What do you need to do to follow a caloric deficit properly?
That’s the question someone asked me on a forum the other day, so I feel that my answer can help you as well.
Here’s my reply:
————————-
“I would focus on what you can control, first and foremost.
You cannot control how much weight you’re going to lose per week… but you can calculate that and follow your caloric deficit.
I mention this because in some cases, the main mistake I see is people thinking they are on a deficit when that’s not the case.
Why?
In some cases, it’s merely body adaptation (which is more than normal), but in other cases, it’s that they don’t know how much they are eating and they “think” they are on a deficit when in reality they are overeating.
That’s why I recommend counting calories as a tool to avoid guessing out of it… even if you haven’t done it before.
You won’t get it “perfect” and that’s okay.
What matters is that you do it consistently and you consistently track things.
When you know how much you should be eating and by the measurement, you know whether you’re eating that amount or not, then it’s easier to adjust when metabolic adaptations occur (because it will happen).
So focus on counting calories.
It might not be something sexy to do and in some cases, it might cause them anxiety.
The way to deal with that is knowing that you won’t get it right at first and it’s fine. Focus on consistency and you’ll be in a far better position than doing this without tracking calories.
Do you need to track calories?
Not really.
As I said, it’s a tool… but it’s a tool that helps you see how much of a tweak you need to make, which is better than merely guessing – and we know how guessing affects the fat loss progress.”
————————-
So if you have tried dieting before by cutting food (which I don’t recommend at all – plus, it’s unnecessary) and haven’t lost weight…
it’s because you weren’t on a deficit.
It doesn’t mean that caloric deficits don’t work or that carbs/fats are evil (can you imagine stopping eating pizza or cookies?…), it just means you weren’t on a real deficit…
even when you thought you were on a deficit.
Sounds simple, yet that’s why when I have coached some clients before (and when I’ve dieted as well) I know that it drives us desperate seeing that we’re reducing our food intake yet not seeing any results on the scale or in our bodies.
That doesn’t mean that lowering your calories is the only way to get into a caloric deficit, of course.
Most people only affect one side of the equation, but you can move the scale from the other side and still create a deficit without even touching your food intake.
It all comes down to what you like and feel comfortable doing it long enough.
In fact, one way to tweak this balance is by doing 3-quick “tweaks” in your diet that basically force your body to lose more fat. The results are meaningless compared to a caloric deficit, but they will help you ease that process.
And all you have to do to know these 3 tweaks for Free is sign up below:
Ivan @ Fitnessthetic
