Keeping Fit: Make your calorie deficit easier to manage

Published 7:00 am Friday, February 7, 2025

Have you ever been on social media or seen online commercials where people debate which diet is better for fat loss?  “I did Keto and lost 15 lbs.!” one might say. Another might declare, “I did a liquid-only diet and lost 10 lbs.!” or, “I cut out bread and sugar and lost 20 lbs.!” No wonder people spend more time figuring out what diet protocol is “best” for fat loss. According to Harvard Health Publishing, more than a third of Americans are on a specific diet, with weight loss as a leading reason. But the truth is, any diet protocol can work, as long as it does one fundamental thing: get you into a calorie deficit. That is, simply consuming and absorbing fewer calories consistently than what your body is burning.  This is how weight loss is achieved. Once you understand this fundamental principle, fat loss becomes much simpler to grasp and you won’t be as prone to fall for the newest fad diet. The problem is, sticking to a calorie deficit can be challenging. Luckily, there are several strategies to make it easier and more sustainable. Keep reading on how to make this process easier to stick for you. 

1. Don’t drink your calories 

Liquid calories can be very sneaky. One of the simplest switches you can make is to drink only zero to low-calorie beverages like water, sparkling water, or coffee (black or with a splash of cream).  Specialty Starbucks drinks, sodas, juices, or alcohol are full of easily absorbed calories without much nutritional value. I am not saying you can’t consume calories through your drinks, but you will need to be very mindful to control it. This is especially true if your calorie needs are only around 1500-1800 a-day. If you have a drink that is 400-600 calories that is going to be a good portion of your days intake, and you haven’t even eaten any food yet!

Getting those calories as food instead is much more satiating and sustainable.

2. Eat more high-volume foods

High-volume foods are often low in caloric density, meaning they provide a lot of food weight or bulk for relatively few calories. For example, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans or lentils, and whole grains (that haven’t been processed to flour) are great high volume foods with usually less than a you’re eating a ton. Low-volume foods are those that have a high-calorie amount for a small amount of food. For example, think about how just two Oreos (29g rams) contain 140 calories.  That’s almost five calories per gram of cookie! Five times more than your typical whole (high volume) food! Just to make the point, it would take one pound of watermelon to reach that same 140 calories!  Which one do you think will fill up your stomach?

3. Keep meals simple 

One of the biggest mistakes people make during their fat loss journey is trying to incorporate a bunch of new menus and meal plans into their schedule. I know how fun it can be to come up with new dishes to give you variety, but that can be exhausting to keep up with on a day-to-day basis. Better to just find just one recipe you like that meets your calorie goals and keeps you satisfied and add it to your menu every other day for a week. During the week, locate a second recipe (think simple) and consume that on three alternate days. Repeat this process for three more weeks and you’ll have a great menu of foods you can choose from—and you don’t have to dive right into a “diet”. You will have created your own!

4. Incorporate protein and fiber at each meal

Protein and fiber take the longest of the three macronutrients in the body to break down (protein, fats, and carbs), which means they are the slowest to digest and will keep you feeling full for the longest time after consuming. 15-20 grams of protein and at least 10 grams of fiber per meal (if eating three times a day) is what you should shoot for if weight loss is the goal.

Fortunately many whole foods, like beans, lentils, greens, etc. are good protein and fiber foods. Getting them into most meals will help you a lot.

5. Increase daily steps

Walking is the most underrated form of exercise, not only for weight loss but for your health in general. If you look at how calories are burned each day, only about 5% are from workouts.

Three times more comes from non-formal daily activities like standing, fidgeting, doing household chores or walking. Taking more walks throughout the day will make being and staying in a calorie deficit easier, without having to over-restrict your diet or go overkill trying to burn as many calories as you can in the gym. If weight loss is your goal I suggest getting your daily step count up to 10,000 steps-a-day or more.

Final thoughts 

There you have it. You don’t need to nail down all of these, but the next time you are in a calorie deficit start to practice these and watch your adherence and progress skyrocket! If you need more structure and accountability with your training, or guidance with your calorie/macronutrient numbers, contact any personal trainer at the Bradley Wellness Center. We will be glad to help you! 

Aaron Mendez is a fitness consultant at Bradley Wellness Center.