What is the caloric deficit ?

🔥When you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its ideal weight.

🔥It is a strategy used to lose weight, since your body uses fat stores as an energy source to compensate for the deficit.

• By reducing food intake, "not snacking between meals".
• By incorporating a healthy and balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
• Increasing physical activity.

It is important to create a moderate and healthy deficit to avoid health problems and loss of muscle mass. [1] [2] 

When achieved in a controlled and balanced way, it can have several benefits:

1. Weight loss✅

When you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body turns to fat stores for energy, which leads to weight loss.

2. Reduction of body fat✅

Reducing both subcutaneous fat (just beneath the skin) and visceral fat (around the internal organs).

👉Visceral fat accumulates around the liver, kidneys, or intestines and can be harmful to health. It is associated with a higher risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

👉To reduce visceral fat, it is important to focus on both diet and exercise (cardio and strength training) [3]

It is important to note that fat loss cannot be specifically targeted to a particular region of the body, such as visceral fat.

3. Improvement in cardiovascular health✅

Weight loss associated with a caloric deficit can reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.[4]

4. Improvement in overall well-being✅

Greater energy, better sleep quality, improved mobility, and greater ability to perform physical activities. Better health = a longer life.[5]

Achieving a caloric deficit in a healthy way involves maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet, as well as incorporating regular exercise into your routine.

It is important to maintain a balanced and healthy diet that includes a variety of nutritious foods:

1. Low-calorie vegetables: spinach, broccoli, kale, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers are low in calories, rich in nutrients and filling.🥒🥕🥦🫑

2. Lean proteins: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs... important for maintaining muscle while you are in a calorie deficit. They help keep you from feeling hungry every few hours! 🥚🥩🐟🥛

If you are looking for something quick, mix our whey protein blended with water or milk.

3. Whole grains: quinoa, brown rice, barley, oats... provide fiber and additional nutrients to your diet. 🍚🌾

Fiber is satiating and also important for digestive health.

You can opt for fiber supplements such as Microbiotic Creamer, which also supports your gut health. Or  Calm Creamer, which, in addition to fiber, includes ashwagandha, a root that helps you manage anxiety.

4. Fruits: an option to satisfy a sweet craving while staying in a calorie deficit. Opt for fresh fruits such as apples, berries, oranges, and pears, as they are low in calories and rich in fiber. 🍊🍎🍐

5. Sources of healthy fats: avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. They keep you full and satisfied, in addition to being good for your health.  🫒🐟

6. Fit Blend, a delicious drink that helps control appetite and activates your metabolism to reach your ideal weight.

Remember:

In addition to nutrition, regular exercise and other healthy habits are important to achieve a calorie deficit effectively and sustainably.

Bibliography:

[1] Finer, N. (2001). Low-calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity Research, 9(S11), 290S-294S. [2] Sherman, J. The Effects of a Calorie Deficit on Body Composition. The Undergraduate 2020 Spectrum, 28. [3] Recchia, F., Leung, C. K., Angus, P. Y., Leung, W., Danny, J. Y., Fong, D. Y., ... & Siu, P. M. (2023). Dose–response effects of exercise and caloric restriction on visceral adiposity in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(16), 1035-1041. [4] Bales, C. W., & Kraus, W. E. (2013). Caloric restriction: implications for human cardiometabolic health. Journal of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and prevention, 33(4), 201-208. [5] Kebbe, M., Sparks, J. R., Flanagan, E. W., & Redman, L. M. (2021). Beyond weight loss: Current perspectives on the impact of calorie restriction on healthspan and lifespan. Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism, 16(3), 95-108.