Can you actually lose weight by only being in a calorie deficit

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donna8558

New member
I (F28) just started a health journey at the beginning of the year. Not as a New Year’s resolution but because I’m having sleep apnea episodes and I was told losing weight can help that significantly and also, I’d love to be here for a long time with my son. So I’m really doing well. I’m surprised at how well I’m sticking to calorie counting. With no exercise, my goal (according to the calorie calculator) is to be under 1507 a day to lose 2 pounds a week. I haven’t weighed at all since starting besides the initial weigh in because last time I did that, I was too anxious and it caused me to go off the rails when I didn’t see the scale change fast enough. So this time I’m focusing more on staying in a calorie deficit along with eating healthier foods and making better decisions overall.

The kickback, I’m not exercising. I have a home gym and last time I worked out, I did so much strength training that the scale wasn’t moving because I was gaining muscle as I lost weight (I didn’t think of this at the time and gave up on the weight loss when I wasn’t seeing the scale lower at the speed I wanted). But this time around, I’m working full time and I don’t have any time to get outside for walks or anything while it’s still daylight so I’m getting very little cardio in a day. I’m going off the calorie goal though that was given when I put no exercise.

So I guess my question is, can I actually lose weight if I just focus solely on being in a calorie deficit? I’ve read some stories of people supposedly doing everything right and not losing weight and now I’m kind of anxious and scared that I won’t lose weight and I’m doing this for nothing.

TIA!
 
@dawn16 That’s what I thought but I read stories of people swearing they would be in calorie deficits and eating the right foods and just not losing and it kind of scared me
 
@donna8558 People are notoriously bad at tracking calories and sticking to their calorie goals.

People who say they ate X amount of calories (usually a dumb number like 1200 or 1000) and didn't lose any weight are lying to themselves and to you. The weren't in a calorie deficit and NO ONE is an exception to the rule.

Those people all want to be the exception. To physics. No one is an exception to physics.
 
@emperorsolo Some of these people think they’re in a caloric deficit because they don’t eat all day, BUT they drink 1,000 calories of sugary drinks and don’t count them, and then they eat 2,000 calories of junk shit food right before bed.

A 20 minute low intensity circuit 3 times a week isn’t going to cut it.
 
@emperorsolo I had a friend at work that just used his apple watch and would turn to me and say I burned x amount of calories walking so I had a basket of fried chicken fingers and french fries. I tried telling him over and over that wasn’t accurate enough or going to work, but I would trip a security bubble in his instincts and cause him to start going in a loop.
 
@donna8558 Most people over estimate the amount of calories they are burning, and under estimate the amount of calories they are eating.

The absolute only way to lose weight is being in a calorie deficit. In fact, I think the best process for people is:
1) focus on diet for 2 months, and don’t exercise. Clean up everything and be in a deficit.
2) after 2 months introduce small amount of exercise. 3x week at gym, zone 2 training for cardio and light weights with full body exercise. Focus on making it a regular part of your lifestyle but not over doing anything.
3) start ramping up volume, weight and intensity after 4 months of exercise.
4) make sure you’re taking in the right foods/macros to support that ramp up.

I find that when people are starting out they get so hyped up and focused they will shock their body too hard. by being in a calorie deficit while suddenly working out like crazy. That’s the easiest way to get overwhelmed and quit, or worse injured.

It’s a marathon not a sprint. And the scale doesn’t tell the whole story either
 
@donna8558 They're delusional. Don't listen to them. Not tracking properly or have an outlier medical condition.

120 lbs lost only from calorie deficit. No exercise. I'm healthy BMI now.

Btw, weigh yourself every 2-3 weeks. Weighing yourself everyday is pointless because of water, food on stomach, and feces. You could have been losing just fine but got demotivated because of fluctuations from water, food, feces, but you didn't realize that was causing the fluctuations in the first place.

So, anyway, keep tracking everyday. Use the food scale. It takes time. Just track every meal, input it into your log, then forget about it. Days will go by faster that way. And ofc remember to recalculate TDEE or RMR. As you lose weight, your maintenance changes. Gl
 
@donna8558 Weigh yourself at least once weekly so you have a benchmark on the same day at the same time (i do saturday mornings after i've got up and been to the loo).

