A step-by-step guide to calculating your calorie deficit for weight loss

What is a calorie deficit

A calorie deficit is the negative difference between the calories that come from food and the calories that the body uses during the day.

Visualizing your calorie deficit

Our body's energy comes from calories from food and stores. If there are not enough calories from food to cover the body's daily needs, it will begin to take energy from reserves.

Learn more about the energy balance of the human body, its components and its effect on body weight.

Our body is able to store energy in the form of glycogen, fat tissue, muscle fibers and release it when needed

To start losing weight from fat tissue rather than muscle, you need to create a small calorie deficit, start exercising and increase your protein intake.

Is it possible to lose weight without a calorie deficit? No, this contradicts the energy balance of the human body.

How to Create a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss

To create a calorie deficit, you can go in two ways:

1. Eat less. If there is little food coming in, our energy reserves (fat tissue, glycogen, muscles) will be used up, and we will begin to lose weight.
2. Eat the same, but move more. If, while maintaining nutrition, we increase daily energy expenditure, the body will begin to take energy from reserves, and we will also lose weight.

There are difficulties with the second point, because it is very difficult to correctly estimate and constantly adhere to the required number of calories burned. In addition, the calorie content of your diet should be constant. If you don’t count calories and eat by eye, then the task becomes completely difficult.

To help, a table of energy consumption for different activities:

For a person weighing 70 kg, moderate running at a speed of 8 km/h
for an hour without stopping will burn 485 kcal.
Can you do this type of training every day? Take a look at household activities: cleaning, washing windows, ironing, in total, consume a decent amount of calories and are easier to perform over a long period of time than playing sports. But there is one big BUT.

If you don't count calories, then all your efforts in the gym can be covered by one Snickers bar or portion of dessert:

Snickers Super is two bars of 50.5 g and 540 kcal.

You can count calories not only with the help of kitchen scales and apps, but also with the help of your hands - read about how to learn how to count calories correctly.

Controlling your calorie intake is much easier than controlling your energy expenditure.

The right approach is to combine these two methods, that is, reduce calories consumed and increase physical activity. This way we won’t have to starve (the calorie deficit will be small), and strength training will help keep our muscles toned and keep them on a diet. This is the optimal scheme for men and women.

If you have a lot of excess fat - more than 35% in women and more than 26% in men, then strength training can be traumatic for the musculoskeletal system (how to find out your fat percentage). To begin with, add more simple activity - long walks, spin like a bee around the house, do not use the elevator, cover short distances on foot, etc. By reducing your fat percentage, you can start training at home, on the street or in the gym.

If you have a sedentary job, then you spend less energy. The principles of creating a calorie deficit will remain the same - either eat less or move more, and the best thing is to start counting the calories in food, limit your daily caloric intake and include more activity (walking, gymnastics during breaks at work, training).

We’ll talk about how much you need to limit your caloric intake below.

Useful tips

When starting a diet, you should listen to the recommendations of nutritionists:

1. You can't drastically reduce your calories. Rapid weight loss will lead to equally rapid weight gain. In addition, the person will feel tired, overwhelmed, dizzy, and have stomach problems.

   
   A calorie deficit for weight loss will be effective if done wisely. You should not drastically reduce your calorie intake.

2. Calorie norms should be recalculated depending on changes in loads and lifestyle.
3. The body pays attention not to the daily calorie deficit, but to how much was consumed over several days in a row. If you eat in a deficit one day and in a surplus the second, you will end up maintaining calories.
4. Meal times should not be missed. Hunger contributes to the development of increased appetite, and a person eats twice as much as he planned.
5. You cannot completely limit yourself in food. One day a week you can allow yourself to eat everything that is harmful, but only in the morning and in a small portion.
6. Doctors do not recommend reducing the caloric intake below 1000 kcal. You should not eat less than this number, even if the weight loss is not noticeable. When calorie intake is reduced, muscle mass is lost and metabolic problems develop.
7. It is not recommended to eat food with zero percent fat. Low-fat foods do more harm than good. Without fats, hair becomes dry and brittle, skin cracks, and nails break.

