Now that you calculated your BMR and know your TDEE, you can calculate properly the correct amount of calories necessary for weight loss.

Once you know your TDEE the next step is to adjust your calories according to your primary goal. Calorie balance math is simple, to keep your weight at its current level, you should remain at your daily caloric maintenance level.

Losing weight is easy… in theory. A negative caloric balance is essential to lose body fat. If you eat more calories than you expend you will not lose weight and probably gain weight.

You cannot override the laws of thermodynamics and energy balance. You must eat less calories than you expend in order to burn body fat. The deficit of calories will cause your body to use the stored up energy in body fat. There is 3500 calories in one pound of body fat. If you create a deficit of 3500 calories in one week you will lose a pound of body fat. If you create a 7000 calorie deficit in a week you will lose two pounds that week.

Cutting calories too low slows the metabolic rate, but how low is too low? When the metabolic rate goes too low it causes the thyroid to lower its release causing a slowing of the metabolism even more. So what is a good deficit that will not cause a slowing of the metabolism?

The most common guidelines are 1500 calories consumed per day for males and 1200 calories for females is the low end of the scale. You should not go below this calorie level.

Well if this is the low end, where do I start? Start with reducing your calories 15-20% below your TDEE. A larger deficit will be needed later as the diet proceeds.

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