A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. In other words, it’s the difference between the calories you take in through food and drink and the calories your body burns through basic functions (like breathing, digesting food, and maintaining body temperature) and physical activity.

How It Works:

• Calories In: The total number of calories you consume from food and beverages.
• Calories Out: The total number of calories your body uses for basic functions and physical activity.

Example:

• If your body needs 2,500 calories a day to maintain your weight (this is your maintenance level) and you only consume 2,000 calories, you have a 500-calorie deficit.

Why It Matters:

• Weight Loss: Creating a calorie deficit is essential for weight loss because it forces your body to use stored fat for energy, leading to fat loss over time.
• Healthy Deficit: A safe and sustainable calorie deficit is usually around 500 to 1,000 calories per day, leading to a weight loss of about 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1 to 2 pounds) per week.

Calculating Your Calorie Needs:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The number of calories your body needs at rest.
2. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): BMR plus the calories burned through physical activity.

You can create a calorie deficit by:

• Eating fewer calories: Reducing portion sizes, choosing lower-calorie foods.
• Increasing physical activity: Exercising more to burn additional calories.

It’s important to ensure that your calorie deficit isn’t too extreme, as this can lead to nutritional deficiencies, loss of muscle mass, and other health issues.