What is useful to remember when following a diet:

1. Drink more clean water. Carbonated, mineral waters will do more harm during this period than pure spring water. It dulls the feeling of hunger, and this is important when dieting.
2. You should learn to refuse the offers of others. “No” to baked goods, cakes, sweets and other tasty but useless products that friends and acquaintances persuade you to eat.
3. You should learn to adjust recipes to suit your needs. If you really want something baked, you should use rye and whole grain flour. For salads, use homemade mayonnaise. It is better to make mashed potatoes from baked potatoes, and cook minced meat with the addition of grated vegetables.
4. Sit down at the table with food mindfully. You should turn off the TV and phone and think only about which foods you ate were healthy and which were not. You should eat from small plates, chew your food thoroughly and do not rush to swallow the entire portion at once.
5. Plan your daily diet. To do this, you should keep a food diary or write down the menu in weight loss programs, of which there are many on websites. There you can also pre-calculate the amount of calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates in the intended dish.

6. Buy scales for weighing food, do not do it by eye. The weight of food should be measured before cooking. The calorie content of many foods in raw and cooked form is different.
7. A calorie deficit is created not only by the number of calories cut, but also by daily workouts that promote weight loss. There is no opportunity to go to the gym, which means you have to walk more, ride a bike, dance, jump rope.

How to calculate a calorie deficit for weight loss

The calculation algorithm is as follows:

1. We determine the maintenance calorie content (at which we do not lose weight or gain weight).
2. Depending on your goals, choose the calorie deficit value.

Step 1 - Calculate Maintenance Calories

There are two options to choose from:

• Determine maintenance caloric intake experimentally. The most accurate method.
• Calculate using formulas or online calculators that use these formulas.

First

To get the most accurate result, taking into account the characteristics of your body, lifestyle and activities, you will need a week of time. Choose a time without shocks, moves and upcoming holidays. Weigh yourself in the morning on an empty stomach on the first day and start counting calories. Count absolutely everything that goes into your mouth, except water. Maintain your usual lifestyle and diet throughout the week.

After 7 days, while maintaining your usual diet and activity level, your weight will remain approximately the same as on the first day. Weigh yourself on the eighth day under the same conditions as at the beginning of the week. The numbers may differ (plus or minus half a kilo), this is normal, weight is subject to strong fluctuations even during the day.

Calculate the arithmetic average of daily calories for 7 days and you will get maintenance calories.

Don't try to lose weight or eat "healthy" this week. We don't lose weight, we just determine how many calories we need to maintain our normal weight.

Second

To save a week of time, you can use formulas that determine the body's basic energy metabolism BMR (the minimum amount of energy consumed by the human body to maintain its own life at rest), multiply the result by the activity coefficient and get the maintenance calorie value.

Harris-Benedict formula:

• Men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) - (5.677 × age)
• Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) - (4.330 × age)

Mifflin-San Jeor formula:

• Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) + 5
• Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) - 161

In order not to count everything manually, use a calculator that will show the result using two formulas:

Calculate the average and multiply the result by the activity coefficient:

• 1.2 – minimal activity.
  Sedentary work that does not require significant physical exertion;
• 1.375 – weak level of activity.
  Training 1-3 times a week. The coefficient is also suitable if you lead an active lifestyle and often walk for a long time;
• 1.55 – moderate activity level.
  Training 3-4 times a week;
• 1.7 – high activity.
  Training 5-7 times a week. This also includes work that involves physical labor;
• 1.9 – extreme level.
  Daily sports with several workouts per day (professional athletes); physically difficult work (miners, builders).

Do not idealize the formulas; they are just a preliminary assessment method that requires adjustment to take into account individual factors.

Step 2 - Choosing a Calorie Deficit

Now that we have the value of maintenance calories, we simply subtract the desired percentage of the deficit depending on the goals and initial data.

Table 1. Options for calculating deficit as a percentage of maintenance calories

The less a person weighs, the more carefully one needs to create a deficit so that the body does not perceive changes in nutrition as a threat to life and does not slow down metabolism.

For example, let’s calculate the calorie deficit for weight loss for a 26-year-old girl weighing 70 kg, 170 cm tall with a low level of activity.

She figured out her maintenance calories using the two formulas above and took an average of 2080 kcal.

She is in no hurry and wants to lose weight comfortably. Let's choose a deficit value of 15% of maintenance calories.

