Are you one of the people who have been hoping to lose weight then tried different workout routines from Youtube, purchased different fat burning drinks, starved themselves every single day—yet still having a hard time to achieve that goal? Then it’s about time that you try calorie deficit.

If you have ever tried to lose weight, you’ve likely heard that a calorie deficit is necessary for the process to become effective.

First let us define the sole purpose of calories in our body. First thing you need to know, is that a calorie is actually not a thing—it’s a unit of measurement. A calorie measures the amount of energy from the food and beverages that we consume. We all need this energy to live, stay healthy, and function well. Everything we do relies on the energy that comes in the form of calories.

Yes, our body needs calories for energy. BUT, eating too many calories and not burning enough of them through any activity that we do on a daily basis— can lead to weight gain.

This is why many people who are trying to reach or maintain a healthy weight counts calories and try to decrease caloric intake. And that process is called calorie deficit.

A calorie/caloric deficit is consuming a fewer amount of calories from the food and beverage that you ingest relative to the amount of calories required for maintenance of current body weight.

Calorie deficit is actually more convenient above any other types of diet because you can lose weight without depriving yourself from any food you want to eat. You can achieve a weight loss in doing calorie deficit alone without doing any other work out routines. But imagine if you do—then you can expect a better result.

In order to figure out how many calories you should be consuming in a day, you also need to figure out how many you actually need

In an article written by a health and wellness magazine, SELF, you can start by getting an idea of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

"The basal metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories your body burns at rest,” said Anna Z. Feldman, M.D., an endocrinologist at Joslin Diabetes Center.

"This number of calories is required for involuntary functions such as breathing, regulating body temperature, digesting food, and [keeping] your circulation going. Think of this as the bare minimum number of calories you would need to keep your body alive if you were to stay in bed all day."

You can also go to this website to check how many calories you should be taking just by inputting your age, weight, height, and your daily activity.

Davao Conyo, a social media influencer in the Philippines, also tried calorie deficit:

You should know these things while in a calorie deficit

You can eat anything you want

You have read that right, you can eat your favorite donut, drink that milk tea, and eat rice. You are also allowed to have snack before bedtime. As long as you are tracking your calories and haven’t reached the required amount of your calorie intake in a day, then eat. Weight loss should not be about depriving yourself from things you want, as long as everything is in moderation.

You’re not supposed to lose weight fast

You should know that fat loss is a journey that should not happen in a span of two months. And losing weight too fast may increase the chance of sacrificing your health like muscle loss, lower metabolism, nutrient deficiencies, gallstones and many other risks. Abrupt fat loss also means you are depriving yourself from things that make you happy, and you might just end up affecting your mental health as well—weight loss should not make you feel that way.

You’re not supposed to lose weight every single week

Fat loss is never linear or continuous. So expect that there are times to you put so much work but you won’t lose weight. And it’s okay. Not being able to lose weight every week consistently should not stop you from your goal.

You should not compare your progress to others

People are easily getting demotivated when they start comparing their progress to others. You have to remember that you are your own competition. Some people around you might lose weight faster than you do, but it doesn’t matter.

Stop relying on being motivated

Everybody has been relying to being motivated. And it just mean you are letting yourself be controlled by your emotions. You’re not always motivated to do things, so sometimes you just have to do it regardless of what you are feeling.

Take a break

Working out breaks your body tissues down that causes body sore, and rest days give your muscles, nerves, bones, and connective tissue a time to heal and rebuild. Taking a break is the most important thing that you should not procrastinate about, it is important to keep yourself sane and function well. Do not feel guilty to take at least a two-day rest because you deserve it.

Proper diet and regular exercise really help us to attain a healthy body and lifestyle. And, NOW is the best time to achieve that!