If you aren't seeing a downward trend then its not working and you need to know this so you can adjust.

incorporate easy cardio into your daily routine, e.g.
  • park the car at the furthest point in the car park at the supermarket / workplace
  • go for a walk on your lunchbreak
  • take the stairs instead of the elevator
  • do squats whilst brushing your teeth
It all adds up.
 
@donna8558 Yes. Losing weight is fundamentally about energy balance and it sounds like you are doing it right by getting mostly nutritious food.

If you’re using something like MyFitnessPal to track, check the food labels to make sure they match the entries in the app - the app is sometimes shockingly wrong. Also don’t use the calorie recommendation from the app, use an online calculator like https://tdeecalculator.net

Don’t focus on the weight on the scale although this is a good indicator - remember that body weight fluctuates day to day (even more so for women) and it should be the overall direction of weight measurements and not just a one off weight measurement.

I always look at it like:
Diet is for weight management
Weight lifting for muscle mass and is linked to so much better health outcomes in older age
Cardio for heart health

Get some exercise when you can. Don’t beat yourself if you go over calories in a single day, just get back to it the next day, overall consistency is key
 
@jonathan98 I’m actually not using an app to track calories. I’m doing it manually. I’m going off the food label and calculating it and the protein myself. I find that it keeps me more accountable if I have to put in the work myself. I’m taking little steps so that I can form habits rather than just diet such as ordering fruit instead of fries, salads instead of starchy sides. Fruit instead of chips. Thinks like that. I’m also not drinking any calories other than preworkout and my greens. I only drink water and one soda zero a day. I’m just hoping I’m doing this right because I would really love to be healthy
 
@donna8558 It sounds like you’re taking a good, sensible approach.
Don’t go down rabbit holes of all the different diets like keto and carnivore etc. it can be overwhelming, the best diet is one that you can stick to, enjoy and can change depending on where you are in life and what is happening and is full of nutritious food.
Once you’ve tracked for a while you may find you don’t need to anymore with better awareness of what you’re eating and consistency, but if you enjoy it and it helps keep you accountable it’s great. I go through phases of tracking just as a way of checking in on myself.
Consistency, and honesty to yourself, are key and good luck 👍
 
@donna8558 Yes, calorie deficit is the only way.

When you were lifting and not losing weight, you weren't in a deficit. But I would highly encourage you to start lifting again now you have your calories figured out. High protein + resistance training while in a deficit at minimum helps you retain muscle mass. Beginners may also gain some muscle as well. But your overall weight will still go down if you are in a deficit. Losing weight without some resistance training will have you lose fat and lose some muscle mass. But you don't need to kill yourself in the gym. 3x a week full body workouts for about 45 mins to an hour will be plenty for maintaining muscle and even possibly a bit of growth. Cardio does not count as resistance training.

I would encourage you to get on the scale to watch your weight to make sure your calories are at a good spot. But absolutely do not get caught up on the number. I weigh daily year round (personal preference/habit) and I've lost weight quite a few times (I bulk/cut each year). My last cut, I had my weight stay the same all week. Frustrating as hell, but I knew my calories were on point. Then finally one day I had a massive drop of like 2lbs in a day and maintained that and the scale started inching down like normal. If you were to weigh daily and chart your weights, your graph should look like the stock market graph. Wiggling up and down little bits. But with a clear trend in one direction. Also, as a woman, be aware of your cycle. I personally gain around 2lbs right before my period, maintain that weight while I'm bleeding, but then when I finish, my body just clears it all out and I get a good drop in weight. During my cut, if I can maintain weight before my period, I consider that progress, because still get that weight drop off afterwards.

And my last tip.... Use this time to work on building better habits and teaching yourself about food. Try and guess the calories before you weigh something so you can start honing in that skill for after you've hit your goal weight. Also, start building habits around your eating that won't change one you lose the weight. If you go back to old eating habits, you'll likely go back to your old weight! So figure out foods you enjoy and that are healthy while fitting your calorie goals. Cus the calories you're eating now will likely be what you gotta eat to later maintain weight (assuming you don't increase your activity). But since there will be less of you to fuel, it should feel like an appropriate amount of food
 
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