Decoding Calorie Deficit: How Long is Too Long?
For most people, losing weight involves a combination of factors: regular exercise, nutritious eating, proper hydration, stress management, and quality sleep (along with many other factors.) Ultimately, creating a calorie deficit through one or more of these factors is a requirement for weight loss. While many people understand the importance of staying active and balancing their plates with protein, vegetables, carbs, and healthy fats, fewer truly grasp the concept of calorie deficit.
There are many debates about how many calories one should consume in a deficit and how long the body should operate on such a restricted intake.
In this article, we’ll debunk common myths surrounding calorie deficits and guide you toward a sustainable approach that helps you shed a few pounds while staying energized throughout the day.
What Is a Calorie Deficit?
If you’re in a calorie deficit, it means you burn more calories than your body actually receives. Calories that you consume come from food and drinks, but their expenditure is divided into three main components:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): BMR refers to the calories burned to keep you alive, meaning spent on functioning your lungs, heart, brain, etc. Your BMR accounts for approximately 10% of the calories you burn throughout the day.
Thermic effect of food (TEF): The calories your body burns digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing food. Digesting and absorbing the nutrients in your food burns roughly 10% of your total caloric burn throughout the day.
Activity Energy Expenditure (AEE): AEE refers to the calories spent in movements, such as exercising, walking, cleaning around the house, etc. This includes calories you burn through both formal workouts as well as daily movement. AEE accounts for about 80% of the calories you burn throughout the day.
Hence, a calorie deficit occurs when your body burns more calories than you consume on average. You might be wondering the magic question—“How many calories should I consume to create a deficit?” The answer to this question depends on multiple factors for each person. Having said that, we should also consider other factors that affect weight changes, including hormones, stress, health conditions, sleeping habits, and more.
Metabolic Adaptation During Calorie Deficit
Judging from how our body burns calories, to be in a calorie deficit, one should either exercise more or eat less, right? Yes, but there is a catch.
When your body notices it is burning more calories than it is supposed to, it triggers metabolic adaptation. Metabolic adaptation occurs when your body lacks calories for a sustainable amount of time and slows your metabolism down to keep you alive.
However, metabolism adaptation can also happen during muscle loss. When you don’t consume enough calories from protein sources, the first to go is not your belly fat but your muscles. Why should you be concerned? Because the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn, so maintaining good muscle mass is directly linked to your BMR rate. Therefore, try to incorporate a wide variety of protein sources while in a calorie deficit to maintain and preserve lean muscle mass.
❗If you’re looking for the best way to enter a calorie deficit, some people find it beneficial to first go through the maintenance phase.
Maintenance Phase Before Calorie Deficit
Maintenance calories are the ones you consume to stay the same weight, i.e., maintained.
❗To prepare your body for weight loss during a calorie deficit, some people find it helpful to eat at maintenance or even in surplus for about 3 to 5 months. This way, if your body is adapted to your chronic diet, regular eating without any restrictions will help to slightly increase your metabolism.
How Long Can You Stay in a Calorie Deficit?
Being in a calorie deficit isn’t a sustainable, lifelong diet where you consistently eat less to lose weight. Instead, it’s a temporary phase that helps you shed excess weight while maintaining a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Staying in a calorie deficit for too long can lead to negative effects such as decreased energy levels, hormonal imbalances, and loss of muscle mass. Additionally, your body may adapt to the lower calorie intake, slowing your metabolism and making further weight loss even more challenging.
The ideal duration of a calorie deficit depends on individual factors such as starting weight, goals, and overall health. Generally, it is recommended to maintain a deficit for 8–12 weeks before transitioning to a maintenance phase. This allows your body to recover, sustain energy levels, and prevent long-term health issues. Oftentimes, our clients at Strong with Sarah coincide maintenance weeks with fun times throughout life, such as holidays, vacations, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
❗Remember, a calorie deficit should be part of a well-rounded plan that includes balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, and enough rest to support your overall well-being.
How to Calculate Your Calorie Deficit?
Finding the sweet spot when it comes to a calorie deficit is key because consuming too few calories can make you tired and slow your metabolism. On the other hand, creating too small of a calorie deficit might slow the weight loss process or show no results at all.
There is no exact guideline for how much or how little you should eat, but it is recommended that you reduce your food consumption by 300-500 calories per day. This amount is considered safe and will help you lose about 0.5-2 pounds per week.
Note that your individual needs may vary based on age, activity level, and metabolic rate. You can get in touch with Strong with Sarah to evaluate your nutrition needs and the best way to lose weight.
5 Signs Calorie Deficit Is Not Working for You
You may need to end your calorie deficit phase due to health-related issues that can negatively impact your daily life.
