In the first post of this series, we talked about healthy eating—not strict rules, but real, balanced habits that support your body.
Now, it’s time to zoom out and look at the bigger picture, because no matter how nutritious your meals are, weight loss still comes down to one key principle: creating a consistent calorie deficit.
In this post, we’ll break down what that actually means.
This post will walk you through the core principles behind weight loss and help you understand how weight loss works. Think of this as your starting point. I’ll guide you through the next steps and deeper concepts in future posts.
Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss
First, a quick note: throughout this post, you’ll see me use the term “weight loss”—because that’s the term most people use when starting their journey. But what we’re really aiming for is fat loss.
You want to lose excess body fat, not muscle or water. Why? Because preserving lean muscle helps keep your metabolism healthy and supports long-term results.
Your total body weight includes several things: fat, muscle, water, bone, organs, and even the contents of your stomach and bladder. That’s why the number on the scale can fluctuate daily—it doesn’t always reflect actual fat loss.
When weight loss happens too fast—especially through extreme dieting—you often lose a mix of fat, water, and muscle. That’s why slower, steady progress is usually the most sustainable and effective.
Weight Loss Starts with Energy Balance
At its core, weight loss comes down to something called energy balance (also known as the calorie equation).
Put simply:
- If you eat more calories than your body uses, you gain weight. This is called a caloric surplus.
- If you eat fewer calories than your body uses, you lose weight. This is called a ‘calorie deficit’. (Remember this term because you’ll see it a lot in this series of posts.)
- If you eat the same number of calories your body uses, your weight stays the same.
Every weight loss strategy out there—whether it’s low-carb, intermittent fasting, clean eating, or any other trend—ultimately relies on creating a calorie deficit.
The method may vary, but the principle doesn’t.
That said, how you create that deficit matters. Some methods are overly restrictive, difficult to keep up with, and can create an unhealthy relationship with food. Others are more balanced, flexible, and built to support your long-term health and well-being.
But wait—what is a calorie, exactly?
A calorie is simply a unit of energy. It tells you how much energy you get from the food and drinks you consume.
Your body uses calories to power everything—from keeping your heart beating and your brain working, to walking, digesting, and even sleeping.
In other words, calories aren’t the enemy—they’re your body’s fuel.
Calories In: The Energy You Eat
“Calories in” refers to the energy you get from everything you eat and drink (except water).
All foods contain calories, and those calories come from macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Alcohol also provides calories, even though it’s not a nutrient your body needs.
Here’s how many calories are in each:
- Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
- Protein: 4 calories per gram
- Fat: 9 calories per gram
- Alcohol: 7 calories per gram
Most foods contain a mix of these macronutrients. For example, a slice of pizza might contain carbs from the crust, fat from the cheese, and protein from the toppings. All of those contribute to the calorie total.
This is why even “low-fat” or “high-protein” foods can still be high in calories.
The goal isn’t to obsess over every morsel of food you eat, but to understand where your energy is coming from and how to use that understanding to build meals that support your body and your goals.
However, not all foods impact your body the same way. Two meals with the same number of calories can affect your body in very different ways depending on their nutrient make-up.
Eating for Energy and Health
Some foods keep you full longer and nourish your body more effectively. Others might taste great in the moment, but leave you feeling hungry and sluggish soon after.
To support your body function at its best, try to eat balanced meals based around:
- 🍎 Fruits and vegetables
- 🍗 High-quality proteins
- 🥑 Healthier fats
- 🍞 Whole grains
On top of being rich in macronutrients, these foods are packed with essential vitamins and minerals (so we call them nutrient-dense). They can help you stay fuller for longer, keep your energy steady throughout the day, and make it easier to manage your hunger and cravings.
They help your body feel good, stay active, and recover well.
On the flip side, energy-dense foods like chips, pastries, sugary drinks, and fast food often pack a lot of calories into small portions. Plus, they’re often low in important nutrients like fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals.
They’re also highly palatable, meaning they taste really good and are easy to overeat. And because they don’t keep you full for long, it’s easy to feel hungry again soon after. This combo can quietly lead to a calorie surplus, especially when these foods show up often.
That said, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a slice of pizza once in a while, as long as you don’t go overboard. If you eat them too often, or too much, they can quickly push you into a calorie surplus.
A balanced diet includes a mix of all kinds of foods. There’s no need for guilt or shame—because enjoying what you eat is a major part of a healthy relationship with food.
Once again, the goal is balance—not perfection.
If you’re looking for ideas on how to build more balanced meals, I’ve covered that topic in my previous post.
Calories Out: The Energy You Burn
This is where TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) comes in.
Your TDEE is the total number of calories your body burns in a day.
It includes three main components:
1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
This is the energy your body needs when it’s completely resting. This includes the calories you need just to stay alive (breathing, thinking, pumping blood, and more). This is your largest energy burn, accounting for around 60-70% of daily calories burned. Even if you do nothing but lie in bed all day, your body still burns this energy just to keep you alive.
2. Physical Activity
This includes both intentional exercise (like workouts, yoga, or sports) and everyday movement (like walking, doing chores, or even fidgeting).
This second category is often called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis), and it can vary between 15% and 50% of your calories burned, depending on how active you are. As you can see, this component can be surprisingly powerful when it comes to creating a calorie deficit.
3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
Your body uses energy to digest and process the food you eat. This can be around 5-15% of your daily calorie expenditure, depending on the composition of your diet. Protein has the highest thermic effect, meaning it takes more energy to digest compared to carbs or fats.
To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your TDEE, creating a calorie deficit. However, too much of a deficit can do more harm than good. I’ll discuss this in detail in my next post.
However, Your Body Isn’t a Calculator.
Even though the calorie balance is important, your body isn’t a machine running on perfect math. It adapts, compensates, and reacts to what’s happening both inside and around you. That’s why two people can follow the same plan and still see different results.
In essence, while calories are a key part of the picture, they’re not the whole picture.
Hormones, stress, sleep, emotional health, and gut health can all influence how your body stores or uses energy. That’s why weight loss isn’t always linear.
Sometimes, medical conditions like thyroid imbalances, PCOS, or even certain medications can make weight loss complicated. If you think you’re doing everything ‘right’ and still not seeing progress, it’s worth checking in with your doctor.
Taking care of your health means looking at the full context, not just the numbers.
Start with Simple, Sustainable Changes
The good news?
You don’t need to follow a perfect plan, cut out all your favorite foods, or spend hours at the gym to lose weight.
Start by making simple, realistic changes.
- Eat smaller portions.
- Add one fruit or vegetable to a meal each day
- Stay hydrated throughout the day. You don’t need to chug gallons—just keep a water bottle handy and drink when you’re thirsty.
- Add more movement to your daily routine. Take a 10-minute walk during lunch, choose stairs over the elevator, or do some simple stretches while watching Netflix.
These tiny—almost effortless—shifts create big results over time. They’re easy to start and easy to stick with, and they build momentum.
When your habits support your lifestyle, consistency becomes easier, and results become more sustainable.
What’s Next?
In upcoming posts, I’ll be diving deeper into:
- How to estimate your calorie needs
- How long will it take you to lose 10kg?
- What macronutrients are (and why they matter)
- Calorie tracking—when it helps and when it doesn’t
- How to troubleshoot when progress stalls
This journey is about more than just losing weight. It’s about building a lifestyle you enjoy—one that nourishes your body, supports your goals, and grows with you over time.
