The most challenging part of any reduction diet is not losing weight but maintaining it for an extended period of time. For that to work, we need to find a diet suitable to our lifestyle that will satisfy us in the long run.

The mathematics behind weight gain is pretty simple, once the amount of energy (calories) consumed through food and drinks is greater than the amount of energy our body burns, weight gain occurs. The excess is stored as fat and can be used when needed.

Evolutionary, this was our great advantage because it meant we could run without food for quite a long time. Still, with food being so available today, it has become our weak spot.

In reverse, if the amount of energy (calories) consumed is lower than the amount of energy our body needs, it will start using that accumulated fat for energy production, and we will start losing weight.

One gram of fat contains roughly 9 calories (kcal), which would mean that 1 kg of fat tissue contains 9000 kcal, but because fat tissue, in addition to fat, has a smaller amount of fluid and protein, the real value is somewhere between 7559 and 8254 kcal.

If we divide that amount by seven days, that means that to lose 1 kg of body fat in a week, we need to reduce our energy intake by a little bit more than 1000 kcal per day.
It is commonly believed that if we continue so each week, we will carry on with losing an additional kilogram of body fat, which is unfortunately not true.

For overweight or obese people looking for moderate weight loss, this might work for a shorter period, but in the long run, it may lead to failure and disappointment.

This theory doesn’t consider our body’s response to the changes in our diet and body composition, which is why this highly adopted and general theory overestimates potential weight loss.

Our body has an intelligent mechanism to accommodate environmental changes called adaptive thermogenesis, also known as starvation mode. Once it detects “less food in the belly”, it will start using that energy more efficiently, meaning it will begin to use fewer calories for the same amount of work.
Also, as we lose weight, we may lose more or less muscle mass, making us burn fewer calories since 1 g protein contains 4 kcal.

Now you are probably asking yourself how to estimate your weight loss rates better and avoid any potential disappointment. But before I tell you how to do that, let’s start with where you are standing right now.

Start by defining your problem

Often when we acknowledge we have some issues with our weight, the faster the better we pick one of the attractive reduction diets without analysing our current eating habits. Once or if we finish it, we fall back into those same habits we’ve learned before and start gaining weight back. Sounds familiar?

The most challenging part of any reduction diet is not losing weight but maintaining it for an extended period of time. For that to work, we need to find a diet suitable to our lifestyle that will satisfy us in the long run.

Most of these reduction diets don’t work because they go for a harsh calorie restriction or clash too much with our eating habits.
The easiest and safest way is to start by analysing your eating habits and start applying small changes. To start, that can be only one change.

You can think about incorporating a daily 30-minute walk, drinking a smoothie instead of a soda drink or eating a piece of fruit instead of a doughnut. This approach will slowly but steadily improve your eating habits and make you manage your weight much better.

Maybe it sounds like a cliché, but weight loss is not a one-week task. You can’t expect to lose weight you’ve accumulated for six months in a few days, at least not the healthy way. It requires work, consistency and motivation for it to be successful.

Keep a food diary

For the next three to five days, eat as you usually would and write down everything you consume, from food to drinks. You have nutritional values of virtually any food one click away through Google search. Try to calculate your caloric intake for at least three days, sum those values up and divide by the number of days to get the average caloric intake. You are searching for an estimate here, so don’t worry if you don’t think it is perfect.

Apart from a rough estimate, this process will make you more aware of your eating habits. Once you do it, you may realise you are drinking more sweetened fruit juices or soda drinks than you were conscious of. You may be concentrating most of your daily caloric intake on a dinner meal or eating many snacks between meals. Once you’ve summed up your thoughts, you can move to the next step I’ve announced before.

Calculate your caloric needs

Once you know how many calories you consume, you want to determine how many calories you would need to consume to lose desired weight in a specific time frame with your level of physical activity.
One of the great tools available on the market is the Body Weight Planner, an incredibly smart, free online programme developed by the National Institutes of Health (US).

