Weight goes down when you spend more than you eat. That is arithmetic, and it works. But people often draw the wrong conclusion from it: the less you eat, the better. In practice, the harsher the restriction, the sooner it ends.
What deficit people usually choose
A common guide is 300–500 kcal a day below what you spend. That gives roughly 0.3–0.5 kg a week: slow on the scale and visible over two or three months. Many find it easier to think in percent: 10–20 % of what you spend.
This is a guide for a healthy adult, not a prescription. In pregnancy, with a chronic illness, on medication, or under 18, the size of a deficit is a conversation with a doctor.
Why “minus a thousand” does not last past a couple of weeks
- Hunger grows faster than weight falls.
- Muscle goes along with fat, especially with little protein and no training.
- Everyday movement drops: you walk less and sit more, and your spending falls by itself.
- The first slip eats a week’s deficit in one evening.
A small deficit that holds for three months beats a large one that holds for ten days.
Signs the deficit is too big
- You think about food all the time.
- You sleep badly or wake up hungry.
- You have noticeably less strength in training than a month ago.
- Irritability, feeling cold, low energy.
- Weight falls faster than 1 % of body weight a week for several weeks in a row.
Any of these is a reason to add 100–200 kcal, not to “push through”.
What keeps you full
- Protein in every meal — it keeps you full the longest.
- Volume: vegetables, soups and grains cooked in water take up room for few calories.
- Liquid calories — juice, sweet coffee, alcohol — do not fill you at all. They are the easiest to drop.
- Rhythm: three or four plain meals are easier to live with than “nothing until the evening”.
Where to get your own spending
Formulas give an approximate number. Looking at yourself is more accurate: if you eat about the same for two or three weeks and the weight line stays flat, that is what you spend. Kalorika works this out from your entries and your weight and shows it in analytics; the weekly review tells you whether the plan matches what is happening.
When you do not need a deficit
Not everyone needs to lose weight, and not all the time. A couple of weeks at maintenance is a normal part of a long road, not a weakness. And if thoughts about food and weight take up too much of your head, it is better to stop and talk to a professional.