The Calorie Deficit Diet

by Andy Williams - last updated 26th March 2024

Okay, so when reviewing diets, how could I not start with the calorie deficit diet? In essence, every diet out there, whether it be Keto, Slimming World, or low carb, must achieve the same thing for the result to happen. That would be a calorie deficit. Scientifically, the only way we can lose weight is for our body to burn more calories than we consume in a day or over a sustained period of time. So, could the calorie deficit diet be the master of all diets?

So, what is a calorie-controlled diet? 

A calorie deficit diet is a nutritional approach focused on weight loss, where you consume fewer calories than your body burns in a day. This deficit forces your body to use stored fat for energy, leading to weight loss over time. Essentially, it’s about eating less than what your body expends for its daily activities and exercise.

How do you start a calorie-controlled diet? 

In my experience, and that is losing seven stone by using a calorie deficit, this diet seems to be all about maths. So it's important to understand your numbers in order to have your body in a calorie deficit so that it burns fat. You must understand what your body needs to burn on a daily basis, and not just to exist, but including your daily activities. So, the first place I would recommend for anyone is to understand these numbers. Luckily, you don't have to be a maths genius for this diet to work for you. There are plenty of online calculators out there!

Calculating your daily calorie needs involves considering factors like age, sex, weight, height, and activity level. Once you know how many calories your body requires to maintain its current weight, you can create a calorie deficit by either consuming fewer calories, increasing physical activity, or both. A common target for a calorie deficit is to consume 500 to 1,000 fewer calories per day to lose approximately 1 to 2 pounds (about 0.5 to 1 kg) per week, as recommended by health professionals for safe and sustainable weight loss.

I do have a couple of posts that will help anyone work out their BMR and their TDEE.

Is a calorie-controlled diet right for me? 

So, right off the bat, I will tell you that my success with a calorie deficit has been phenomenal, and this diet has succeeded where all others have failed for me over the past 20 years. In under a year, I have gone from 22 stone to 14 stone. However, this does not mean a calorie deficit or a calorie-controlled diet is right for everyone.

Who Might Benefit:

Healthy Adults Seeking Weight Management: For individuals without specific dietary needs or health conditions, a calorie-controlled diet can be a flexible approach to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

Those Looking for a Simple Strategy: People who prefer a straightforward method without specific food restrictions might find calorie counting effective.

Who Might Need Alternatives:

Individuals with Medical Conditions: People with conditions like diabetes, eating disorders, or heart disease may require specialised diets tailored to their medical needs.

Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women: Increased nutritional needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding mean a calorie-controlled diet might not provide enough energy or nutrients.

Athletes and Highly Active People: High levels of physical activity increase nutritional and caloric needs, which might not be met by a restrictive calorie-controlled diet.

Children and Teenagers: Young people need adequate nutrition for growth and development; restricting calories can be harmful unless medically supervised.

Key Considerations:

Nutritional Balance: Reducing calorie intake should not compromise nutritional intake. It's essential to maintain a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Mental Health: For some, focusing on calorie counting can lead to an unhealthy obsession with food and body image, potentially triggering or worsening eating disorders.

Lifestyle and Preferences: A diet should fit within one’s lifestyle and food preferences to be sustainable long-term.

How should I start with a Calorie-controlled diet? 

OK, so you've decided that a calorie-controlled diet or a calorie deficit is the right choice for you. My advice would be, in the first week, to read and research as much as you can about calories and look at the food you eat currently. Potentially, even before starting this diet, you could track your food using an app like MyFitnessPal and understand what you are currently consuming: how many calories, how much protein, how much fat, how many carbs, etc. By doing this, you will then be able to understand the root cause of your current weight, whether you be underweight or overweight. Understanding what you currently consume against what you currently expend will explain a lot towards your current situation. Once you have done this, you can then tweak and alter the numbers in favour of the direction you want to go.

So, you've understood why you're overweight or underweight. Now is the time to play with the numbers. 

That little piece of shortbread you have every day at work around 11 o'clock that costs 300 calories could simply be cut out and be the tipping point between a calorie deficit or a calorie surplus, resulting in either losing or gaining weight. It really is about analysing your current diet versus what your body needs and making adjustments accordingly. 

MyFitnessPal has been a key player in helping me to understand my nutrition over the last year, resulting in my weight loss.

Does a calorie deficit work? 

A calorie-controlled diet offers an incredible foundation for understanding your weight and how to manage it through balancing energy. However, you really should consider personal circumstances, your health, and your nutritional needs. Yes, a calorie deficit has resulted in extraordinary weight loss for myself, but we are all different and all of our journeys are different, so we should all do our own research as one size does not fit all.

My personal opinion on a Calorie Deficit: 

For me personally, the calorie deficit diet has been the life-changing diet that has created an incredible understanding of food, nutrition, and my body's needs. It has resulted in a large weight loss that has truly transformed my life for the better. I am not the person I was a year ago, and at the core of this, I have to thank the calorie deficit that I have put myself in and MyFitnessPal that gave me the tools to manage this over the last year.