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Everyone dreams of a magic weight loss pill. I drank it – and the waist decreased, the hips tightened, stretch marks and cellulite disappeared. But while there is no such pill, the main thing is to create a calorie deficit for weight loss. How to achieve this?
What is a calorie deficit
A calorie deficit is the negative difference between the energy we consume and the energy we expend. In general, the first to suggest that food is our energy and fuel, the same as firewood for the stove, were French scientists Pierre-Simon Laplace and Antoine Laurent Lavoisier. It happened at the beginning of the 1th century. A few years later, another Frenchman, the chemist Nicolas Clément-Desormes, introduced the concept of “caloric content” into everyday life. Thanks to him, we now know that 1 kilocalorie, or 1 kcal (now more commonly referred to as simply “calorie”), is the amount of energy that will be required to heat 1 liter of water by XNUMX degree.
American physiologist and chemist Wilbur Atwater went even further – he calculated how much energy this or that food gives us. It turned out that 1 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of protein contains 4 kcal each. 1 g of alcohol gives 7 kcal. And the most high-calorie ones are fats: 9 kcal per 1 g.
There is nothing wrong with calories in and of themselves. In order not to gain weight, it is important to simply consume as much energy as you expend. In Atwater’s time (end of the 4000th century), it was not difficult for conditional workers to do this: due to hard physical labor, all XNUMX kcal that they ate (an amount that is now unthinkable for us) quickly burned out. But with the automation of production processes, the workload of workers began to decline. And, as Atwater proved, if a person continued to eat as before, he gained weight.
To lose weight, it is important to expend more energy than you consume. This creates a calorie deficit, on which any diet, any fitness program is based. There are no miracles: neither coding nor the “golden earring for weight loss” will help to lose weight if we do not start spending more than we receive. Moreover, these “magic” methods only help because patients are given a list of low-calorie foods and advised to move more. In general, they have a lot of shortcomings!
Benefits of a calorie deficit for weight loss
Losing weight on a calorie deficit is very easy:
no need to exclude certain foods, the main thing is to reduce the total caloric content of the diet, to find its optimal energy value;
you can adjust the menu to your tastes and habits, not focusing on the restrictions that are usually offered in diets;
in order to build weight, it is not necessary to greatly cut the calorie content of the menu – a deficit of 200-300 kcal is enough;
you can not cut the menu at all, but simply add physical activity, which will help start burning fat;
it is allowed not to exclude your favorite sweets and saltiness – you can still eat them, but little by little;
and, importantly, by counting calories, you will gradually begin to revise your menu towards a healthier and more useful one.
How to create a calorie deficit
If you don’t want to kill yourself at the gym (and don’t want any sports at all), consider increasing your non-observed physical activity (NEAT). This abbreviation stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (“everyday thermogenesis without training”) – this refers to the load that we usually do not take into account, but which we have every day: climbing stairs, dancing at a party, house cleaning, sex… Our NEAT level is genetically determined: some are active from birth, do not sit still for a second, constantly moving and fussing, while others are phlegmatic, slow, slow. It is the high level of NEAT that can explain why some people eat as much as they want and do not get better.
Walking your dog every day is also a good way to increase your calorie burn without any extra effort.
The good news is that this parameter can be controlled by deliberately increasing the subtle activity. For example, after brushing your teeth, wash the sink at the same time. Cut the salad not sitting, but standing. Do not run the washing machine if you need to wash a T-shirt or tights, but wash them by hand. Talking on the phone, move around the apartment, wipe the dust. On a walk with a child, do not sit on your smartphone, but run and play … NEAT is perhaps the easiest way to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. And if you connect the right nutrition, weight loss will go even faster.
Calorie deficit levels
Experts talk about three levels of calorie deficit – small, when we reduce the diet by 10-15%, medium (minus 20-25%) and large (minus 25-50%).
Calculating your individual calorie deficit is the first step in a weight loss program.
Big deficit
If, when considering what kind of calorie deficit you need to create for weight loss, you choose a large one, then you will probably cut your nutrition to the maximum. Stop eating after 18:00, refuse treats – and in general you will start to “extreme” in every possible way. But the result, most likely, will not please. On a rigid diet, the body is faced with a lack of nutrients: vitamins, minerals, proteins and “good” fats. And in addition to a slender figure, you will get a bad mood, fatigue, dull skin and thinning hair. In addition, you won’t last long on such a diet, breakdowns are very likely. Weight will return or become even more than before losing weight. What is the calorie deficit to lose weight? Let’s explore further!
