If you’re about to embark on your weight loss journey then you need to understand the most important component for weight loss – creating an energy deficit. This article covers some of the factors that contribute to creating an energy deficit, how to estimate your energy deficit and some top tips for creating an energy deficit successfully!
What Factors affect energy balance?
- Energy consumption from food
- Energy consumption from drinks
- Energy output from existing
- Energy output from digesting food
- Energy output from exercise
- Energy output from daily movement
How to estimate a calorie deficit for weight loss
If you have already been tracking your energy intake for a while, then you may be familiar with your caloric intake and therefore you can simply make a daily caloric deduction from that.
1. Use an online calculator and enter your stats to get an estimation of your caloric intake and a guideline for your intake for weight loss: https://legionathletics.com/tools/tdee-calculator/
2. Multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 10-12: opt for the lower end if you’re less active and the higher end if you’re more active.
3. Track your food and record weight for 2 weeks: record your caloric intake for 2 weeks, as well as recording your weight three times per week. If you find that over the 2 weeks your weight has stayed the same based on that caloric intake, then you can reduce your food intake by a certain proportion depending upon your weight loss target.
It is important to note that all of the above methods are estimations and option 1 and 2 are likely to be need to be adjusted based on you as an individual. Definitely use the caloric values as a tool that you combine with your understanding of what you currently eat and what is happening to your weight in order to be able to create a caloric deficit that is more appropriate for you.
Additionally, be aware that this number for your caloric deficit will need to be adjusted as you lose weight!
Also be aware that the more overweight you are, the less accurate these predictions are. Because fat tissue is less metabolically active than say muscle tissue, the chances are the predictions overestimate your resting and predicted total energy expenditure. To help overcome this, sometimes it can be a good idea to calculate your requirements based upon what you should be rather than what you are.
In clinic, we use Body Composition Testing, to not only calculate our clients body composition but to also establish predicted resting energy expenditure and also daily total energy expenditure. This then guides our clinicians in establishing appropriate caloric requirements.
How quickly should you lose weight?
If you use a calorie calculator online like the one above then it will give you a caloric estimate for whether you wish to lose weight at a rate which is slow, moderate, or fast. You’ll want to choose a caloric deficit which enables you to lose weight at the rate which allows you to meet your goals.
If you are prioritising fat loss and retaining lean muscle mass, then opt for a rate loss of 0.5-1% of bodyweight. A faster rate of weight loss is associated with a greater proportion of loss of lean muscle mass as well as the potential for your new caloric maintenance value to be slightly lower than it might be if you lost weight slower. You can read our article on measuring weight loss success with SMART goals.
Tips to help create an energy deficit
Follow a nutrition plan that meets your energy needs appropriately: if you have a plan where you know what your energy intake is going to be and have guidelines of what you can eat to meet your energy needs, it takes out the guesswork. Will you eat 2 meals or 4 meals? What will your plate look like? How will your favourite chocolate brownie be part of your nutrition plan? Having enough energy to lead your life and being healthy and not going hungry is key – this comes down to consuming the right foods for you.
Track your nutrition intake: to keep you on track so that you know that you are meeting your energy needs! It’s a great tool that helps you be accountable. If you don’t like calorie counting, no worries, go for a simple log of food intake. To find out more about the different methods for tracking nutrition intake to work out what is right for you, check out Tracking my nutrition intake for weight loss.
Follow an exercise program: whilst I wouldn’t advise using exercise to contribute to your caloric deficit, individuals who exercise increase their success with weight loss and weight loss maintenance. It’s also critical for being healthy and being healthy will aid the success of your overall weight loss journey for sure.
Include daily movement: daily movement is key for increasing your overall energy output. Research shows that this can vary from 1-10 fold between different individuals and is one of the greatest predictors why some individuals gain weight and others don’t. Check out The importance of daily activity for weight loss for more info around this.
Include strength training: whether that is hitting the gym, doing some bodyweight strengthening at home, or going to a barre class, building strong lean muscle is key for prioritising retention of lean muscle during weight loss and losing fat.
Be consistent: an energy deficit isn’t meaningful if it is just now and again. Think in terms of your overall weekly intake. Being consistent with hitting your calorie deficit can help you set healthy habits that will enable you to hit your goals.
Get support: creating an energy deficit consistently may be challenging for you at times – for example, appetite, a current relationship/habits with food, life, family etc are just a few of the examples that may be stressors to meeting your nutrition plan. Be proactive in getting support – be supported when you’re feeling strong to become even stronger!
Key takeaways
Creating an energy deficit is key to losing weight: and can be achieved most effectively through reducing energy intake from the food and drink that you consume, as well as being active enough.
To prioritise fat loss: choose a calorie deficit that is not overly aggressive and ideally include exercise that makes you strong!
Set yourself up for success by creating an energy deficit: by following a nutrition and lifestyle plan that is unique to you, recording your intake, being consistent and getting support from friends, family and/or a nutritionist and health coach.
Work with a weight loss specialist
Our clinicians specialise in weight loss. All qualified nutrition professionals have backgrounds in the exercise industries and a vast amount of experience coaching clients towards their goals.
Check out our weight loss specialist page, where you can learn more about our services, clinicians and the support and programs that we offer.
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