Let’s talk about being in a calorie deficit and how to think of it in simple terms. First off, in order to lose body fat, we need to be in a calorie deficit. If you want to lose body fat but keep and build muscle, we need to be in a calorie deficit but keep protein high. How can we think about this in very simple terms?

Here you go! Think of your daily calorie needs as a bank account. Your calories are the amount of money you have to spend each day. First, we need to know how much we have to spend. There are online calorie calculators you can use or use the simple formula, goal body weight X 12, as your starting point. I also offer customized calorie and macro plans if you are interested. Once you know your daily calorie needs, think of that as your daily allowance of money to spend. Now, let’s break down each meal as your daily expenditures. I personally like to break down each meal with the calorie goal and macro goals. As an example, if you have 1,800 calories to spend, divide that into how many meals you eat. If you ate three meals for the day, you would allocate 600 calories per meal. If you like to incorporate snacks into your day, consider that too and subtract that from your meal allowance.

Let’s work through the day. We will start with breakfast. If you have 1,800 calories for the day and allot 600 calories for breakfast or less if you want to subtract for snacks later on, you want to choose foods that will stay within your “budget” for that meal. You also want to be sure that you take into consideration how much protein you need in that meal to hit your protein goal for the day. If your goal is 130 grams of protein, you need 43 grams of protein in this meal, or a little less if you want to factor in a snack.

This breakfast has 40 grams of protein in it. I had matcha tea with one scoop of collagen powder, 1 egg plus 1/2 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup frozen spinach, lions mane mushroom, and 1 tbsp feta cheese mixed into my omelet. I added two chicken sausages and berries on the side. This cost me 470 calories. I subtract that from my daily allowance and plan out my next meals with what I have left. I use a food tracker to make this much quicker!

Next we are on to lunch. You have two meals left, so you want to decide how many calories you want to “spend” at lunch. You also need to decide how many grams of protein you need to stay on track for hitting your goal. Once you have planned your lunch, you will do the same for dinner.

With dinner, you should know how many calories or “money” you have left for the day. If you want to end the day with “money” left over, that will create a calorie deficit for you. If you get to the end of your eating day and have 250 calories left over, you have created a slight deficit that will help towards losing fat. If you did that every day for the week, you could lose 1/2 a pound. If you want to lose a full pound each week, you need to have 500 calories or “money” left over each day for the week.

Now, if you get to the end of the day and you “spent” more “money” than you had, or ate more calories than your body needs, you will be in a surplus, which leads to weight gain. Is this making sense?

Tracking your food is extremely helpful when your goal is fat loss. It is like having a checkbook for your bank account, so you can monitor how much you have and how much you are spending or saving each day.

Something important to keep in mind is that we don’t want to focus on weight loss but fat loss. Losing weight can be also losing muscle, which can happen if you don’t eat enough protein and overdo the cardio. If you want to lose fat and sculpt your body, you need to focus on strength training a few days per week with challenging weights, eat enough protein, and be in a slight calorie deficit. It is also important to consider where your calories come from. While a calorie is a calorie, the effect it has on your body matters. High processed meals will not provide the same nutrients as whole, unprocessed foods. Reach for foods that grow in nature and not in a factory.

I hope this helps you see the process of losing body fat in a simple and clear way. It is actually pretty simple but also hard. It might mean changing habits and saying no to comforting, nutrient poor foods (ahem…cookies, chips, etc). It might also mean restricting how much you typically eat, which can be hard at first. However, the benefits are huge! Your health matters and maintaining a healthy body weight is important to your well being. If you need help, let me know!