Is a calorie deficit enough to lose weight?

[WilsonFitbit]

Hi everyone! 😊

I just learned that a person can create a calorie deficit by not consuming as many calories as they need to maintain their body weight during the course of a day or week. Over time, this calorie reduction can lead to weight loss.

What is a calorie deficit?

This occurs when the number of calories a person consumes in a day is smaller than the number of calories they burn.

The body needs to burn a certain number of calories to perform all its functions each day. 

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

Here's the question, is a calorie deficit enough to lose weight? 

Maintaining a calorie deficit is an important part of weight loss, but it is not the whole picture. This is because calories are not the only thing to affect weight.

I think that in order to lose 1–2 pounds per week, a person would need to eat 500–1,000 calories fewer than the number of calories their body needs per day. What do you think? 

If a person is sedentary, meaning that they only move as much as they need to live independently but do not exercise or engage in other physical activities, they should start to get 30 minutes of exercise each day, if possible.

I'd love reading your comments about this topic and any other suggestions and tips you may have. 🙂

See you around. 

[BASILCHIVES]

Of course calorie deficit by its very name says if we burn more calories than we take in we will have a deficit and lose weight.  This is proven when  people are hospitalized and put on a controlled diet-they lose weight.   Many professionals  will tell you losing weight is 80 %  food intake and 20% burning extra calories by exercise.  Well we know exercise builds muscle, it also makes many people eat more,  negating the extra calories burned. But we also know that maintaining muscle mass burns more calories than maintaining fat so exercise can up one's metabolism.  Adding exercise is a healthy way to lose weight but it isn't necessary.

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @BASILCHIVES. Nice to see you around! 

Thank you very much for sharing your input and for participating in the community forums! 😊

See you around. 

[Heybales]

Study after study has shown a calorie deficit is the ONLY way to lose fat weight. (do it wrong include muscle mass in there - true bummer).

Calories is the only thing to affect FAT weight. On and off.

Stress can effect water weight, as can sweating off a bunch.

I'd be curious about a study that says otherwise.

But then you have to ask - is it the number on the scale that really matters - or the fat you carry?

Health wise it's the fat, what people see is the fat. Water weight is spread out.

If you are competing in a weight class then scale weight matters.

HOW you sustain and adhere to that calorie deficit is perhaps the better question.

Rate of loss is first potential problem with that - body is going to fight going too fast.

The more fat you have to lose, the less stressed the body is going fast, the less it'll adapt and fight it. This is genetic and based on other stress levels already in place (disease, illness, life, ect).

Also the amount of deficit will start to effect the amount you burn, in other words the calories in can change the calories out.

Exercise is great for health, and since eating less than you burn is required, if you burn more you get to eat more.

That benefit is mainly for feeling like you are eating enough - so adherence and sustainability.

But usually you can wipe out exercise with pretty small dessert, so.... Account for calories.

What you pick to eat now is enough story, not because of myths regarding "bad" or "good" or "clean" or "processed" foods.

Enough protein along with reasonable deficit (rate of loss) allows for potentially holding on to all your muscle mass - resistance training would seal that deal.

Enough healthy fat for vitamin absorption and body needs.

And whatever foods you discover satiate you, and that you can sustain on, and you can keep eating going forward after the diet.

Some people protein fills them up, others carbs, some fats. Usually fiber is good both for health and feeling full.

Some people do well on many small meals with no ill effect, some people each meal leaves them feeling hungry soon after because insulin spikes and blood sugar drops.

Some people do well on a short eating window.

Some people do best not allowing food after certain time because they snack like crazy then, others can assign calories for snacks up to bedtime and be fine.

But do now what you can sustain doing later.

[Nimuae]

Your last statement is the key to maintaining WL long term.  Do now what you can sustain doing later.

[SKMDC]

Study after study has shown that weight loss really only occurs when calories in is less than calories out (CICO). People on diets that do not focus on counting calories, still lose because of CICO. Some people do well on diets that do not focus on counting calories, others do better counting calories.  For some people watching or counting the numbers can trigger disordered or obsessing thinking, and they should of course avoid triggering those behaviors. But for those of of that succeed by counting calories, I feel like it is a sustainable lifelong solution. 

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @Heybales, @Nimuae, @SKMDC. Nice to see you around! 

Great information and I'll certainly take all these suggestions into consideration!

Thank you so much for sharing! 😊

See you around.