, so someone told you in order to lose body fat you need to be in a calorie deficit. Okay yes that was me. So what is a calorie deficit? Simply put, if a person eats more calories than they burn each day, fat gain will occur. In reverse, if more calories are burned than are consumed on a daily basis, fat loss will occur.
How do we burn calories through the day? A person’s total daily caloric needs are made up of 3 factors:
Resting metabolic rate: How many calories you would need to survive just laying in bed all day. These are the basic caloric needs for your body to function each day.
Physical activity: All physical movement, whether it’s intentional exercise or just living your life.
Examples are:
You walking to the kitchen to grab breakfast
Fidgeting at your desk
Taking the dog out for a run
Mowing the lawn
Going to an exercise class
HThermogenesis: The calories required to digest your food. Your body actually uses energy (ie calories) to digest the food coming in.
Where to focus
When it comes to calories out (aka energy burned), the biggest one we have control over is physical activity. But hang on - before you run to your treadmill, hear me out. While the amount of control you have over this number isn’t something to ignore, and there is a conversation to be had about getting steps in, being active for your general health, and more. But when it comes strictly to being in a calorie deficit, what you have greatest control of is not what you burn, but what you consume. This is where the term “Abs are built in the kitchen” comes from. Exercise does burn calories, but the amount of calories you actually expend in a workout, regardless of intensity, will never match up to a daily caloric intake that is far above your body’s needs. Most people burn a couple hundred calories at best in a 1-hour workout, but can easily consume that in a single cocktail or appetizer.
So, let’s talk about something we have more control of when it comes to fat loss: The calories going in.
How to know you’re in a calorie deficit
If you search “calorie calculator” in Google you’ll immediately see thousands of websites pop up that have the same basic questions: What’s your age? Weight? Height? Do you sit on your couch all day? Do you run marathons daily? What’s your social security number? (Just making sure you’re still with me). Realistically, none of these websites are much better than the other. They’re using one of a few formulas and while they’re great starting places, they’re not perfect. It’s like saying that the average person who makes $40k per year should be able to save 10% of their income for retirement. That might be true, but they may also have different life circumstances that result in them being able to save more or less than that.
So how do I as a coach, or you as someone reading this, determine how many calories you need to gain, maintain or lose weight? The reality is: we don’t know for sure. Yes, that is annoying. But the best way to know if you’re in a calorie deficit is by making an educated estimate and actually sticking to it for multiple weeks with at least 80% consistency. Then, take a look at the following 4 points to know for certain you’re in a calorie deficit.
Scale Weight
Let’s start with the obvious one. Let’s say you’re looking to maintain your current weight and after spending a period of time at what you believe to be your maintenance calories and the scale has on average stayed the same, then bingo. You found your maintenance calories. From there, you can now subtract anywhere from 250-500 calories per day. This would get you on track to lose about 0.5-1 lb of weight each week.
For some, it could make sense to subtract more but that is on a case-by-case basis. Personally, I am a big fan of slow but sustainable progress and will stick to the above numbers most times. How often should you weigh yourself? For people getting started with calorie counting, plan to weigh yourself daily. The reason I prefer starting with daily, at least in the beginning, is that 30 data points over 30 days will paint a better picture than 4 data points over 30 days. This will also help you get used to the daily fluctuations that happen due to a variety of factors (digestion, time of day, menstrual cycle, sodium intake the day prior, and more). With that said, if you are someone who tends to get fixated or even develops anxiety around the scale, then once per week or even less could be more appropriate.
2. Measurements going down
Clothes fitting looser? This is a telltale sign that you’re in a calorie deficit. While this is a very rewarding milestone for many trying to lose weight, it is the one that can take the longest to see. For those being consistent, clothes beginning to fit looser usually takes a couple months of consistency to really notice. An even more accurate way to measure this kind of progress is literally measuring it. Anthropometric measurements (a fancy way of saying measuring parts of your body) can also help you get a clear sign of where your body tends to lose body fat first. Using a tape measure each month and looking at trends is a great tool. Three places you can take measurements is the abdomen, glutes, and thigh.
3. Progress photos
Another one that requires patience but tells a big story. Week over week, you’ll notice zero difference. Trust me. You’ll be certain you’ve made no progress. I’ll never forget having compared my day 1 progress photo to my day 100+. I was shocked! As in-tune as you may think you are with your appearance, I assure you that having that first progress photo is something you’ll be glad you did. Taking photos about once a month is a great frequency and after about 3 months of a calorie deficit is when you can really start to take a closer look.
4. Slight hunger
The idea behind a calorie deficit is that you’re eating less than your body requires to sustain its current weight. Our bodies also like to be in balance and will let us know when we’re not. For weight loss, our body will send hunger signals letting us know that more food is desired to sustain its current body fat. So, when being in a healthy, moderate caloric deficit, expect to feel a bit hungrier than normal. What this could look like is being hungry for your next meal a bit sooner than you normally would be, not having a feeling of 10/10 fullness after each meal like you may be used to. Some ways to keep hunger at bay and in a comfortable place is to focus on eating nutrient dense foods (fresh fruits, veggies, lean proteins, etc.), maintaining proper hydration, getting adequate sleep, and eating meals at a regular frequency so you’re not ravished at the end of the day.
So, there you go. All of the industry *secrets* laid out for you. A calorie deficit is all it takes to lose body fat and the equation is actually quite simple. So why do so many people struggle with achieving it? The key is that simple does not always mean easy. Being in a calorie deficit can be challenging and there will be more days that you doubt the process than you feel confident that what you’re doing is working. What I am here to tell you is that it will work. Trust in the process, and if you’re working with a coach then you’ll have someone to keep you accountable, use their experience to make sure you’re on track, and navigate these waters for you.
Sources:
“Ace Fit: Daily Caloric Needs Estimator.” ACE Fit | Daily Caloric Needs Estimator, https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/tools-calculators/daily-caloric-needs-estimate-calculator/.