Average deficit
A diet with an average calorie deficit is suitable for people with a large body weight (BMI> 30) and is needed to start the fat burning process. Usually, losing weight can hardly tolerate a sharp decrease in portions – they simply do not eat up. In this case, nutritionists suggest a volumetric approach, when a calorie deficit will be created through a large amount of low-calorie food. For example, you start your meal with a big bowl of salad. The stomach fills up, the brain receives a signal of saturation. You eat another half of the cutlet, and suddenly you realize that you don’t want any more. Thus, you consume 20-25% fewer calories than usual, and lose weight at a rate of 1-2 kg per week.
Small deficit
This is the most correct and comfortable way to create a calorie deficit. Your diet will practically not change, you will not have to starve and give up your favorite food. Making a small calorie deficit is very simple: if you used to add two tablespoons of 20% sour cream to the soup, now one tablespoon of 10% is acceptable. Cooked borscht on fatty beef brisket? switch to lean chicken breast. Did you drink tea with sugar? Gradually reduce its amount and get used to doing without it. It will be easier if you try some new delicious teas. Try to discreetly edit your diet according to this principle. Yes, you will not “lose 10 kg in a week.” But this is good – the skin will not lose its tone, will not sag, and you will have time to get used to the new menu and learn to enjoy it.
A varied diet with an abundance of vegetables is the basis for successful weight loss.
How to calculate your calorie deficit for weight loss
How to calculate the calorie deficit to lose weight? We give step by step instructions.
Step 1 . Calculate basal metabolism
Basal metabolism, or as it is also called, basal metabolism, is how many calories our body spends at rest. It can be calculated using a complex study, which is carried out, for example, in the Research Institute of Nutrition. There, the patient is placed in a special capsule and measured how much oxygen he inhaled and how much carbon dioxide he exhaled. And then they enter the data into a special formula and get the result. Also, data on the basic metabolism can be obtained using bioimpedansometry, which analyzes the composition of the body (ratio of fat, muscle, etc.).
If it is not possible to pass the study, you can use the Mifflin-San Geor formula. It is considered to be quite accurate. And here’s how to calculate the calorie deficit from it to lose weight:
Step 2. Consider physical activity
If physical activity is taken into account, the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula will look like this:
(10 x weight (kg) + 6,25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161) x A,
where A is the level of physical activity:
A = 1,2 – minimal activity, sedentary work without significant physical exertion;
A = 1,375 – low level of activity: you sometimes do Nordic walking, ride a bike, play yard volleyball from time to time, like to swim when possible, but not every day. The same coefficient can be chosen by those who walk a lot every day;
A = 1,55 – moderate activity level: you train intensively for 30-60 minutes three to four times a week;
A= 1,7 – intensive level of activity. Such a coefficient can be inserted into the formula by those who are actively involved in sports 5-7 days a week, it is also suitable for those who are engaged in hard physical labor: construction, road and agricultural work;
A = 1,9 – extreme level: very energy-intensive activities (sports with several workouts every day), physically demanding work – for example, raking coal or shoveling snow.
Important! The number that you get as a result of the calculations is the number of calories that you should consume every day so as not to faint from impotence.
But even if you do not know your basal metabolism, keep in mind that, for example, in women, it is never less than 1200-1300 kcal. This is how many calories you should be guaranteed to eat, even if you decide to lose weight on their deficit. Starvation diets, when less than 1200 kcal are eaten, are dangerous to health!
Step 3. Determine the norm of calories minus the deficit
Now that you know what a calorie deficit for weight loss is and how to calculate it, it’s time to find out how much you are consuming now. To do this, you need to keep a food diary for a week. Write down in it everything that you ate during the day, not forgetting about a pinch of seeds, or about a tiny cookie or caramel, or about a sip of soda. Calculate the approximate energy value of your diet according to the calorie table. Note that it is not necessary to take into account every lettuce leaf and celery stalk. And a 100-gram serving of boiled buckwheat (and any other cereal in general) is not equal in calories to 100 g of dry buckwheat. Due to the fact that cereals absorb a lot of water, in finished form its energy value is 2–3 times less than indicated in the table. For convenience, you can download one of the many applications that help with the calculation of the calorie content of meals and specific foods.
What is the calorie deficit to lose weight? To find out, subtract the basal metabolic rate from the average daily calorie intake. The resulting difference is the number of calories by which you need to cut your diet or which you need to spend while playing sports.
Example Calorie Deficit Calculation
Imagine that you are 41 years old. With a height of 175 cm, you weigh 82 kg and lead a sedentary lifestyle. You sit at work, you get home by car. On weekends, you prefer to lie on the couch, read, browse social networks. Well, maybe you get out once a month to ride a bike, and that is not accurate. That is, the coefficient of physical activity is minimal – 1,2.
