Question 1

What is a calorie deficit?

Accepted Answer

A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your TDEE. Your body then burns stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. A deficit of 7,700 kcal is roughly equivalent to losing 1 kg of body fat.

Question 2

How much of a deficit is safe?

Accepted Answer

A deficit of 250–500 kcal/day is considered safe and sustainable for most people, resulting in 0.25–0.5 kg of loss per week. Larger deficits increase the risk of muscle loss, fatigue, and nutrient deficiencies.

Question 3

What does TDEE mean and where do I find mine?

Accepted Answer

TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the calories your body burns each day. Use our TDEE Calculator to find yours in under a minute.

Question 4

Why is the timeline longer than I expected?

Accepted Answer

Sustainable fat loss is slower than most people expect. Crash diets appear to produce faster results but mostly cause water and muscle loss rather than fat. A realistic pace of 0.5 kg/week is far more likely to stay off permanently.

Question 5

Should I eat back calories burned during exercise?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how your TDEE was calculated. If your TDEE already includes exercise (e.g. "Moderately Active"), do not eat back calories. If you used "Sedentary" as your activity level, eating back some exercise calories is appropriate.