Health: How To Be In A Calorie Deficit

When it comes to losing weight, there are a hundred different fad diets that are impossible to stick to. While they all have their own way to restrict your diet they all lead back to the same common theme, calorie deficits. At their very core, change what you’re cutting out of your diet but what you’re cutting is calories. The reason each one works for some and not others is each person’s metabolism breaks down certain nutrients differently. So what’s the trick to getting to a true calorie deficit?

Before you do any sort of work, keep an honest food journal. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to calorie counting. If you eat one cookie, write down the calories in that one cookie. If you have a big meal, write down the true portions of what you ate, even if it means you nibbled a little bit while making it. While it doesn’t help in your overall endgame, it will be very instrumental in the most important phase, the initial cutdown.

More Health: Nothing Beats A Good Routine

The most important step is to get an accurate count of your daily intake. Just below that in terms of tracking is your desired weight. Then there’s a quick bit of math to figure out what your calorie deficit goal should be. Take your desired weight and multiply it by 12. If you’re over 200 lbs and want to get down to 150 then your goal intake should be 1800 calories a day.

This is where people struggle with their diet. This is why people give up so quickly when it comes to their weight loss plan. The problem is, most people eat well over 2500-3000 calories a day. Whether it’s their bad eating habits of non-nutritional food or not eating at all and stuffing their face with a large meal at the local fast food joint, going from such a high intake to eating almost half that amount often feels like you’re going hungry.

But it doesn’t have to. Everyone wants results as quickly as possible but patience is a virtue especially when it comes to weight loss. Remember how I said a true calorie count was important? It’s because you have to slowly work your way down to your goal calorie deficit just as you have to work your way down to your goal weight. You have to ween yourself off of the extra intake just the same as any other substance. Cold turkey only works in the exception, not the rule.

So if you want to get down to 1800 calories and you’re at say 2800, try to cut incremental portions out. As you cut down, set realistic goals along the way. This week a goal of down to 2500 should be reasonable. Mix it up and fill those calories with nutritious foods while keeping some of your favorite snacks in there. As long as you hit your goal, you’re on pace.

The next couple weeks work down to 2400, or even 2300 depending on how your body is responding to portioning. Keep track of your food and be honest. The results will come and they won’t be all at once. Take your calorie count seriously and be in a deficit and the weight will eventually come off without living at the gym 24/7.