Have you been eating in a calorie deficit for weight loss for a really long time, or have you
just started eating in a calorie deficit to lose weight, but you're not even sure if you're in a
calorie deficit or if it's working? Watch this video right to the end. I'm going to quickly
break down three ways for you to know if you're actually in a calorie deficit and the
number of calories that you're eating to lose body fat is the right number for you.
I'm just going to start by saying there is actually no one way that works universally for
every single human to calculate a calorie deficit. It is a process of doing specific calculations,
which I break down in this video for you, I'll leave the link in the description below
if you haven't yet calculated your calorie deficit, or you want to see how I am advising
my clients to calculate their calorie deficit. Many people might've clicked on this video because
maybe you've been eating in a calorie deficit for one week and you haven't seen a drop on the scale
and you're pissed off, so you search on YouTube to find how do I know if I'm in a calorie deficit?
Why isn't it working? The main thing when it comes to obviously fitness progress, fat loss progress,
weight loss, all of these things, is consistency over time. A calorie deficit, when done the right
way, the healthy way, is going to take time. If you're dropping a whole bunch of body fat very
fast, it's possible that your calorie deficit is too low and it's not sustainable long-term.
So let's get to it. Calorie deficit. I'm going to break down for you quickly how to know if you
are actually in a calorie deficit. If you're not actually sure what a calorie deficit is and you
just kind of stumbled across this video, check out this video right here. I break down exactly what
I'm talking about when I say calorie deficit and how it can help you achieve fat loss. And
actually, it's the only way that you will achieve fat loss. So check out that video. I'll link it
in the description below so that you know what we're talking about when we say calorie deficit.
And again, I'll reiterate, there is no magic formula, there is no magic pill,
there is no magic smoothie that will put you in a calorie deficit. There's also no
magic formula or magic pill to test each body to make sure or know if each of us is in a
calorie deficit. With that being said, there are other tools we can use to make sure that you are
in a calorie deficit and the number of calories you're eating every day is actually putting you
in a calorie deficit in order to lose body fat. And just quickly, before we dive in, make sure you
subscribe to my channel for more videos just like this one. Hit that bell to be notified, because
I've got new videos coming out every single week, and you don't want to miss when a new video drops.
So let's talk about tool number one. How to know if you're in a calorie deficit? The
scale is going down, your measurements are going down, your pants size is going down,
the bathing suit is fitting better, your dress is fitting better. I did add weight in there,
so weight is going down. If you've watched any of the other videos on my channel, you know how I
feel about the scale and that that is not the best way to track your progress on a fat loss journey.
I've had people ask me, "Well, my pants size is going down, my measurements are going down, I see
a change in my progress pictures, but the scale didn't move. I am still at the same body weight I
was when I started this calorie deficit." You are still making progress. If the scale doesn't move,
but your measurements are going down, your progress pictures are going down, your pants
are fitting better, that's a win. So that is definitely a way to tell if you were in a calorie
deficit and what you were doing is working. Keep going. Okay. Second way that you'll be able to
tell if you're actually in a calorie deficit, you feel a little bit more tired, a little bit less
energy, and you feel a little bit hungry. So this is normal. Again, we are in a calorie deficit. So
we are taking in less calories than we're actually burning each day, so of course, you're taking in
less fuel, less energy, into your body. So you're going to feel a bit more tired
and you are going to feel a bit hungry, at least initially, when you're starting
in this calorie deficit because again, you are in a calorie deficit. You're eating less than
your body is burning each day. And when I say hungry, I don't mean you're starving all day,
every day and all you're thinking about is food, and you have zero energy to work out,
to get out of bed in the morning. If that is happening, you're probably in too low of a
calorie deficit. That is not healthy, and we need to boost your calories up. Again, refer to that
calorie calculator in the description below so you can find out exactly how many calories you should
be eating. Calorie deficit numbers should only be a few hundred calories lower than your calorie
maintenance. That's what will produce steady fat loss over a period of time, not a rapid decrease
by drastically dropping your calories and suffering and having no energy and feeling tired.
Because in the end, the way that we actually achieve fat loss is not only through a calorie
deficit, it's through strength training and exercising. So if you're eating not enough
calories and you have zero energy and you're starving all the time, how are you going to really
give it your all in the gym and actually get the results from your workouts? So, that's another
thing. If you're never feeling hungry and you feel full of energy and you're not seeing progress
in those progress pictures, your measurements aren't going down, and the scale isn't moving,
there's a possibility you are not in a calorie deficit. So if you're currently eating
2,400 calories a day, maybe drop it down to 2,200 calories, stay at that consistently,
and see if we can get some progress there. The last and final way to tell if you're actually
in a calorie deficit, you are appearing leaner. So again, if you've been eating consistently
in a calorie deficit for at least 30 days, 60 days, best case scenario in 90 days,
and you've been strength training and hitting your workouts and hitting your protein goals,
you will start to feel and appear leaner. Meaning the scale, again, might not have shifted. Maybe
it's gone down one or two pounds, but maybe you're starting to see some definition in your arms.
Maybe you're starting to see some definition in your stomach and your oblique muscles,
cuts in your legs, all of these things. If you're starting to see some lines show up in your body,
that is a sign that we are in a calorie deficit and what you're doing is working and keep going.
There you go, guys. Three simple ways you can know if the amount of calories you're eating every day
is actually putting you in a calorie deficit. Again, this is not the be-all and end-all of
fat loss, but it is a major key, and consistency over time is the most important. So if you're
watching this right now and you're in week two of your calorie deficit, please just keep going.
And once you've done it consistently for 30 days, check your progress, check your weight, take your
progress pictures, all of these things, and if you don't see any changes, that's where you can shift
your calories, shift your protein intake. What's most important is you are your own
individual. Do not compare yourself to anyone on the internet, whoever on Instagram is eating
this many calories and they're doing this workout. Instead, worry about yourself,
track your calories, using something like MyFitnessPal. If you've never used MyFitnessPal,
check out this video right here on my channel. I'll link it below. Super easy to break down
how to use MyFitnessPal to properly track your calorie intake and make sure
you are staying consistently in that calorie deficit for 30 days.
Put yourself on a 30 day challenge, gather your data after 30 days. If there's progress, great.
If there's no progress, we drop our calories a bit lower and we keep going. Just make sure
that you do not get frustrated. There's going to be times it gets hard. You're going to get
hungry. You're going to feel tired. You're going to have to push through. But trust me, this is to
get the ball rolling. You do not have to stay in a calorie deficit forever. It's to reach
your weight loss goal. Once you get there, we gradually put you back into maintenance calories,
and hopefully we've found a sustainable lifestyle where you can still enjoy all the foods that you
love, even in a calorie deficit. You can still enjoy all the foods that you love in moderation,
and this is how you not only lose the weight, but you keep it off long-term.
I hope this video was helpful. Again, if you enjoyed this information, give this video a like,
leave me a comment, and let me know your thoughts. Or if you have any questions, I'm happy to help.
And if you're looking for workouts to help you on your weight loss journey, make sure you check out
my four-week lifestyle shift and homework out plans, all body weight, combining all of the
exercise videos already on my YouTube channel here into a four-week calendar that you just follow
along. Less than 30 minutes a day. I'll leave the link below, or you can download that free guide.
I've also got a free calorie deficit guide, again, teaching you what a calorie deficit is and how to
calculate the calorie deficit for you specifically to reach your fat loss goal. I'll link that in
the description below as well. Have a great day, guys, and I'll see you in the next one.