The formula for calculating the calorie deficit for weight loss is:

2080 - 15% = 2080 - (2080 x 0.15) = 1768 kcal

After a week on a calorie deficit, evaluate the rate of weight loss. If it is 0.5-1 kg, then leave everything as is. If the changes are too small, then reduce calories by another 10%. If weight loss is more than 1 kg per week in people with a small percentage of fat, while strength results deteriorate, then you need to add 10% to the caloric intake of the diet. In all other cases, you can leave the calorie content unchanged.

Table 1 will also help you understand how long it takes to lose weight on a calorie deficit. Go to the article where I tell you in detail how to calculate how long it will take to lose 10 kg.

Basal Metabolism Calculator

1. Your actual metabolic rate is always significantly higher than your basal metabolic rate. Therefore, you need to choose the KAJ that is suitable for you - the life activity coefficient, taken equal to:
   • 1.2 – for a sedentary lifestyle;

   1.3 – low activity.

2. 1.4 – for an average level of activity;
3. 1.5 – for an active lifestyle;
4. 1.75 – for extremely active,
5. 1.9 – professional athlete.
6. Next, you need to multiply the VT and KAJ, thereby obtaining “Support Calories”. This is the amount of calories needed to maintain your current weight.
7. The next step is to create a deficit if you need to lose weight, or a surplus if you want to gain weight.

An example of calorie deficit calculation.

Initially we have: a 40-year-old woman, height 165, weight 65 kg, works in an office and wants to lose weight.

• Using the new Harris-Benedict formula, we obtain BMR (BMR) = 1387 Kcal . This is the basic metabolism at rest, without taking into account activity and training.
• KAJ - for our example is equal to 1.2 for a sedentary lifestyle or 1.3 if a woman walks 10,000 steps a day.
• OOV * KAJ = 1387 Kcal * 1.3 = 1803 kcal. It is we who received the calorie support, i.e. consuming 1803 kcal daily a woman will not lose weight and will not gain weight.
• Creating a deficit for weight loss. 1803 kcal – 15% = 1533 kcal.

So, we got the calories for weight loss.

The calorie deficit was 1803 – 1533 = 270 Kcal. If a woman further increases her activity, for example, 1-2 workouts, then this will additionally create a deficit of another 200-350 kcal. And the total deficit will already be 500Kcal.

Proteins/fats/carbohydrates – 105/55/154 = 1533 Kcal.

To calculate nutrients, you need to perform the following calculations:

The amount of protein the human body requires daily depends on many factors, including total energy intake and level of physical activity. It is often estimated based on body weight (0.8-1.8 g/kg body weight), as a percentage of total caloric intake (10-35%). How long do you need to diet to lose 10 kg? If the excess weight is no more than 10 kg, then for women to lose weight, 100 g of protein is enough, fat at the rate of 0.8-1 g per 1 kg of body weight, the rest is carbohydrates.

Don't forget that 1g of protein or carbohydrates is equal to 4 kcal, 1g of fat = 9 kcal.

To lose weight, a person needs to consume 1.5-2 grams of protein per 1 kg of weight daily. protein per meal should not exceed 30 grams, otherwise the excess protein will not be absorbed by the body. The maximum amount of protein for women is considered to be 120 g (for ordinary people, not professional athletes). If your weight is more than 100 kg, then do not consume more than 200 grams of protein per day .

To create a deficit, after calculating, you should first check your calorie intake for 10-14 days on support. Often many of us eat very little. If you have been on a diet of 800-1200 KK for a long time, your body needs time to get used to the new daily calorie content, because it has been under stress for a long time. And only after sitting on support you do not lose weight or gain weight can you create a deficit.

calorie deficit calculator BZHU ©LivingNotes.ru

Why am I not losing weight on a calorie deficit?

If you have created a calorie deficit, then know that weight loss is not linear.

