Not Losing Weight? Let's Get Calorie Clarity!

Understanding Body Fat Loss

Losing body fat is simpler than it appears, with the key being a consistent calorie deficit. This requires burning more calories than you consume. To efficiently use body fat for energy, it's essential to balance the calories consumed with those burned.

Focus on Your Diet

Your diet plays a crucial role in achieving this balance. While exercise can help create a calorie deficit, relying solely on physical activity can be challenging for many people. Most of us have busy schedules that make it tough to find enough time for regular workouts that would lead to significant weight loss.

🔥 Aggressive Deficit (~30-40% below maintenance)

• Deficit: 600-1000+ kcal/day

• Weight Loss Rate: ~1.5-2+ lbs per week

• Best For: Short-term, rapid fat loss phases (2-6 weeks max)

• Risks: Increased muscle loss, hormonal disruption, extreme hunger, metabolic slowdown, fatigue, and high stress on the body

• Who Should Avoid It: Those trying to build muscle, people with a history of disordered eating, and individuals under high stress
  

⚖️ Moderate Deficit (~20-25% below maintenance)

• Deficit: 300-500 kcal/day

• Weight Loss Rate: ~0.5-1 lb per week

• Best For: Sustainable fat loss over weeks or months

• Pros: Preserves muscle better, more energy for workouts, and less metabolic adaptation compared to aggressive deficits

• Cons: Slower progress, requires patience and consistency
  

🍃 Slight Deficit (~10-15% below maintenance)

• Deficit: 150-250 kcal/day

• Weight Loss Rate: ~0.25-0.5 lbs per week

• Best For: Long-term, minimal-stress fat loss or body recomposition (simultaneous fat loss + muscle gain)

• Pros: Easiest to sustain, minimal hunger, preserves performance

• Cons: Very slow weight change, requires high adherence and patience
  

For muscle retention and minimal metabolic impact, the moderate to slight deficit is usually best.

How do we know it comes down to calories in, calories out? Carbons!

Carbon is the structural backbone of all macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—which means that body fat can only be synthesized from excess carbon-containing compounds-- too many calories from the food you're eating.

Fat tissue (adipose tissue) is made up primarily of triglycerides, which consist of a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid chains. These fatty acids are long chains of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms.

1. Fat Storage Requires Carbon-Based Molecules

• Fatty acids are composed of carbon chains, so the body must obtain carbon atoms from the food it consumes.

• Whether you eat carbohydrates, proteins, or dietary fats, all macronutrients contain carbon atoms, which can be used to synthesize body fat if consumed in excess.

2. Carbohydrates and Protein Must Convert to Fat via Carbon-Based Pathways

• Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆). When energy needs are met, excess glucose can be converted into acetyl-CoA (a 2-carbon molecule), which then enters de novo lipogenesis (DNL) to synthesize fatty acids.

• Proteins are broken down into amino acids, which contain carbon. Excess amino acids (beyond what is needed for repair and energy) are converted into glucose or acetyl-CoA, which can also contribute to fat synthesis.

3. Fats Are Already in the Correct Form for Storage

• Dietary fats (triglycerides) can be absorbed and stored with minimal modification, but they are still carbon-based molecules.

• Even if dietary fat is stored more efficiently than carbs or protein, its composition remains dependent on carbon structures.

4. Carbon Is the Key Element in Energy Storage

• The body's primary long-term energy reserves (glycogen and fat) are carbon-based molecules.

• ATP, the body’s energy currency, is generated from oxidizing carbon bonds, whether from carbs, fats, or protein-derived carbon skeletons.

5. No Carbon, No Fat

• Since fat molecules must contain carbon, they cannot be created from non-carbon sources.

• Even water (H₂O) and oxygen (O₂), which are crucial for metabolism, do not contribute to fat formation because they lack carbon.

One of my best tips for making sure you're eating fewer calories than you burn is to weigh your food. By doing this, you know exactly what you're eating. You can use apps like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, or LoseIt to help keep track of your meals. Weigh your food in grams and try to use simple single-ingredient items to build your meals. This approach will not only help you be precise about how many calories you’re consuming but also give you insight into what types of nutrients (macros) your food contains.

We categorize foods based on the nutrient that they have the most of. For example, let’s look at peanut butter!

For 2 tablespoons (32g) of natural peanut butter, here’s the breakdown:

- Fats: ~16g

- Protein: ~8g

- Carbs: ~6g

Peanut butter is mainly a fat source, with some protein and carbohydrates, so we classify it as a fat.

Now, let’s consider salmon:

For 4 ounces (113g) of cooked salmon (Atlantic, farmed), here’s the breakdown:

- Fats: ~10g

- Protein: ~25g

- Carbs: 0g

Salmon is mostly a protein, with some fat, so we count it as a protein source!

When my clients aren’t losing weight, even though they say they’re eating fewer calories, we take another look at how they're measuring their food and what kinds of food they’re eating. There are many factors that can affect the scale, but real fat loss happens when you consistently eat fewer calories than you burn!