By: Chris Gates

If you can get yourself in a calorie deficit consistently, you’ll lose body fat.

It’s as simple as that.

But that’s not to say being in a calorie deficit consistently is “easy.”

In fact, it’s not.

It’s a challenge.

And there’s a lot that goes into making this happen.

1. First, you need to know how to put together a diet plan that gets you in a calorie deficit. This probably means you spend some time tracking your nutrition and learning what your average calorie intake looks like.
2. Second, you probably need to make at least a few adjustments to what you eat — either by eating less food, or substituting in some more nutrient-dense options.
3. Third, you should probably be exercising regularly. And for many people, this isn’t easy.
4. And fourth, you need to do all of this stuff consistently for a long period of time. Trust me, this one is the biggest struggle. Most people want results, and they want them NOW.

So you can probably tell that there’s some work involved to be in a calorie deficit and lose weight, but that’s not to say you can’t make it easier.

You absolutely can, and in this article I’m going to break down exactly how to make a calorie deficit easier!

Let’s start by outlining some basic information you need to know about being in a calorie deficit, and then we can move on to five specific tips that will make this entire process as easy as possible.

Why a Calorie Deficit Matters

I mentioned this at the start of the article, but it bears repeating…

A calorie deficit is how you lose body fat. It’s quite literally the one and only way to do it.

If you’ve ever lost weight before, it’s because you were in a calorie deficit. I don’t care what your fad diet plan says, or what your “metabolic shock” workout plan says.

So if you’re wondering why a calorie deficit matters… That’s it. It matters a whole hell of a lot!

For a calorie deficit, we’re talking about energy balance. A calorie is a unit of energy, so the food you eat is calories coming into your body. You need your calories coming in to be less than the calories you burn every day.

And no, this doesn’t mean you should try to burn as many calories as possible.

In this article, we’re going to talk about how to make a calorie deficit easier, but there are some other resources that are probably worth your time if you’re serious about losing weight.

• For starters, you should understand how to know you’re in a calorie deficit. There are a few things you can track that will help you know.
• In order to get in a calorie deficit, I recommend tracking nutrition. It’s the single most efficient way to learn about your diet and discover the slight adjustments you can make to start making progress. And I promise it’s way easier than you think.
• But if you’re dead set against tracking your nutrition, there are still some tips you can use to structure your diet for weight loss. I have an article that will teach you how to know you’re in a calorie deficit without counting calories.

Give those resources a read. The more you learn about calorie deficits, the more success you’ll have and the more progress you’ll make!

And with that, let’s dive into five tips on how to make a calorie deficit easier!

How to Make A Calorie Deficit Easier

Now that you and I are on the same page about how a calorie deficit works, and why it’s so important, let’s talk about how to make a calorie deficit easier.

You can’t “hack” your diet. There’s no magic pill or potion you can buy that will do this stuff for you.

But you can be strategic and intentional with your diet to make your weight loss journey as effective and easy as possible.

Tip No. 1: Prioritize High-Volume Foods

High-volume foods are probably the most effective tool for your diet when trying to make a calorie deficit easier.

And it’s for a pretty simple reason…

They’ll fill you up and keep you full for hours on a very low amount of calories.

Here are some examples of high-volume foods:

• Large salads (with low- or zero-calorie dressing)
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Watermelon
• Lean meats (chicken, turkey, fish)
• Oats
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt

The list goes on and on, but you get the picture.

And what do all of these foods have in common? For the most part, they’re either high in protein, high in fiber, or both!

And research is pretty clear that foods high in fiber and/or protein will help you feel full for longer after your meals. And the fuller you feel, the more satisfied you’ll be, and the more consistent you’ll be able to stay in your calorie deficit.

High-volume foods take a lot of the pain and suffering out of dieting. They eliminate a lot of the cravings that occur when you’re in a calorie deficit, because if you’re feeling full and satisfied there’s less chance of craving something salty or sweet!

Tip No. 2: Let Yourself Indulge Occasionally

This may seem to go against everything I just explained about high-volume foods, but hear me out…

It’s healthy to have some of those foods that you love on a regular basis — even if they aren’t what you’d consider to be “healthy.”

If there’s a salty or sweet treat you like to have at night, or you want a cookie, cake, or something else that always hits the spot, you should be able to eat it. You should allow yourself that type of flexibility.

