How to create a calorie deficit safely and effectively?

Any girl can create a calorie deficit whether she wants to lose weight or maintain her current weight. When calories are reduced, you lose weight, but this deficit should happen in a safe and healthy way, not quickly, and today at Fitness Garage we'll learn how to create a calorie deficit.

What is a calorie deficit?

A calorie deficit happens when the body takes in fewer calories than it burns in one day, and the body needs to burn a certain number of calories essential for its basic and vital activities and those calories It varies based on several factors: 

• Age
• Physical activity
• Height
• Weight
• Body composition

There is an average calorie intake for some adults and the average is:

Is cutting calories enough to lose weight?

Keeping a calorie deficit is important for weight loss, but it’s not enough alone. You should also at least do 30 minutes of exercise or any physical activity daily. Cutting calories doesn’t always mean getting the right nutrients and vitamins your body needs.

So nutritionists always recommend and trainers at Fitness Garage eating low-calorie foods rich in minerals, fiber, and vitamins like fruits and vegetables, and drinking more water.

How do you calculate your calorie needs?

There are several ways to calculate the calories a person needs daily, and you can calculate it manually or using an online calculator.To calculate manually, if you're active, multiply your body weight by 15, then you have to cut 500 calories, Exercise and movement also help create this deficit.

Also, your trainer or doctor can help you find out how many calories you should eat, and help you organize your lifestyle to get the most benefit from this deficit.

How do you create a calorie deficit?

Once you know how many calories you need, you can create a deficit based on your goal, A kilo of fat contains 3500 calories, and to lose one kilo a week, your weekly deficit must reach that number, meaning 500 calories daily, and with this deficit, you'll lose a kilo each week, This happens through several factors which are:

• Diet plan

One change that should happen is changing everything you eat, focusing on foods rich in nutrients and high nutritional value but low in calories, A healthy diet should include:

1- Vegetables: Leafy, starchy, and red vegetables like beetroot and orange ones.

2- Grains: Whole grains should be half of the legumes like wheat and oats

3- Fruits: Fruits should be the main source of sugars in your diet.

4- Protein: Lean meats, poultry, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seafood.

5- Dairy products:It’s better to choose fat-free dairy products like yogurt and cheese.

6- Healthy fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado

You should avoid sugary drinks and saturated fats, and replace any sodas with some healthy drinks, also you should increase your daily water intake and cut down on white sugar as much as possible.

• Exercise

An important part of losing weight is regular exercise and physical activity. You should gradually increase your activity. You can try some of the following:

1- Walking

2- Use the stairs instead of the elevator

3- Walking

4- Doing a specific sport

5- Riding bikes

There are some patients who must consult a doctor before doing any sport, and the doctor can suggest a sport that fits their condition.

Risks of severely cutting calories:

You need to keep in mind that the body needs a certain number of calories daily, plus plenty of vitamins and nutrients. If calories go below the minimum, some risks can happen like:

• Muscle mass weakness.
• Brain gets deprived of energy and concentration gets weak.
• Metabolism rate drops.
• Higher risk of getting gallstones.

Symptoms you might see because of calorie shortage.

• Getting sick a lot.
• Can't lose weight.
• You suffer from negative changes in mood and behavior
• Difficulty sleeping
• You suffer from constant constipation

Always remember that your health is more important than losing weight, and you should follow healthy steps to lose weight, not go back to old habits, and avoid many diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure.