It is often recommended in the weight loss process.
Over time, I have often come across people who use caloric deficit as a weight loss technique. But how healthy is this method and how does it work in the fight against extra pounds?
What is a caloric deficit?
It is often recommended to create a calorie deficit in the weight loss process. For example, if a person needs 3,000 calories in a day, consumption should be reduced to 2,500, and thus that caloric deficit of 500 calories is formed.
In 1558, the researcher Max Wishnofsky calculated 450g of fat stored at about 3,500 calories of energy, according to an article published in Today's Dietitian.
Since then, in terms of weight loss, it has been accepted to calculate 450g in 3,500 calories. This means that if you give up 500 calories consumed daily you can lose 450g in a week.
If you choose to consume more calories than your body burns, it is called excess calories. If the excess calories increase over a longer period of time, it can lead to weight gain.
How does caloric deficiency help in the weight loss process?
The National Institute of Health recommends a diet that involves reducing calories among overweight or obese people, but also those who want to lose weight.
Also, the Academy of Nutrition and Diets specifies in a 2016 report that in the weight loss process a caloric deficit of 500-750 calories per day is recommended.
A 2007 study on this subject shows that if you give up 500 calories a day, you manage to lose weight. Moreover, the weight lost depends on the amount of fat a person has.
For example, if an individual has a higher amount of fat, he needs a higher caloric deficit in order to lose weight. Another study published in 2014 in the International Journal of Obesity points out that a deficit of 3,500 calories per week (or a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day) as a general rule can help in the weight loss process.
The reality is that there are many factors that affect weight loss, not just caloric restriction, and among them are metabolic factors.