First, you will need to fill out your age, gender, weight, height, and physical activity levels. Afterwards, you will specify your desired weight and the time frame in which you would like to reach it. The tool will give you two numbers: the number of calories you should consume to achieve the desired weight in your set time frame and the number of calories that will maintain your desired weight once you reach it.

Now, which time frame should you choose? A healthy and safe weight loss rate is losing 0,5 -1 kg weekly. Losing weight more rapidly than that is considered too fast and might have negative consequences for your health, like muscle loss, gallstones, nutrient deficiencies, etc.
Knowing that can give you a rough estimate of the ideal time frame you want to set for yourself.

Yet, when you are only starting with your reduction plan, you might lose more than 1 kg in the first week, which is perfectly fine. It happens because before your body digs into your fat stores, it starts using the glucose supplies in the form of glycogen. Since glycogen is bound to water, it releases the water it was bound to once it starts breaking down. So, basically, in that very first period, you lose more water than fat. Once your glycogen stores are emptied, your body turns to fat stores, and the weight loss rate stabilises.

Plan your weight loss challenge

Remember, your diet should be fun, colourful and varied. The easiest way to achieve that is by implementing the three main principles of healthy eating. Nobody’s diet is perfect, and not all diets are suited for everyone. There is no one suit for all when it comes to food and eating, but finding what works best for you is the ultimate key.

When it comes to diet

Include all food groups: The main food groups are fruit and vegetables, grains, protein sources, dairy and alternatives and fat sources, and they all play an essential part in our overall health by ensuring various nutrients. Eliminating a particular food group from your diet is not a good long-term option because it raises risks of nutrient deficiencies which can, as a result, negatively affect your health.

Eat enough protein: When you lose weight, you are not only losing fat but also protein and water. One of the challenges when losing weight is to prevent your body from breaking down muscles for energy. One of the ways, apart from physical activity, is to ensure enough protein for that less likely to happen. You can read more about your protein needs in one of my stories.

Drink plenty of water: Drinking the recommended amount of water will help you fill full and help manage the amount of food you eat.
A general recommendation is 2-2,5 L per day.

Pay attention to the portion size: You could be already basing your diet on plenty of nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources and healthy fats and still be gaining weight. Maybe you just have to reduce your portion sizes. You can start by using smaller plates and, when ordering food, transfer it to a plate to be more aware of the quantity of food you are about to eat.

Don’t substitute supplements for food: Dietary supplements should never be a substitute for a balanced diet but potentially an addition. Specific nutrients are always much better absorbed with other nutrients inside the food matrix than when isolated.

Don’t ban certain foods: Banning certain foods can create even more desire for them, which can long-term result in the opposite effect. Always give nutritious foods an advantage but don’t limit yourself to a treat once in a while.

Plan out your meals: Write down your weekly meal plan and create a shopping list that will allow you to have most of your ingredients ready when preparing your meals. This will help you manage your time better and also help keep you more motivated throughout the process.

When it comes to physical activity

As you know by now, we can lose weight by cutting calories or increasing our physical activity. There is no healthy weight loss without incorporating physical activity into your daily routines. Physical activity will help you prevent muscle loss when losing weight while providing so many other health benefits.

When it comes to lifestyle

Quality of sleep and stress levels are rarely mentioned when discussing weight loss. Poor sleep and high-stress levels can negatively affect your hormones and increase your appetite, making your healthy weight-loss journey much harder.


For a certain amount of people, the reality is that sticking to all these rules, tips, or recommendations still makes them unable to lose weight. New research is finding differences in the genetic level that are likely responsible for this to happen. If this sounds familiar, you should discuss it with your health practitioner.
Likewise, suppose you have certain medical conditions that might put you at risk when losing weight. In that case, you should always be monitored by your health practitioner, dietitian or nutritionist.

I hope this article helps you understand the weight loss journey and see how taking small steps is a much better option for your health and well-being than going to extremes occasionally.
If you have any questions or what to learn more about some of the topics I’ve mentioned, feel free to write to me in the comment section below. I will happily get back to you.