Graph of the dynamics of average weight loss - after the first results, the weight increased. Taken from https://znatok-ne.livejournal.com/98839.html

This happens due to the adaptation of our body. In response to diet and training activity, the body tends to compensate for changes:

• Resting energy expenditure (BMR) is reduced because body weight has decreased and fewer calories are now required to provide energy;
• The thermic effect of food (TEF) is reduced. TEF is the number of calories the body needs to burn to digest and absorb a volume of food. Since someone who is losing weight eats less, these costs are reduced;
• Costs for non-training activity (NEAT) are reduced - due to a decrease in calorie intake, a person gets tired of training faster and moves less, has less motivation to do something, wants to sit down or lie down;
• The cost of training activity (EAT) is reduced - the lighter a person is, the fewer calories the body spends on physical activity.

In women, the adaptation of the body against the background of reduced caloric intake is slightly more pronounced than in men.

Therefore, at a time when the weight does not go away or even increases, but not more than once every 2-4 weeks, it is necessary to correct the deficit.

At the beginning of the diet, weight may not decrease, including due to water retention in the body. Read how the body's water balance affects body weight.

See your results and then the table below.

Table 2. Deficit adjustment parameters

The adjustment itself can be done by reducing the caloric intake of the diet or by increasing physical activity.

Ideally, combine two methods: cover one half by reducing the caloric content of the diet, the second half by adding, for example, 10-15 minutes of cardio training (for a person weighing 70 kg, 10 minutes of moderate running at a speed of 8 km/h will burn 81 kcal). This will make it more comfortable to maintain a diet and it will work when there is nowhere to cut your diet, especially if it was modest from the very beginning.

Data on various activities with which you can create part of the deficit are given in the tables below:

How to maintain a calorie deficit

So, you have determined your maintenance caloric intake and the deficit you need. To maintain a calorie deficit and lose weight:

• Don't forget to count calories. This is necessary to do to know exactly how much you eat.
• Add physical activity if there are no contraindications for it. Working out will increase your calorie burn and maintain muscle while you diet.
• Weigh yourself every day at the same time, under the same conditions. It's better in the morning on an empty stomach. This way you will see the dynamics of weight change.
• As you lose weight, adjust the deficit according to Table 2.
• Take care of a proper diet - go to the article where I tell you how to eat on a diet in a way that is convenient for you.

Eat less, lose more

To understand the concept, let us remember that a person needs energy. Namely, enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates per day for all organs to function normally, as well as for movement, physical and mental activity. Nutrients are sources of energy that we waste every day. But if we eat too much, and the food on our table is extremely high-calorie, the nutrients are not burned without residue, but are stored in reserve, forming fat deposits.

In this case, you need to act correctly:

• Create a moderate calorie deficit that will help you get rid of everything unnecessary without harm to your health. Attention: only a nutritionist can create a balanced diet taking into account the characteristics of your body. Do not try to do the calculations yourself - the likelihood of error is extremely high. For specialist help, you can contact our clinic. Our method is based on controlling energy consumption and creating a new eating style. This allows our clients to effectively lose weight by 10-25 kg in one weight loss course.

• Do not exclude physical activity, because this is where the energy reserve we receive will be spent. We do not encourage you to go to a fitness club or to a treadmill. Choose the right loads – moderate ones. For example, walk more, swim, dance, hula hoop. Even cleaning around the house is another way to burn stored fat.

• Eat right and regularly. Don’t forget about breakfasts, lunches, dinners, but don’t make them too plentiful. Portions should be small. One day should contain 4-5 meals with three main ones. Nutrition specialists will help you create a new diet without stressing your body. In our weight loss programs you receive ready-made diets that will help you lose weight easily and simply®!

• Drink more - not tea or juices, which are known to contain concentrated calories, but plain water. Up to 1.5 - 2 liters per day is your norm.

But we have not yet explained why this is necessary, nor have we talked about what a calorie deficit is and how to achieve it. Earlier we talked about how everything we eat in a day turns into energy. It turns out that our body is an ideal machine. It receives one type of fuel and processes it into another. But the changes that happen to our body depend on how much fuel we receive.

• We get fat when the number of calories we take in exceeds the calories we burn.

• We lose weight if we reduce portions and reduce the energy value of the diet - the body begins to use what it has accumulated.

So, we found out what will help us regain our slimness. It seems that everything is incredibly simple: you just need to limit yourself in nutrition, and your figure will be toned again, and the fat from the sides and abdomen will instantly disappear. But in reality, not everything is so easy.