Amy watched as her family dug into their hamburgers. Her stomach twisted with hunger as she looked down at the colorless salad topped with a sliver of fish.
She knew this meal wouldn’t stave off her hunger for long, but she’d set goals and she wasn’t one to quit! Her health depended on it, plus, she was tired of feeling self-conscious about her weight. So far, cutting her calories down to 1200 was working! Sticking with skimpy meals was the only path to weight loss…right?
We’ve all been there — cutting calories was the weight loss anthem for decades. The advice was concise: Calories in, calories out, end of story.
Today, we know a lot more about how our bodies work and why continuously cutting calories is actually harming your weight loss efforts! That’s good news, because cutting calories for the rest of your life sounds miserable. Here are the answers to your calorie-counting questions, and a clue about when to quit.
Do You Have to Cut Calories to Lose Weight?
For most people in the U.S., cutting calories is necessary for weight loss. In our culture, we eat far too much of the wrong things. My clients are shocked when I tell them that calorie deficit and protein optimization matter much more than low-carb and low-fat for weight loss!
Here’s why calories matter: The calories we eat are either converted to physical energy or stored in our bodies as fat. Eating fewer calories than your body burns forces your body to take energy from your fat stores.
But is it really as simple as calories in, calories out? If so, how do we explain things like our metabolisms, weight loss plateaus, and stubborn belly fat? Let’s look at what happens when we take calorie-cutting too far.
How Many Months Can You Stay In a Caloric Deficit?
Did you know there’s a limit to how long you should stay in a caloric deficit? Pushing this limit can harm your health and make weight loss a lot harder!
Being in a caloric deficit should be temporary. In general, a deficit should range between 8 and 16 weeks.
The exact number, however, varies from person to person. Your dieting history, relationship with food, personal goals, and rate of progress will help you determine when you need to take a break from cutting calories.
Let’s look at two different examples:
How Long Should Stephanie Cut Calories?
Stephanie was 100 pounds overweight. She found a lifestyle of tracking macros and intermittent fasting that led to success! She dropped the excess 100 pounds and was feeling so much healthier!
One year later, she noticed that 15 pounds had crept back on. Vacations, evenings out, and less tracking led to some weight regain.
Stephanie wasn’t worried. She had the tools she needed to tighten up her lifestyle and take control of her weight. For the following four months, she lived in a caloric deficit and tracked her macros. She paid extra attention to what she ate and how she lived.
Because Stephanie has practiced her weight loss strategies for many months in the past, she can comfortably stick with them and stay in a caloric deficit for a longer period (4 months).
How Long Should Heather Cut Calories?
Stephanie’s friend, Heather, was at the beginning of her weight loss journey. She had 50 pounds to lose and had never found a diet that she could stick with.
Stephanie told Heather about what strategies worked for her, so they started tracking their macros and intermittent fasting together.
Unlike Stephanie, Heather only planned to live in a caloric deficit for 8 weeks at a time. Then, she’d take 4 weeks to reverse her diet (I’ll teach you exactly how to try Reverse Dieting here) before cutting her calories back down for another 8 weeks.
What Happens If You Cut Calories For Too Long?
Chronically cutting your calories can lead to malnutrition. None of us want to harm our health while we lose weight, but even weight loss can stall if we cut calories too hard for too long.
Pushing our calorie deficit too far will stall your weight loss progress in three ways:
- Slowing your metabolism: Initially, a caloric deficit is key, but when we live in a caloric deficit for too long, it resets our metabolism at a much lower rate. This means you’ll start burning far fewer calories each day.
- Skimping on protein: Typically, when we’re living in a caloric deficit, we’re under consuming the most important macronutrient for weight loss: protein.
- Promoting binges: Undereating isn’t natural. When we cut calories, we’re trying to undo our previous lifestyle of overeating. Because our bodies are uncomfortable during a diet, chronic undereating typically leads to episodes of binging.
Redefine “Caloric Deficit”
The 1200-calorie diet isn’t a new, trendy weight loss scheme. This plan was created in the 1800s by European scientists who claimed that the calories we eat should precisely match the calories we burn.
That kind of weight loss logic has been debunked. Calories matter, but many other factors influence weight loss, including hormones, our age, how we process food, blood sugar levels, body composition, and the ingredients we’re consuming.
The 1200-calorie diet appeared in one of the first modern diet books ever released. It’s about time we update our weight loss strategies.
When I’m in a season of leaning out and cutting calories, my goal is to eat 1600 calories each day while consuming 120 grams of protein.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite recipes on repeat while in a caloric-deficit:
- High-protein yogurt and fruit
- Egg McMuffin dupe (378 calories, 30 grams of protein)
- Fish and high-protein jalapeno cole slaw
- Southwestern Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad with Veggies
- Steak, Broccoli, and Alfredo Pasta
- Rotisserie Chicken Meals
Find out exactly how many calories and macronutrients you should consume each day for long-term weight loss with this guide!
Ready to Lose Weight the Healthy Way?
If weight loss still feels like a mystery to you, I’ll come alongside you and help you repair your metabolism, optimize protein for weight loss, and teach you how to build a healthy lifestyle.
During my 7-week health and fitness program, you’ll lose excess body fat, tone those muscles, feel more energized, and set habits that will last! Learn how to exercise and fuel your body the right way with LEAN!
For more practical tips and tricks on health and weight loss, sign up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive one or two emails a week packed with my favorite healthy recipes, personal workouts, and special promotions. Sign up today!
