16 Aug 2021

To put it simply, a calorie is a unit of energy. So a calorie deficit means that you're consuming less energy than you burn/utilise. 🔥

Shedding kilos seems pretty easy when put like that aye? You're literally just wanting to either eat a little less or work out a little more... So let's get into the nitty and gritty of calorie deficits.

How many calories should I be eating then?

The body needs to burn a certain number of calories to perform all its functions each day. The average person needs, on average, 2000 to 2700 calories a day depending on:

  • sex 
  • age
  • physical activity levels
  • height
  • weight
  • body composition

You can suss out on average, how many calories you should be consuming with calculators online, but if you want more personalised advice, or if you don't have a healthy relationship with food, speak to a nutritionist or a healthcare provider.

The beautiful thing about being in a calorie deficit is that it's not a crash diet! You're not gonna be skipping breakfast or only allowed to eat like a rabbit! You're really just being more mindful of what you're eating.

So could I just eat junk food?

100 calories of junk food and 100 calories of fruit and veg is the same right? 🥦

Technically, yes. (And side note, treating yourself is IMPORTANT! Eat that cheesecake slice and enjoy it)

The thing about junk food is that it's "calorie-dense", meaning that there's a high amount of calories for less volume and fewer nutrients. Long story short, eating Maccas every day isn't really sustainable as you're more likely to get hungrier quicker, therefore much less likely to stay in your calorie deficit. 

How do I limit what I eat?

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer and will take more research on your part. 

You might want to count calories for a few days and contextualise what you consume on average. You might be surprised by some things (like damn you can eat a tonne of celery and it's hardly any calories whereas holy moly one teaspoon of peanut butter is actually a lot!!) But tracking your calories might not be so healthy on your mind and it's easy to fall into a downward spiral of obsessing over the numbers. So keep that in mind! 

Maybe eat the same meals that you do now, but be more mindful of portions. (Like do you really always need seconds?)

Make food swaps. Instead of buying pizza, make your own on pide bread. Instead of pasta, you could use zucchini spirals. Go down the Youtube rabbit hole of healthy snacks. Trust me, I was skeptical but some slap!

Get creative with it and keep it fun - don't cut out everything cold turkey and don't be so hard on yourself!

What about exercise?

Whilst food is the most important component to being in a calorie deficit, exercise helps a tonne. 

Shoot for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week. But keep in mind that you don't have to knock it all out at once. Maybe you could do a 10 minute HIIT workout in the morning and then walk home after work in the arvo. 

Like food, you want to create an exercise schedule that is actually doable and sustainable to your lifestyle. If you're at uni and have two jobs, you may struggle to fit in a one-hour workout every morning for five days a week. 

Also, don't do exercise that you don't like! If you don't like running, don't run! You can also have fun with it and try different exercises. Recently, I have become ✨obsessed✨ with yoga and surfing!

And remember: Regular exercise goes a long way in protecting your health even if you don’t lose weight!!

That's a whole lot of info but please don't get frazzled! Keep things simple and make easy changes in food and exercise that works for you. 🔥💪🏼🥰