With these inputs, your main exchange will be:
Suppose now you eat about 2000 kcal per day. So your calorie deficit should be
You can cut your diet by 200 kcal, increase NEAT and, for example, walk at an average pace of 3-5 km every evening.
How to maintain a calorie deficit
You can, of course, scrupulously write down and calculate all the calories, go to visits and restaurants with kitchen scales, but is it worth it to complicate your life and shock others? Much smarter:
keep in mind an approximate list of high-calorie foods and, if possible, control their consumption (this is primarily fast food, sugar, honey, sweets, white bread, pastries, convenience foods, meat gastronomy);
if you choose between sweet cottage cheese and ordinary cottage cheese, figure out the difference in calories: in sweet cottage cheese 129 kcal per 100 g, in 1% cottage cheese 70 kcal. This is the control of the calorie deficit, which will help you make the right choice;
eat more vegetables and greens – they have few calories, but at the same time they clog the stomach well;
Eat more fresh or minimally processed foods (such as al dente vegetables), which take more calories to digest.
try to eat high-calorie foods before 16 p.m. – this is one of the basic principles;
monitor not only the quantity, but also the quality of calories, for example, in two whole grain breads and 40 g of dates – 200 kcal each, but breads are more satisfying;
reduce the amount of sugar and salt in the diet (the latter can sometimes be replaced with lemon juice);
at the festive table to try everything, but little by little;
when buying meat, ask for leaner pieces, and when cooking, cut off visible fat from it;
move more, but at the same time remember that physical activity should be a joy;
don’t take weight loss too seriously, keep a positive attitude and sense of humor – and everything will work out!
What happens to the skin in a calorie deficit
The small calorie deficit that we wrote about above is also good because it makes losing weight slow and smooth. This means that the body will have time to get used to the new volumes, the skin will not sag, lose its tone, and will not become flabby. Help her – use firming, moisturizing and nourishing products.
Firming Body Milk “Ultra Elasticity”, Garnier
Seaweed extract perfectly tightens and strengthens the skin. A tonic phyto-caffeine has a drainage effect and helps to remove excess fluid, reducing swelling.
Emollient Body Milk with Bifido Complex and Mango Butter, GarnierBody
Bifidocomplex optimizes the water balance of the skin and strengthens its protective barrier. Mango butter – softens and smoothes. The result is beautiful, healthy skin, free from discomfort and dryness.
LipikarSyndetAP+ LipikarSyndetAP+ Cleansing Cream-Gel for Face and Body, LaRoche-Posay
Its main function is purification. But he does it very softly (I want to write, unobtrusively) and gently. As a result, no discomfort and feeling of dryness after a shower. And this is thanks to the formula with thermal water, mannose and niacinamide.
Nourishing Body Scrub “Precious Beauty Scrub”, GarnierBody
Contains argan nut shell powder and a mineral component, as well as a complex of four precious oils. Thoroughly exfoliates the skin and leaves it soft and radiant.
Milk for dry and very dry skin of babies, children and adults LipikarLait, LaRoche-Posay
Thermal water, high concentration shea butter (10%) and niacinamide are the secret to the success of this remedy. It not only softens and moisturizes even very dry skin as much as possible – milk restores its lipid barrier and gives it long-lasting comfort.
Moisturizing body milk Lait Corporel L’Original, Biotherm
Nourishing oils combined with glycerin restore the skin’s natural level of hydration and elasticity. Vitamin E provides antioxidant protection, while Thermal Plankton Extract promotes skin repair.
Summary results
Calorie deficit – what is it?
This is the negative difference between the energy we consume and the energy we expend. To maintain weight, you need to get as much energy as you spend. And to lose weight, you need to spend more than you consume.
How to create a calorie deficit?
There are two ways – reduce their consumption or increase consumption. Ideally, you need to combine both. For example, eat fewer high-calorie foods and start exercising/fitness. This will help you get rid of unwanted pounds.
How to calculate the calorie deficit?
First you need to calculate the basic metabolism – using a special study or using the Mifflin-San Geor formula: 9,99 x your weight (kg) + 6,25 x your height (cm) – 4,92 x your age (years) – 161 = your basal metabolic rate.
Then consider physical activity. The Mifflin-St. Jeor formula will change like this: (10 x weight (kg) + 6,25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161) x A, where A is the coefficient of physical activity from minimal (1,2) to extreme (1,9).
Calculate your calorie intake minus the deficit. To do this, subtract the basal metabolic rate from the average daily calorie content of your diet.