What is a calorie deficit?

A calorie deficit is when diet and activity strike a balance in which the body spends more calories, or energy, than it consumes. Several specific personal factors will lead to specific caloric needs and functioning with every individual. What is clear is that consuming less calories than is needed for maintaining body weight is what leads to weight loss.

Calories are energy units which are found in food and which the body uses like fuel. Calories come in different shapes and different foods can have the same number of calories, this still isn’t a good enough reason to equate them and ignore the rest of the nutritional value.

In everyday life, the body burns calories, be it through exercise, doing normal everyday activities, even not doing anything and resting. The number of calories which is necessary on an everyday basis will depend on many factors such as age, sex, physical activity levels, bodily constitution and alike.

The body often doesn’t use all the energy it consumes, storing it for later in the form of fat and carbohydrates. If one consumes more calories than one spends, the amount of stored calories and fat will increase.

If one spends more calories than one consumes, like when a calorie deficit is achieved, the body will use the previously stored reserves of energy and fat and thus lead to weight loss. It is impossible to lose weight without a caloric deficit.

Calories are spent through three main ways:

• Basal metabolism, this is the number of calories or energy, which the body uses to function normally during rest, it is used on functions such as breathing and blood circulation.
• Food digestion, energy that is spent on digestion, absorption and metabolization of food.
• Physical activity, this refers to energy spent on movements like exercising, everyday activities as well like walking, house chores, work and alike.

Some other things that affect changes in weight include physical activity, hormones, stress exposure, genetics, quality and quantity of sleep, and other health issues…

Calculating caloric intake for the purpose of creating a healthy calorie deficit can be done in many ways, calculating everyday calories consumed and comparing to changes in weight can be done using an online calculator or independently. Most often 300 – 500 calories less than weight maintenance calorie intake is a good and safe enough calorie deficit which leads to weight loss. It is necessary to pay attention to not starving yourself if you want to lose weight, too large of a calorie deficit over longer periods of time can lead to serious health problems and complications.

If you want to lose weight and aren’t sure about the approach which you want to take and the number of calories you should cut, a good idea is always to consult a nutritionist or doctor, they could help you create a good diet plan which could help you stay safe and healthy.

*This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.*

*Image taken from the site: https://pixabay.com/photos/scale-diet-health-tape-weight-403585/*