How to Create a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss: Tips and Calculation Formula

Weight loss is a process that demands self-monitoring and a systematic approach. Here’s how to calculate a calorie deficit for weight loss and the nuances you need to consider.

Calories are units of energy that we use for our daily activities or store as fat.

Every day, we consume a certain amount of calories through food and expend these calories through various activities, including digestion, physical activity, and even thinking and sleeping!

When calorie intake exceeds expenditure, it leads to a "calorie surplus," resulting in weight gain. Conversely, when more calories are expended than consumed, a "calorie deficit" occurs, leading to weight loss.

For example, if your body expends 2500 calories a day but you only consume 2200, you have a calorie deficit of 300 calories.

If your goal is to lose weight, the conclusion is clear: you need to create a calorie deficit. Not so large that you can’t get out of bed in the morning, but not so small that you see no changes at all (see also: "Energy to Spare: 5 Good Morning Rules for a Productive Day").

Fact: To lose 1 kg of fat, you need to burn 7716 calories.

There are two ways to create a calorie deficit:

Modify your diet to reduce calorie intake.
Increase physical activity.
Regardless of the chosen strategy, you should lose no more than 1 kg per week, including water loss, to avoid harming your health.

Important! Women should not consume less than 1200 calories per day, and men should not consume less than 1600 calories per day.

Maintaining a low-calorie diet for a long time is harmful to your health. Imagine constantly feeling hungry, occasionally bingeing on sweets, and then finding your weight higher than before. Repeated attempts lead to a disrupted metabolism, making weight regain faster.

Alternatively, being highly motivated and sticking to a calorie deficit for months can also harm your metabolism, slowing it down for a long time, potentially years.

For those accustomed to overeating, simply following a normocaloric diet—eating just what is required—can already create a deficit relative to their usual intake, initiating weight loss (see also: "Getting Nowhere: Three Foods That Hinder Your Weight Loss—Avoid Them Now").

How to Calculate a Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss
Calculating a calorie deficit is simpler than it seems. First, calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)—the number of calories your body uses at rest.

For women:
BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) - 161

For men:
BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) + 5

To determine your daily calorie expenditure, multiply your BMR by a certain factor:

BMR x 1.55 for a sedentary lifestyle with no exercise.
BMR x 1.85 for moderate daily activity or one hour of cardio exercise.
BMR x 2.2 for a highly active job or office work with two hours of daily exercise.
BMR x 2.4 for professional athletes or those who are highly active throughout the day and exercise in the evening.
The resulting number is the daily calorie intake needed to maintain your current weight.

To lose weight, subtract 500 from this number to find your daily calorie target. You can slightly increase the calorie reduction, but avoid overdoing it to prioritize health.

Note that maintaining a 20% calorie deficit for more than five months is not recommended due to potential metabolic disruption.

You can achieve a calorie deficit by either reducing food intake by 500 calories or increasing physical activity. While technically possible to create a calorie deficit by eating only candy, the health impact on your skin, hair, and organs would be detrimental. The much-discussed "proper nutrition" (PP) is necessary, especially for weight loss, as the calorie deficit itself is already a significant stressor.

Calculating calorie expenditure during exercise is difficult, and tracking food intake accurately requires constant attention. Research shows that most people underestimate their food intake, leading to confusion about why weight loss isn't happening despite a supposed calorie deficit.

Ultimately, the principle always works; the key is precise measurement and honesty with oneself (see also: "7 Stereotypes That Prevent You from Loving Yourself and Your Body (and How to Fight Them)").