Everyone wants the secret. The truth is simpler than the supplement ads suggest: to lose fat, you have to eat fewer calories than your body burns. That's a calorie deficit, and it's the one non-negotiable of fat loss.
The good news? You don't have to guess. Let's find your number.
Step 1 — Know your maintenance calories
Your maintenance level (your TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is how many calories you burn in a day. Eat that amount and your weight stays the same. It depends on your age, sex, size, and how active you are.
You can estimate yours in about ten seconds with the calorie & macro calculator — it uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the same one I use when building client plans.
Step 2 — Set a sensible deficit
Once you know maintenance, subtract 15–20%. For most people that lands somewhere between 300 and 500 calories below maintenance.
Bigger isn't better. A crash diet burns muscle, tanks your energy, and is impossible to sustain. Slow and steady wins — aim for around 0.5–1% of bodyweight lost per week.
Step 3 — Protect your muscle with protein
In a deficit, your body will happily burn muscle alongside fat unless you give it a reason not to. Two reasons: eat enough protein (around 1.6–2.2 g per kg of bodyweight) and keep lifting.
Not sure how much protein that is for you? I broke it down in how much protein do you really need.
Step 4 — Adjust with real-world data
A calculator gives you a starting point, not a law of physics. Track your weight as a weekly average. If it's not moving after two to three weeks, drop another 100–150 calories or add activity. Bodies adapt — your plan should too.
The part most people skip
Consistency beats perfection. The "perfect" diet you quit in three weeks loses to the decent diet you follow for six months. That's exactly what coaching is for — a plan built around your life, with weekly adjustments so you never stall out.
If you want me to build that for you, apply for coaching and tell me where you're starting from.