Because the more you’re able to incorporate foods you love into your calorie deficit, the more you’ll enjoy it. And if you enjoy it, you’ll be consistent with it.

And as you probably know by now… The more consistent you are with your calorie deficit over a long period of time, the more progress you’ll be able to make.

Losing weight isn’t about finding a quick fix that gets you results you can’t sustain. It’s about navigating your way to a new diet plan that you enjoy so that you’re able to make progress and sustain it long term.

It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll eliminate all of the treats you love forever. So don’t go into your calorie deficit with that mindset.

Go into your diet expecting to have some of those foods you love in moderation, and this next tip can be really helpful to make this all work…

Tip No. 3: Try Calorie Cycling

Calorie cycling is a diet strategy that allows you to view your calorie deficit across a seven-day week, as opposed to being in a calorie deficit every single day.

You don’t have to be in a calorie deficit every single day to make progress. This is an important concept to understand.

Let me explain by giving you an example…

Say you need to eat 2,000 calories or less a day to be in a calorie deficit. If you spread that across the entire week, it means you need to eat 14,000 calories or less Monday-Sunday to be in a calorie deficit for the week.

Whichever way you slice it, if you’re eating at or below those thresholds, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

So if you’d like to have a couple days a week (typically the weekend) where you have added flexibility to eat the foods you love, you could very simply reduce your calorie deficit during the week and reallocate those calories to Saturday and Sunday.

Let me show you:

• Monday: 1,800 calories
• Tuesday: 1,800 calories
• Wednesday: 1,800 calories
• Thursday: 1,800 calories
• Friday: 1,800 calories
• Saturday: 2,300 calories
• Sunday: 2,300 calories

If you tally those calories up, you get to 14,000 by the end of the week. But you’re getting some additional flexibility on the weekend to enjoy perhaps a meal out to dinner, or a couple of drinks, and have less stress and worry about eating/drinking your way out of a calorie deficit.

You can structure this any number of ways, based on each week or how your lifestyle tends to play out.

This is one of the most effective strategies to stay in a calorie deficit and also enjoy yourself while losing weight.

Tip No. 4: Exercise Regularly

Now, let’s move on to some non-nutrition related tips, and we can start with the simple concept of exercising regularly.

To be clear, you’re NOT exercising solely for the purpose of burning calories. I provided a link at the top of this article that explains why, so if you’re confused or you disagree I want you to read that article.

You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. It will never work for longer than a week or two, and that’s not nearly long enough to make meaningful, lasting change.

But exercising regularly does have some distinct advantages when you’re trying to get in a calorie deficit.

Yes, it will cause you to burn some calories. And those calories burned will allow you to make more progress with weight loss while eating a little bit more.

But exercising will also help you to improve your:

• Heart health
• Joint health
• Mobility
• Stability
• Endurance
• Strength
• Sleep

The list goes on and on, but when you sum all of those things up for weight loss, here’s what I see…

You’re going to set yourself up for success.

Better overall health is going to help you feel fresh, recovered, energized, and ready to attack each day head on.

When you’re feeling good, you’re more likely to be motivated to pursue the weight loss goals you have and structure your day and your diet in a way that promotes being in a calorie deficit.

That REALLY matters.

A lot.

Tip No. 5: Drink More Water

Let’s be honest… You’re probably not drinking enough water.

And it just to happens that water can be a really effective tool for being in a calorie deficit.

Some research shows that drinking water prior to eating a meal reduces the amount of calories eaten in that meal. And if you follow the meal up with additional water consumption, you’re going to help yourself feel full for a while after eating.

Now, let me be clear…

I’m not telling you to make yourself sick by chugging water uncontrollably.

That’s crazy.

Instead, drink a tall glass of water before and after each meal. It will help you feel a little bit fuller for a little bit longer, and if you combine this with the other tips we just talked about, you’re going to make your calorie deficit as easy at it can be.

And don’t stop there. Because, well, you know…

Water is really good for you.

You can drink it throughout the day, too 🙂

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I hope this helps! If you’re interested in getting personalized coaching to burn fat, build more muscle, feel more confident, and love the way you look, check out my coaching page! I work with clients all over the world and would love to be your coach! If you’re interested, submit a coaching application form and I’ll reach out to you so we can talk more about your goals.

Thanks for reading!

~ Chris