How a Calorie Deficit Can Help with Weight Loss

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

What is a Calorie Deficit?

Continue reading to find out how to calculate one and how to create it in a healthy lifestyle.

A calorie deficit can help aid in weight loss. A calorie is a unit of energy (1 calorie = 4.184 joules). We receive energy from what we eat and drink, the energy that we consume is then spent when we perform essential functions to keep us alive. Such as our blood circulation, breathing, digestion etc.

Energy is also spent on all physical activities that we do, so we can put ourselves into a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than our body needs to perform these activities.

How Does a Calorie Deficit Aid Weight Loss?

A calorie deficit is when you consume fewer calories than you burn over time. For example, if you consume the average 2500 calories for a man and burn 2000 you will still gain weight. So, if you are burning more calories than you are consuming, this will put you in a calorie deficit and enable you to lose weight.

How to Calculate a Calorie Deficit

You can calculate your calorie deficit by using an online calorie deficit calculator or you can perform a calculation manually.

Determine Your Maintenance Calories

If you are not gaining or not losing weight with your current calorie intake this is what is referred to as your maintenance caloric intake.

To maintain means that you are constantly replacing the energy that you have burned with more energy from the food and drinks you consume. It is something you have been doing your whole life without even being aware and thinking about maintenance calories before.

Here is how to establish your maintenance calories the manual way, without relying on a calculator.

1. You should determine your activity level from the list below:

Sedentary: 15 minutes or less of daily exercise with a desk job (12)
Lightly Active: 1-2 hours of weights and/or cardio exercise per week (13.5)
Moderately Active: 3-5 hours of weights and/or cardio exercise per week (15)
Very Active: 6-7 hours of weights and/or cardio exercise per week (16.5)

Extremely Active: 7+ hours of weights and/or cardio exercise per week (17+)

2. Multiply your body weight in pounds by the activity level modifier above, for example, if you are moderately active, you would multiply your body weight in pounds by 15.

3. To determine how many calories, you should consume for a healthful calorie deficit, you can subtract roughly 500 calories from that number. Or you could monitor your weight over two weeks. If you gain weight, then you know you are eating too much and above your maintenance intake needs. If you lose weight, then you are not eating enough and eating below your maintenance intake needs.

Calculate Your Deficit

After you have established your maintenance calories you can start to calculate your deficit.

Mayo Clinic has a useful tool to calculate your calorie deficit:

How to Create a Calorie Deficit

The rule of thumb for creating a calorie deficit is to eat fewer calories than you would burn, and in turn, burn more calories than you would eat.

Exercise

Exercise is an important part of your weight loss journey and if you are not normally an active person, you should try and increase your daily activity if you can.

You can try activities such as:

Walking
Jogging

Opting for the stairs instead of the lift
Bike rides
Recreational sports

The more physically active you are, the more calories you will burn. This increases the number of calories you need, which can make creating a deficit easier.

Diet

According to the NHS eat well guide a healthful eating pattern with fewer calories should include:

vegetables, including dark green, red, orange, starchy, and other vegetables
grains, at least half of which should be whole grains
fruits, with a focus on whole fruits
proteins, such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, soy products, and seafood
low fat or fat-free dairy, including milk, yoghurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages

healthful oils, such as olive oil

Additional Ways to Lose Weight

Do not skip breakfast

It will not help you to lose weight if you skip breakfast because you will be missing essential nutrients which could make you feel hungry and lead to snacking throughout the day.

Eat regular meals

If you eat meals regularly throughout the day, this will help burn calories quicker. It should also discourage the need for snacking.

Eat plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and vegetables are low in fat, low calorie and full of fibre, these are three essential ingredients for a successful weight loss. Not to mention the vitamins and minerals you will get.

Drink plenty of water

Many people confuse thirst for hunger, this will result in you consuming more calories when you could just have a glass of water and feel satisfied.

Read food labels

Knowing what to look out for on food labels can help you choose healthier options. You should use the calorie information to see which food fits in your weight loss plan and daily calorie allowance.
Find out more about reading food labels

Do not stock junk food

You must avoid stocking up on junk food such as chocolate and crisps. Instead, opt for healthier alternatives such as oat cakes, fruit, and unsalted popcorn.

Cut down on alcohol

A standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate. Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain.
Find out more about the calories in alcohol

Plan your meals

Planning your meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner will help you stick within your daily calorie allowance. You could find it helpful to do this for the week and make a shopping list.

Weight Loss Aids

Sometimes, you may need a helping hand when losing weight and there are options available. There are many types of weight loss aids that contain weight loss-promoting ingredients. See below:

Orlistat

Orlistat works by preventing your body from absorbing fat from the food you eat. Orlistat will bind around 33% of the fat you consume in each meal where you take it with, or up to an hour after food.

If you continue Orlistat after your weight loss journey, it can help keep you from gaining the weight that you lose. You should expect to see results in as little as 3 months, aiming to lose 5% of your starting body weight in 3 months.

You could order as much as a 3 months’ supply after a consultation at Oxford Online Pharmacy.

Xenical

Xenical is a branded version of Orlistat and like it, it can prevent your body from absorbing fat from your diet which will help to accelerate weight loss.

You could order as much as a 3 months’ supply after a consultation at Oxford Online Pharmacy.

Saxenda

Saxenda is a daily easy to use injection to help you lose weight. Saxenda works for weight loss in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet, suppressing the appetite by releasing a hormone in response to food intake to create feelings of fullness.

You could use Saxenda if your BMI is 30 or over or if you have weight-related health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure and if you have a BMI of over 27 kg/m² and less than 30 kg/m² (overweight).

Our weight loss service can prescribe Saxenda for you and provides comprehensive patient information, pen needles and a sharps box for safe and easy disposal.

XLS Medical

XLS Medical has been clinically proven and is a suitable treatment for excess weight and general weight management. It contains the active ingredient Clavitanol which is a plant-based complex.

The best thing about this aid is that no prescription is needed so after a few simple steps you can get this on the way to you in no time.

Orlos

Orlos, another brand of Orlistat which unlike orlistat does not require a prescription due to the lower dose and pack size, so no doctor consultation is required- you will just answer a few brief questions instead.

You should start to see impressive results from Orlos alongside a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet, and exercise.

This medication is suitable for those who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 28. The questionnaire will help you to work out your BMI or you can use the NHS calculator here.

Alli

Alli is a lower-strength version of the prescription medication Orlistat. As it is a low dose it is available over the counter without a prescription. We will need you to answer a few simple questions to allow our pharmacists to make sure it is the right medication for you to use.

Vitamins & Supplements

To ensure you are still getting all your required daily vitamins and supplements during weight loss, combine weight loss aids with a multivitamin such as Centrum Advance multivitamins.

Consult Your Doctor

You should consult your doctor if you are unsure of the best treatment for you and if you have any underlying health conditions.

Get in Touch

You can also contact one of our medical professionals for advice or anything else, contact 01295 262925, alternatively email us at [email protected]

We are always happy to help!