Getting Started… How To Set Up Your Calories

You may have heard of the term “calorie deficit” before, but what does it really mean? Being in a calorie deficit means that we are consuming less energy than we are using on a daily basis. So for example, if I was consuming 1600 kcal per day, but expending 2000kcal, then I would be in a deficit of 400kcal per day, which would lead to me losing weight, because my body would use the excess fat I had stored for energy. It really is quite a simple equation when you put it like that. 

So, how then do you start to create that calorie deficit? First up, you need to calculate how many calories you use on a daily basis, to then work out how many you can then consume and be in a deficit. 

The general guide is a deficit of no more than 500 per day (3500 over the course of a week), which will roughly give you a steady 1lb weight loss per week. You can calculate this information using an online TDEE calculator - my favourite to use is https://tdeecalculator.net/ 

Once you’ve worked out your daily calorie goal, then you need to start tracking your calories to keep a count of how many you are consuming. The best way to do this, is by using an app like MyFitnessPal or Fitbit, where most items you can scan the barcode and it will bring up all the nutritional information for you. 

Make sure you track everything that you consume - include your liquid calories and sauces, and sugar that you have in your coffee etc. as they all add up!