❗If you’re experiencing adverse side effects from eating less, it’s important to return to a normal eating pattern and consult your healthcare provider for guidance.
If your body feels depleted, it might indicate that you’ve been on a restrictive diet for too long. Remember, your well-being should always come first—don’t force yourself to continue if it’s no longer working for you. Instead, focus on nourishing your body and exploring other sustainable approaches to your health and fitness goals.
1. Fatigue and Tiredness
Being tired is expected when you’re eating less—however, chronic tiredness and fatigue are red flags that should signal you to end your calorie deficit.
Feeling exhausted every day of the phase will significantly reduce the quality of your life, and shedding a few pounds is not worth it. Instead of eating less for a few months, you could consider shorter periods to avoid overwhelming your system.
2. Mood Swings
Hunger and tiredness might impact how quickly and smoothly your body adapts to a new diet. Hence, you might find yourself more irritable and angrier than before.
Severe mood swings may indicate that your body lacks certain nutrients, and when it happens, it’s best to introduce more calories to feel good again.
3. No Weight Loss Results
A calorie deficit is a phase that challenges your body to adapt to a lower calorie intake while still providing the energy you need to function. Initially, as you remain active and burn calories, your body taps into its “reserve” energy stores, leading to weight loss. However, over time, your body adapts to the reduced calorie intake by slowing down your metabolism—a natural survival mechanism that can slow your weight loss progress.
If you’ve reached a plateau and are no longer losing weight despite staying in a calorie deficit, it may be time to consider a reverse diet.
4, Muscle Loss
Muscle loss can happen when losing weight, especially when you are in a calorie deficit and are not eating enough protein or exercising. As you shed pounds, your body breaks fat stores, including muscles, and uses it to supply you with energy for the day.
However, if you notice a considerable loss of muscle, ending a calorie deficit is a good idea.
5. Menstrual Irregularity
A critical sign that it’s time to reverse your diet is when you start having irregular menstruation or lose your period altogether. This can be a clear indicator that your calorie deficit has deprived your body of essential nutrients needed for optimal functioning, including those required to regulate your hormonal balance.
If this occurs, always prioritize your well-being by increasing your calorie intake and focusing on a nutrient-dense diet. Don’t forget to consult with a healthcare professional who can help you address the issue and restore balance.
Post-Calorie-Deficit Maintenance
Suppose you’ve successfully completed a 3-month calorie deficit and reached your weight loss goal—Wooohoooo! 🥳 What’s next?
Now comes the critical phase: maintenance. Many people struggle with this phase because they are unsure how much to eat and are even afraid of regaining the weight they worked so hard to lose. Plus, most weight loss programs and diets out there don’t teach how to maintain. At Strong with Sarah, we place a huge emphasis on the maintenance phase.
Here is what to do:
Reverse Dieting: After holding yourself back from sweet treats, it’s important not to stuff yourself but prioritize healthy eating. Hence, you should slowly add 50-100 calories per day until you reach your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
Stay Active: Another important point is to maintain the same activity level and continue exercising as you were during a calorie deficit.
Focus on Macronutrients: Balance your diet with enough carbs, healthy fats, and protein to maintain muscle mass.
Mindful Eating: Pay attention to portion sizes and hunger cues. Emotional or mindless eating can quickly undo your progress.
❗The most important thing to remember is that minor fluctuations are absolutely normal as your body goes through another adaptation process. Your goals should be monitoring your progress while practicing reverse dieting and staying active throughout the day.
Wrapping Up
A calorie deficit is a phase that can help you effectively lose weight in a reasonable time frame. However, before drastically cutting the calories from your diet, you might consider eating at maintenance for a few months before actually limiting what you eat.
This is done to prevent your body from rapid adaptation when your metabolism slows down, preserving energy and ensuring proper body functioning.
Post-maintenance is equally important after a calorie deficit so that your body doesn’t gain the weight you’ve been trying to lose.
With the right approach and cues that your body sends you, you can effectively lose weight in on a calorie deficit without sacrificing the quality of your life. Remember, all foods (including chocolate, pizza, and wine) can be enjoyed in moderation while in a moderate calorie deficit.
Reach out to discover personalized strategies that fit your lifestyle and goals, empowering you to feel confident and comfortable in your body.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Depending on your goals and health, you can safely maintain a calorie deficit for 8–12 weeks before transitioning to maintenance.
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A deficit of 300–500 calories per day is generally recommended for sustainable weight loss of 1–2 pounds per week.
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A calorie deficit that’s too large can lead to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and a slowed metabolism. Listen to your body to understand when to reverse your diet.
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Reach out to the Strong with Sarah team! We can customize your calories and macros and help you stay accountable for losing weight while on your journey with us!
